Mississippi Blues Marathon
Jackson, United States · February · Independent
Why people love it
- Rolling loop through Belhaven and downtown Jackson, Boston qualifier, with a 7 hour limit.
- Friendly volunteers and locals; jambalaya at the finish.
- Small field of about 240: no crowding, easy parking near the start.
- A convenient Mississippi stop for 50-state runners.
Watch out for
- Hilly: 363 m (1,193 ft) of gain, with a hard climb near 35 to 37 km (mile 22 to 23).
- Few spectators and little music on the course in 2024 to 2026.
- Double loop is repetitive and confused some runners on lap two.
- Aid is thin on food; recovery food and medals ran short for some.
- Rough pavement and some unmanned crossings reported.
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: Very tough
- Racer satisfactionLiked3.1
RaceRaves 3.2 from 67 ratings, MarathonGuide 1.7 from 2, FindMyMarathon 4.2 from 5. Friendly locals and volunteers, but hills, few spectators and little music. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.0
RaceRaves production 2.9. Recent runners cite a late start, marking gaps, potholes, no pacers and delayed medals. Earlier years were praised. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable2.9
A 7 hour limit helps, but 363 m (1,193 ft) of rolling gain, a double loop and thin aid make it a hard first marathon. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialSlow2.0
Constant rolling terrain with 363 m (1,193 ft) of gain; 4.2% of 2026 finishers qualified for Boston. One runner called it a harder marathon. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant2.9
RaceRaves scenery 2.7. Historic homes, the Capitol and courthouses in Belhaven and downtown are pleasant, but the second loop repeats. · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.2
Small field of 105 to 237 finishers means no crowding, but the double loop caused wrong-turn confusion on lap two. · Low confidence
- Road surfacePatchy2.4
Reviewers report potholes, rough pavement and awful roads in 2023 and older BibRave reviews. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.0
A 2023 reviewer describes running in traffic and unmanned crossings; a 2019 runner saw police and volunteers at turns. Mixed across years. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessHilly2.2
363 m (1,193 ft) of gain and loss per FindMyMarathon; one runner measured about 300 m (1,000 ft). Constant rolling terrain. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop with equal gain and loss of 363 m (1,193 ft). Boston qualifier but not downhill, despite a conflicting online label. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.6
Easy parking and race-day pickup were praised in 2019 and 2024; too few toilets and a late 2026 start. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups2.5
2023 and 2024 reviewers say advertised pacers were absent; results missing from the timing site for one 2024 runner. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportSparse1.9
'Zero spectators' appears in 2024 and 2025 reviews. Blues bands and the JSU marching band were reduced or missing in recent years. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsStandard2.8
Water and sports drink about every 3 km (2 mi), but little food, ice shortages in 2023 heat, and the finish ran out of Gatorade. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.8
Wind is not mentioned as a problem in any review; start-time wind about 8 km (5 mi)/h (5 mph) NNW. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.2
A 7 °C (45 °F) start is ideal, but humidity of 79% and highs up to 26 °C (78 °F) hit in 2022 and 2023. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityUnsettled2.4
February 20 highs over five years ranged from 1 to 26 °C (33 to 78 °F), with a hot 2023 and older cold sleet. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.0
A compact downtown double loop lets friends see runners twice and the finish is near the Capitol, but spectators are few. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.9
82 to 116 m (272 to 381 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 availabilityGood3.7
Small field and no sell-out reports. Downtown hotels exist; little direct evidence. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.8
Jackson hotels are generally inexpensive, with walkable options reported by one reviewer. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.6
A MarathonGuide reviewer found hotels within walking distance of the start; ample parking nearby. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.0
JAN is 11 km (7 mi) from downtown with limited flights. Memphis and New Orleans are each about 300 km (190 mi) away. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.4
No real expo, only packet pickup, which runners found easy but poorly signed. Race-day pickup and gear check are available. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodFine3.2
Reviewers like local restaurants and the post-race jambalaya; Jackson otherwise has limited tourism. · 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 inOpen entry4.8
Open entry, 105 to 237 finishers; no sell-out reported. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.2
Guitar medal and harmonica praised in some years; recent swag shrank, medals were delayed or mailed in 2026, and 5K and marathon medals match. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Jackson, Hinds County, United States
- Typical month
- February
- Latest or next date
- 20 February 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 237 athletes
- First held
- 2008
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- laps
- Climbing
- 363 m (1,190 ft)
- Descent
- 363 m (1,190 ft)
- Start time
- 07:30
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Asphalt, some rough pavement and potholes
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 4–13 °C (39–55 °F)
- Humidity
- Humid Deep South; 79% at a typical start
- Altitude
- 100 m (330 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International (JAN), 11 km (7 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Jackson, Fondren
- Booking
- Hotels within walking distance of the start were praised by a MarathonGuide reviewer; downtown options are cheap by US standards.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
67 ratings, 3.2 overall; difficulty 3.3, scenery 2.7, production 2.9, swag 2.8. Runners agree it is hilly, the double loop is tedious, spectators and music are scarce, aid has little food, but volunteers and the jambalaya finish are liked.
“Zero spectators, not one during the whole race.”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2024 · aggregator · Negative
Two reviews, 1.7 average. 2024: no bands or pacers despite promises, sparse aid. 2023: potholes, running in traffic and shortages at the finish.
“Worst marathon ever!”
- FindMyMarathonRaced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Five reviews, 4.2 average: friendly and well organised, good swag, a downtown route with historic homes and lively finish; hills are demanding, pavement rough, toilets and music few, expo small.
- BibRaveRaced 2019 · aggregator · Mixed
About 18 older reviews, 83% recommend. Hilly with a tough stretch near mile 22 to 23 (35 to 37 km), not the prettiest but passes nice parts of Jackson; swag and volunteers praised, JSU marching band loved when present; a 2019 reviewer said swag and medal shrank after a management change.
“The volunteers of the race are AMAZING.”
- Felix Wong blogRaced 2019 · blog · Positive
Finished 3:36:05, 33rd of 332. Rolling course through downtown and tree-lined neighbourhoods, accurate mile markers, blues bands and cheering spectators, easy parking, cool weather; one of his harder marathons but a favourite.
“One of my favorite ones.”
Show 1 more
- WJTVRaced 2020 · article · Positive
Local TV coverage of the 29 Feb 2020 race: 7 a.m. start, downtown street party with live music before, during and after, proceeds to the Mississippi Blues Commission's musicians' fund.
Raced Mississippi Blues Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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