Mohawk Hudson River Marathon
Albany, United States · October · Independent
Why people love it
- About two-thirds of the course is paved river bike path.
- Small field of 500 to 600 finishers and a free shuttle from the Albany Hilton.
- Boston qualifier; about 14.8% of 2025 finishers qualified.
- Net drop of about 113 m (370 ft), mostly a 73 m (240 ft) descent mid-race.
Watch out for
- Crowds are sparse on the bike path and grow only near Albany.
- An active freight railroad crossing can add delay.
- Damp and cool: about 80% humidity, with rain in roughly a quarter of years.
- Headwinds in the final miles hurt both winners in 2023.
- Few athletes have written about it, so most scores are uncertain.
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 satisfactionLoved3.9
Thin evidence: one MarathonGuide review (3.7 of 5) and 2014 forum praise. Sparse crowds and bike-path sameness keep it from going higher. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
A reviewer praised clear communication, same-day registration and the free Albany shuttle. A railroad crossing and low-key medical care are small flags. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.7
Flat start, a 6 hour cutoff and plentiful aid. Sparse crowds on the path and an 08:00 shuttle start offset that. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast4.3
Net drop of about 113 m (370 ft), and about 14.8% of 2025 finishers qualified for Boston. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.6
Rivers, bridges and autumn leaves along bike paths. One reviewer rated it 4 of 5, but others find the river views limited. · Low confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.8
A narrow bike path, but a field of only 500 to 600 finishers keeps congestion low. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood4.2
Mostly well-paved train trail with gradual changes. A railroad crossing breaks the stride. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.7
Bike path and local roads. One reviewer had no traffic trouble on the road sections. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat3.6
About 144 m (472 ft) of gain, near the low end of rolling, though runners call it flat. · Low confidence
- Net downhillDownhill4.0
Net drop of roughly 113 to 119 m (370 to 391 ft). One third-party source says no Boston downhill adjustment applies. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.7
Free shuttle buses from the Albany Hilton to an 08:00 start, and the small field means no corral crush. Bag drop details not found. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.4
Mile markers with quotes and timing. Pacer details were not found. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent2.8
Sparse on the bike paths, with signs and music where people gather. Crowds grow toward Albany. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.9
Stations staffed by school volunteers with water, sports drink and gels. Some runners wanted more visible medical help. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.0
Winners fought a headwind in the final miles in 2023, and the 2026 forecast was breezy. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.2
Starts of 6 to 9 °C (43 to 48 °F) rise to 13 to 17 °C (55 to 63 °F), but humidity is high. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.2
Rain in about a quarter of years, drizzle in 2024 and 2026, warmth in 2017 and a headwind in 2023. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints2.8
A path course with limited access. Crowds grow in the closing miles near the finish. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.8
River valley, well under 300 m (1,000 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 availabilityGood3.8
Albany has a downtown Hilton used as the race hotel, plus state-capital room supply. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
No price evidence found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.5
A free shuttle from the Albany Hilton to the start, and a finish in downtown Albany. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.2
The regional airport is about 17 km (11 mi) from downtown; New York City and Boston are a few hours' drive. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.8
One reviewer reports easy communication and same-day registration. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine3.2
Downtown Albany and the state capital area. Few reviewer comments. · 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 inRegister early3.4
Open registration. It sold out in 2010 and 2014 when capacity was 1,200 or less; the current situation is unknown. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.8
About $91 to $120 for a certified Boston qualifier with massage, sandwiches and a free shuttle. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Albany, Capital District, United States
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 11 October 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 600 athletes
- First held
- 1983
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 144 m (470 ft)
- Start time
- 08:00
- Cutoff
- 6 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- About two-thirds paved bike path, one-third city streets
- How to get in
- open
- Entry fee
- About $105
- Air temperature
- 6–17 °C (43–63 °F)
- Humidity
- High (about 80%)
- Nearest airport
- Albany International (ALB), 17 km (11 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Albany near the Hilton
- Booking
- Race shuttle runs from the downtown Albany Hilton to the start.
What racers and reviewers say
- MarathonGuide review (Bradford G.)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Positive
Qualified by more than 10 minutes. First 14 miles (22.5 km) gently rolling with near-zero net change, downhill concentrated in the following 4 miles (6.4 km). Paved trail, light drizzle at 4 to 9 °C (40s F), peak leaves, simple registration and massage.
“Excellent BQ Course. Scenic w Easy Logistics”
- MarathonGuide event page (2026)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Event summary: ample stations with high-school volunteers, sparse spectators in places, mile markers with quotes, a railroad crossing and some runners wanting more visible medical. 633 finishers in 2026, rating 4.7.
- Slowtwitch forum thread (2014)Raced 2014 · forum · Positive
Posters recommend it as a small, low-key point-to-point with about 120 m (400 ft) net drop, very high BQ share and a mostly wooded trail. Noted it was already sold out in May.
“Relatively small (less than 1,000 for the marathon)”
- HMRRC Pace Setter (2019 recap)Raced 2019 · article · Positive
Club newsletter recap of the 2019 race on a beautiful autumn day. Mostly about winners rather than course conditions.
- Daily Gazette (2023 race story)Raced 2023 · article · Mixed
Both winners struggled over the final miles because of a headwind.
Show 5 more
- WRGB CBS6 (2021 race story)Raced 2021 · article · Positive
Race had a new start at Niskayuna Community Center in 2021, finishing at Jennings Landing, and can be used to qualify for Boston.
- RunDida (course profile)Raced 2026 · article · Positive
Profile: 144 m (472 ft) gain, net drop roughly 113 to 119 m (370 to 391 ft), 73 m (240 ft) descent at miles 15 to 18.5, about 14.8% BQ in 2025, 6 hour limit, and a typical start 6 °C (43 °F). Third-party calculator site.
- HalfRuns listingRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Rates it well organised and well supported, spectators sparse on the bike paths, with drop concentrated in miles 14 to 22 (22.5 to 35 km). Site has inconsistent location data.
- WikipediaRaced 2024 · article · Positive
Point-to-point, two-thirds bike path, shuttle from the Albany Hilton, 513 finishers in 2024.
- MarathonGuide press release (2010)Raced 2010 · article · Positive
2010 fill-up: 400 extra slots took the field from 800 to 1,200 and it still sold out three months ahead.
Raced Mohawk Hudson River Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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