Maine Marathon
Portland, United States · October · Independent
Why people love it
- Out-and-back from Back Cove with Portland skyline and Casco Bay views in peak fall colour.
- Boston qualifier, USATF certified, with over 5,000 registrations across events.
- Runners praise volunteers, musicians and a finish party with food trucks and a beer garden.
- Start and finish at the same Back Cove spot, easy for supporters.
- Medal and long-sleeve shirt praised by most recent reviewers.
Watch out for
- Rolling hills with a significant climb near mile 20 (32 km); several said hillier than expected.
- Miles 7 to 21 (11 to 34 km (21.1 mi)) are quiet and run mostly on suburban roads.
- Warm years hurt: 27 °C (80 °F) in 2025, with fuel and Gatorade complaints.
- Portland hotels are pricey and parking can mean a long walk to the start.
- A 2026 timing glitch took one to two days to fix.
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 4.3 from 50 ratings; one MarathonGuide review gave 2.7. Praise for organisation, volunteers and the finish party; complaints about hills and warm years. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.1
RaceRaves production 4.4. Smooth expo and plentiful volunteers; dings for a 2026 timing glitch, a crowded finish area and shirt sizes running out. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.4
Rolling hills, a big climb near mile 20 (32 km) and a quiet middle stretch, offset by strong volunteers. Cutoff not published. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage2.8
Out-and-back with rolling hills, a big climb near mile 20 (32 km) and a 2022 headwind. 77 runners (6.6%) qualified for Boston in 2025. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.8
RaceRaves scenery 4.2: skyline, Back Cove and fall foliage. A 2025 runner saw limited water views and a 2022 reviewer found the inland roads plain. · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.3
Half marathon and relay share the road, and the Back Cove path narrowed in 2022. A 2025 runner found it emptier past 11 km (7 mi). · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.5
Paved roads. The gravel section near mile 13 (21 km) was removed in 2023; the Back Cove path narrows to a single track during construction. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.0
No direct evidence of closures; Press Herald reported half marathoners crowding a shared Back Cove path in 2022. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling2.6
Rolling hills with a significant climb near mile 20 (32 km). Gain is not published; estimated 150 to 300 m (500 to 1,000 ft). · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Out-and-back from and to Back Cove, so net zero. Boston qualifier. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.6
One Back Cove start and finish with smooth packet pickup; one 2025 runner found few toilets, a crowded area and a long walk from parking. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.3
Timing glitch in 2026 delayed results by one to two days; pace group coverage not confirmed. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong3.5
RaceRaves reviewers describe spectators, cheer groups and musicians, heaviest at the start, with miles 7 to 21 (11 to 34 km) quiet. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.4
Water about every 2.4 km (1.5 mi), but Nuun instead of Gatorade in 2025 heat and almost no toilets in 2022. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.0
Strong headwind on the outbound leg in 2022 and a tailwind home; coastal exposure on Back Cove. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Highs of 14 to 21 °C (57 to 69 °F) in four of five years; 2025 reached 27 °C (80 °F). · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.3
Early October on the coast: highs varied 13 °C (23 °F) across five years, with drizzle in 2021 and 27 °C (80 °F) in 2025. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.3
Start and finish share one spot and the course passes through towns, but it is an out-and-back on suburban roads with quiet middle miles. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Portland sits at about 10 m (30 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.4
Plenty of Portland hotels, but 5,000 registrations across events and foliage season fill rooms. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal2.9
Runners call Portland hotels expensive on race weekend. · Medium confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.3
Some Back Cove parking means a long walk to the start; Old Port hotels are about 3 km (2 mi) away. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.8
Portland Jetport is about 6 km (4 mi) from Back Cove; Boston is about 170 km (105 mi) south. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
Packet pickup and expo generally smooth, with a crowded expo noted in 2025. Relay shuttles run but marathoners start from Baxter Boulevard. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.4
Portland is a strong food town and the finish party offers food trucks, a beer garden and lobster rolls per RaceRaves reviewers. · Low 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 inEasy4.3
Open entry on RunSignUp; sell-out status not published. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.8
Medal, long-sleeve shirt, a large swag bag per older reviews and a finish party praised; entry fee not found. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Portland, Cumberland County, United States
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 4 October 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 1,330 athletes
- First held
- 1992
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- out-and-back
- Start time
- 07:45
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved roads and a shoreline path around Back Cove
- How to get in
- open
- Air temperature
- 8–18 °C (46–64 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate, coastal
- Altitude
- 10 m (33 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Portland International Jetport (PWM), 6 km (4 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Old Port, Downtown Portland, Back Cove neighbourhood
- Booking
- Portland hotels are expensive on race weekend and parking can mean a long walk to the start per a 2025 runner. Book early.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
50 ratings, 4.3 overall; difficulty 3.0, scenery 4.2, production 4.4, swag 3.9. Runners praise organisation, volunteers, music and the finish party. Hills split opinion, miles 7 to 21 (11 to 34 km) are quiet, aid fuel and heat in warm years drew complaints.
“Prepare for those hills!”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2022 · aggregator · Mixed
One review rated 2.7: pleasant but hilly, starts by the water then suburban roads inland, almost no toilets on course, a poor shirt and a post-race area like a local half marathon.
- Portland Press HeraldRaced 2022 · article · neutral
2022 race report: out-and-back through Falmouth, Cumberland and Yarmouth, a big hill near mile 20 (32 km) on Route 88, a strong outbound headwind and tailwind home at 13 °C (55 °F), and a narrowed Back Cove path due to construction.
- Bangor Daily NewsRaced 2013 · article · neutral
2013 preview of a rerouted course in which a co-director said there were definitely more hills. Dated, but consistent with later runner comments that the course is hillier than expected.
- BibRaveRaced 2022 · blog · Mixed
Several 2014 to 2022 reviewers: very pretty but hillier than expected, a few steep rollers, mixed crowd opinions, one of the larger swag bags, water about every 1.5 mi (2.4 km), but nearly no toilets on course in 2022.
“One of the largest swag bags you will get.”
Show 1 more
- FindMyMarathonRaced 2025 · survey · neutral
Lists 1,327 marathon finishers and 77 Boston qualifiers (6.6%) for 2025, a moderate qualifying rate for a rolling course.
Raced Maine 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.
Training for Maine Marathon? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.