Modesto Marathon
Modesto, United States · March to April · Independent
Why people love it
- Flat course with 53 m (177 ft) of gain near sea level, a Boston qualifier with a 7-hour cutoff.
- Cool, calm average start of 9 °C (49 °F).
- Twelve aid stations about every 3.5 km (2.2 mi); jacket, shirt and medal praised.
- Open entry with a small, friendly field of about 366 finishers.
Watch out for
- Half and full start together, so the first miles are crowded and the field thins after the split.
- 2026 runners saw no 3:00 to 3:15 pacers despite Boston billing.
- Country-road footing is uneven in places, and an overpass is crossed twice.
- The airport is small; Sacramento is about 110 km (70 mi) away.
- A 2026 lead-bike error turned the leader around at the wrong spot.
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: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.2
RaceRaves 4.7 from 73 ratings, FindMyMarathon 5.0 from 4, but MarathonGuide 2.8 from two. Flat, friendly and well run; thin after the half split. · High confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
RaceRaves production 4.6 and 12 aid stations. Complaints: a start about 10 minutes late, a lane mix-up near 6 km (3.7 mi), and a 2026 lead-bike error. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly4.0
Flat, with a 7-hour cutoff and a calm, intimate field, though some runners are alone after the half split. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.3
Flat, with 53 m (177 ft) of gain, cool calm starts and 8 to 15 percent Boston qualifiers. Country roads are not always smooth. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.2
RaceRaves scenery 3.5. Tree-lined neighbourhoods, orchards and Diablo Range views, but long straight roads and industrial stretches. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.5
Half and full start together, so early miles are crowded. Long straight roads and few turns; thin after the split. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.3
Well-paved roads per 2024 runners, but 2019 reports describe country-road footing that is not great. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.8
Reviewers call the course closed, though one saw an official drive in the runner lane near 6 to 8 km (miles 4 to 5). · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessPancake flat4.6
53 m (177 ft) of gain per FindMyMarathon, up to 116 m (381 ft) by one watch. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Out-and-back, with zero net drop. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.5
Easy downtown start, but a small expo, a late start in 2024 and inconvenient bib pickup for one runner. Arrive early for parking. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.0
Pace groups are offered, but 2026 runners saw no 3:00 to 3:15 pacers despite Boston billing and found pacer lists unclear. · Medium confidence
- Crowd supportStrong3.5
Cowbell-ringing crowds earn praise on RaceRaves, but local cheering fades on the country roads. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.0
Twelve aid stations about every 3.5 km (2.2 mi), with water and honey chews. Post-race food could be more substantial. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.9
Calm start with a light breeze of 19 km (11.8 mi)/h (12 mph) at the finish in 2024. The out-and-back has one headwind leg. · Medium confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.2
Average start 9 °C (49 °F) at 84 percent humidity, finishing up to 16 °C (61 °F). Warm years reached 27 °C (81 °F). · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityReliable3.5
Early April highs varied from 11 to 27 °C (52 to 81 °F) over five years, though most reports describe a cool, calm day. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.5
Downtown start and finish with a handful of drive-to spots along the out-and-back. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Elevation is 10 to 32 m (34 to 108 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.6
Mid-size Central Valley city with chain hotels, but limited choice downtown. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood4.0
Modest regional prices. No rate data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.5
Downtown hotels are near the start; others need to drive. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.8
Modesto airport is 8 km (5 mi) away but small; most fly to Sacramento, 110 km (70 mi), or the Bay Area. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
Expo and bib pickup at the Classic Car Museum the day before, which some found inconvenient. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodFine3.1
American Graffiti theme, food trucks and a beer garden at the finish. Downtown is modest. · 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 entry4.6
Open entry, never reported selling out. · High confidence
- Value for moneyGood value4.2
RaceRaves swag 4.6, with the jacket, shirt and medal praised. Profits fund a youth running program. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Modesto, Stanislaus County, United States
- Typical month
- March to April
- Latest or next date
- 4 April 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 366 athletes
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- out-and-back
- Climbing
- 53 m (175 ft)
- Descent
- 53 m (175 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- City streets, country roads
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 9–18 °C (48–64 °F)
- Humidity
- High at the start, about 84 percent
- Altitude
- 25 m (82 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Modesto City-County (MOD), 8 km (5 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Modesto
- Booking
- Downtown and highway hotels in Modesto; Sacramento (SMF) is about 110 km (70 mi), San Jose and Oakland about 130 km (80 mi).
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
73 ratings, 4.7 overall; difficulty 2.6, scenery 3.5, production 4.6, swag 4.6. Flat, fast and well organised, with a jacket, shirt and good medal; gripes are a thin field after the half split, unclear pacer info and modest scenery.
“It's calm, well-organized, and intimate.”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2024 · aggregator · Mixed
2.8 from two reviews. A racewalker loved the flat, closed, cool course and cowbell crowds but hit a runner-lane mix-up around miles 4 to 5 (6 to 8 km); a local said it has declined, citing a small expo, an inconvenient bib pickup and a start 10 minutes late.
“Well done, Modesto.”
- FindMyMarathonRaced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
5.0 from four reviews: flat and fast with some shade and crowds of spectators; half runners crowd the finish area and parking and toilets fill early.
- Team RunRunRaced 2019 · blog · Positive
Won in 2:16:47 and rated it 4 of 5: a flat, fast country-road course where the only hill is an overpass, about 10 °C (50 °F) with no wind, standard water and electrolyte aid, smooth organization and a good PR race without a big-city crowd.
“flat fast course”
- MarathonGuide blogRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Describes a flat, fast course through tree-lined neighborhoods, a college campus and orchards, 12 marathon aid stations, a 7-hour limit and praise for volunteers; 299 marathon finishers in 2023 and 343 in 2024.
Show 2 more
- 209 MagazineRaced 2024 · article · Positive
Local profile: run by ShadowChase Running Club, over 2,000 participants a year (306 marathoners in 2023), a fast, flat Boston and New York qualifier whose profit funds a youth running program.
- Local news (Modesto Bee via AOL)Raced 2026 · article · Mixed
Reported that a top finisher was logged as did-not-finish after the lead bike turned him around at 21 km (mile 13) instead of the correct spot; the race director called it an isolated error.
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Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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