Acadia Half Marathon & 10K
Bar Harbor, ME
- Half Marathon, 10K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Acadia Half Marathon course features breathtaking view of Acadia National Park and Maine’s rocky coastline. The Acadia Half Marathon is a Spectacular 13.1 mile course traveling on the scenic Acadia National Park Loop road. The second largest island on the eastern seaboard, Mount Desert Island boasts an impressive 41,000 … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jun 07):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 64 | 59 | 56 | 72 | 84 |
| L (°F) | 58 | 53 | 50 | 45 | 60 |
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Run in a National Park
I chose to do this half marathon because I wanted to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. This race typically sells out pretty quickly. It's not a race you … MORE
I chose to do this half marathon because I wanted to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. This race typically sells out pretty quickly. It’s not a race you need to sign up for as soon as registration opens but it typically sells out in a few months so if you want to do it, sign up as soon as you can. Cost for the race is a bit expensive compared to other half marathons but it includes the National Park pass since you run through the park and the price is fair once you subtract the park pass. Pre-race communication was pretty good with one exception. The race has both a walker division and a runner division. When I initially signed up the race was supposed to take place from 6:45 to 10:30 so a 3:45 time limit for the runner division. At the time I signed up I was generally finishing half marathons right under 3:30 but was sometimes closer to 3:45 in tougher half’s or half’s where I was distracted by the scenery. Therefore I did inquire about the early start and got a quick reply from the RD and was told if you were too fast for the walker start the aid stations and volunteers at intersections might not be set up yet especially as I was hoping to get faster, I decided to stick with the runner division when I registered. Luckily I did get faster but I was still looking forward to the 3:45 time limit as I wanted to just enjoy this race and take pictures and not look at my Garmin. However in the final race email it said the race would take place from 6:30 to 10:00 so only a 3:30 time limit. I really wish this was communicated clearly and sooner. I’m 100% sure the RD would have let me go to the walker division if I was concerned about missing the time limit. I really wasn’t concerned at my current speed but I knew I’d have to pace myself, couldn’t hike too much the day before and could not take a million pictures during the race. I thought about asking to go to the walker division but I really didn’t feel like waking up an hour earlier to take more pictures and check my Garmin less so I stuck with the runner division. Bar Harbor/Acadia is about a 5 hour drive from where I live so it’s a nice location for a weekend getaway if you’re a New Englander. I was initially thinking I would drive up Friday night and spend 2 nights in Bar Harbor but then I looked at hotel prices and decided to just stay 1 night. It is a pricey area to stay at (I’m sure you can figure out how to do it cheaply with camping or airbnbs but I like to try to always stay at IHG hotels to get points). I was initially going to stay at the Holiday Inn in Bar Harbor which was above my price range but hey I had all those points so I was able to cover most of the cost. However I received a call that the Holiday Inn was being renovated so I was upgraded to stay at the Harborside Hotel which would normally be way, way, way over my price limit but I guess I lucked out as I paid like $100 since most of my hotel was covered by points. This hotel was really nice and within walking distance to the race so if you are hoping to treat yourself to a fancy resort, I’d definitely recommend staying there. For the race you need to pick up your packet the day before. Packet pick-up is at the YMCA at Bar Harbor about 3/4 mile from the hotel. It was easy and in the gym. Packet included bib, national park pass, the shirt which is an underwhelming tech shirt, and some coupons and travel information about the area. Since there was now the 3:30 time limit I didn’t want to hike too much Saturday and mostly looked around Bar Harbor which is a cute, touristy town with lots of things to look at and things to do. It would make a very nice vacation. Race morning was smooth. It was of course rainy since New England weekends are always rainy but not as bad as the day before. It was mostly a light rain or mist. The start is about 1/4 mile away from the finish line at the YMCA. There was very clear signs to get to the start line which I appreciated. The start line though was anticlimactic and literally just a timing mat and someone told us to go at 6:30am and we were off. The race has a pretty small field as I’m sure there are limitations with running in the National Park. There are a few hundred runners and I was running alone a lot. Not really a complaint just a fact so if you like a large race field this isn’t the race for you. Normally I prefer bigger races but running through the park was kind of nice and peaceful on my own. There are also not a ton of spectators given the remote nature of the course. You run a bit though town and quite quickly enter the park. Running through the park is awesome. A lot of the race follows the main road and Ocean path and it is stunning. Even the less stunning sections are still gorgeous forest scenery. The downside to running in the park is you do have to run with traffic but there was very little traffic so early in the park. I took a good number of pictures but I restrained myself a bit to make sure I finished by 3:30. Overall production for the race was fine but underwhelming. There were a solid number of aid stations around every 2 miles with water and gatorade. There was no nutrition on course until the last aid station where there was some watermelon. There were not enough bathrooms on course. I’m guessing the park doesn’t let the race use porta potties as the only restrooms were park restrooms that the course went through. It was for the most part well marked. There was one “intersection” that wasn’t and I didn’t know where to go but I realized it wasn’t really an intersection and both lanes eventually merged so it didn’t matter. There were mile markers but they were small. The course is hilly but doable with about 1000 feet of elevation gain. It won’t be a PR course but it’s not so hilly that I would avoid it for the hills. While I loved running in the park, I did not like the end of the race. The race ended along a busy road for the last few miles and we were still running with traffic on the side of the road. This part made me a little nervous and I sometimes had to retreat off the road if I noticed a car was zooming really fast. The race ends back at the YMCA. My finishing time was around what I expected as it’s not an easy course and I did stop for some pictures. The finish area is again a bit lackluster though there is a finish arch. The medal is small but representative of Maine. There was post race food including the typical granola bars and fruit and ice cream. The only ice cream they had left when I finished was non-dairy strawberry sorbet which is what I would’ve chosen anyways so I was fine with it. I’m not sure if they had other flavors for the faster runners. After the race I visited Acadia Park and luckily the rain stopped. The park was beautiful and worth the drive. Overall I thought this was a good race. Scenery is amazing and it’s cool to actually run through the park. However production and swag were a bit underwhelming though met expectations. In terms of my recommendations for this race, I would definitely recommend it to New Englanders as an excuse for a fun weekend trip. For 50 staters it depends on what you are looking for. I have now done several half marathons in Maine. I would recommend this race if you are looking for the best scenery/location but I’d recommend the Maine Half Marathon in Portland in October if you are looking for the best race production and a large race field/spectator support and I’d recommend Millinocket if you are looking for the most unique experience.
Acadia NP!
Race day weather was miserable. The temperatures were in the low 40s this is on the coast and there was a persistent blowing wind. Also there was steady to driving … MORE
Race day weather was miserable. The temperatures were in the low 40s this is on the coast and there was a persistent blowing wind. Also there was steady to driving rain throughout the entire run.
This was a very hilly course. Before running this, it would be very important for a Flatlander to do a little training.
Now, to the many positives! Bar Harbor is a very cool town, and there are many great hotel options for visitors running this race. Acadia is a fantastic national park and this race does an excellent job of showcasing the beauty at the park I have ran races at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, but the scenery here was perhaps the best I’ve ever seen on a course. What was unique about this race is that the organizers managed to gain access to the carriage roads inside the national park for a large portion of the course. There are mountains, lakes, and attractions along the seashore that the runners get to enjoy throughout the race
Despite the suboptimal weather, the volunteers were cheerful and friendly. Water and Gatorade were provided at all hydration stations.
The T-shirt in all honesty was a bit plain, and the finishing metal was simple, but did feature the pine tree and ocean waves from the race logo.
I wish the weather had been a bit more welcoming, but nonetheless, this was one of the most scenic courses. I’ve had the pleasure to run. This is a challenge, but is well worth the experience!
Spectacular views!
What a beautiful race! Very few races occur inside a national park, making the Acadia National Park Half Marathon a true find! The race starts and ends at the local … MORE
What a beautiful race! Very few races occur inside a national park, making the Acadia National Park Half Marathon a true find! The race starts and ends at the local YMCA and the event is a fundraiser for the Y. This is not an easy course. The elevation change is a little over 1000 ft. Lots of water/Gatorade stations. Very chill and relaxed. I stayed at my hotel and my husband dropped me off at the starting line 15 minutes before the race started. Race started on time. Race director was so nice. It had rained and I was soaked and cold, so I approached the race director about getting my age group award early before the awards ceremony so I could go home and get out of my cold wet clothes and she did (I got a YMCA mug for being first in my age group). This race is capped at 400 runners and sells out early. I think the event sold out three or four months before race day if I remember correctly. There’s also a 10k as well. I would recommend this race to anyone who loves amazing views and isn’t afraid of hills! Such a great race and so happy I ran it!