Chattanooga Marathon
Chattanooga, United States · March · Independent
Why people love it
- Crosses the Veterans and Walnut Street bridges and runs the riverwalk past downtown restaurants.
- Start and finish at Finley Stadium, with real bathrooms and a covered expo next door.
- Themed aid stations with oranges, bananas and rotating gels or chews; local beer after.
- Open registration for a race weekend on 5 to 7 March 2027.
Watch out for
- About 366 m (1,200 ft) of gain on rolling hills, though the course has flattened since early years.
- One marathoner found the water stops poor, with two on downhills after climbs.
- Slower runners reported thin crowds, and recent post-race food was light.
- Early March can be cold and wet, roughly 3 to 14 °C (37 to 57 °F).
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.0
RaceRaves shows 4.1 from 29 ratings. Runners like the setting, spectators and organisation; complaints are hills and some water stops. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.2
RaceRaves production is 4.4 out of 5, and a repeat runner praises it. The first-year course measured 0.28 mi (0.45 km) short. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.4
Hills with about 366 m (1,200 ft) of gain, and a 2021 first-timer warned of thin crowds for slower runners. Cutoff not found. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage2.8
Rolling hills; one reviewer says the downhills can run fast. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.9
RaceRaves scenery is 4.2: riverwalk, Walnut Street Bridge and downtown, plus some industrial stretches one runner did not love. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.7
Marathon, half, relay and 5K share the day, with no congestion complaints. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.6
City roads and riverwalk. No surface complaints found. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.4
Local news publicises road closures, but details were not found. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling2.5
About 366 m (1,200 ft) of gain for the marathon, and several reviewers note rolling hills. · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Start and finish at the same stadium, so net change is about zero. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth4.0
Pre-race bathrooms and a covered expo next to Finley Stadium, with a family-friendly market at the start and finish. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.3
Pace groups are not documented; timing was described as accurate in later years. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.2
RaceRaves reviewers mention good spectators, but a 2021 first-timer found little crowd support for slower runners. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.6
Themed stations with oranges, bananas and gels were praised in 2022. One 2021 marathoner found the water stops poor. Post-race food is light. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.6
Wind was not raised in reviews, and the course sits in the river valley. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.9
Early March is likely cool at the start, about 3 to 10 °C (37 to 50 °F). No race-day readings found. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Early March can bring cold snaps and rain in the Tennessee Valley. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.4
Downtown and riverwalk sections are easy to reach. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.7
Chattanooga is about 200 m (660 ft) above sea level. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.0
Chattanooga has plenty of downtown hotels. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.7
No race-week rates were found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.6
Finley Stadium is in the Southside, a short walk or rideshare from downtown hotels. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.6
The local airport is small; Atlanta is about 190 km (120 mi) away. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.0
Stadium parking and the expo pavilion sit next to the start, and start and finish share a site. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood4.4
Walnut Street Bridge, the riverwalk, restaurants and local beer after the race. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.4
Open registration. Sell-out status not found. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.7
Fee not found. Themed aid stations and local beer are praised; post-race food was light. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Chattanooga, Hamilton County, United States
- Typical month
- March
- Latest or next date
- 7 March 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- First held
- 2016
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 366 m (1,200 ft)
- Surface
- City roads and riverwalk
- How to get in
- open
- Air temperature
- 3–14 °C (37–57 °F)
- Humidity
- Not reported
- Altitude
- 200 m (655 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Chattanooga Metropolitan (CHA), 15 km (9 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Southside, Downtown, North Shore
- Booking
- Downtown and Southside hotels are close to Finley Stadium.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (Chattanooga Marathon)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
29 runners rate it 4.1 out of 5 (production 4.4, scenery 4.2, difficulty 2.5, swag 4.1). They agree on a beautiful setting, good spectators, strong volunteers and rolling hills. One 2021 marathoner thought the water stops were poor, and a 2021 first-timer warned of thin crowds for slower runners.
“This is a good race, with plenty of rolling hills.”
- WeeViews (Erich Heinlein)Raced 2022 · article · Positive
A runner who has done the race nearly every year calls it one of the better organised events. Pros: real bathrooms before the race, scenery, supportive water stations, local beer. Con: little post-race food. The course has flattened since the early years but still has hills, and it now starts and finishes at Finley Stadium.
- BibRave (Chattanooga Marathon reviews)aggregator · mixed-positive
Reviewers describe varied neighbourhoods and rolling hills, with a high point mid-course that makes miles 5 to 7 (8 to 11 km) tough on the half course. One first-year review criticised the course for being short.
Raced Chattanooga Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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