Buffalo Marathon
Buffalo, NY
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Buffalo Marathon Weekend is the premiere destination event on Memorial Day Weekend in Western New York. The Buffalo Marathon is a fast, scenic Boston Marathon qualifier that takes you through the best streets, parks and waterways in Buffalo. You will not find a race more convenient than this. The full … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 29):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 68 | 65 | 67 | 84 | 77 |
| L (°F) | 50 | 55 | 55 | 53 | 55 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
We Shuffle Off to Buffalo
It was my first time at the Buffalo Marathon Weekend event, though I had run the half. What Worked Well: Location, location, location. Even on race day, there was oodles … MORE
It was my first time at the Buffalo Marathon Weekend event, though I had run the half.
What Worked Well: Location, location, location. Even on race day, there was oodles of parking. My hotel was right by UB at Amherst (towards the northeast), and I had no issues getting to or parking on race morning. The convention center is also a stumble ‘n’ roll from the finish line. If you only manage to pick up your bib the day before, the swag is still for sale on race day. Bag drop is also in the convention center ball room, which was very convenient, and could have been moreso if it rained! Per the course? Easy to follow, the half-marathon did not have any sharp hairpins of note. Mild to moderate rolling hills, and with a half-marathon on my legs from the day before I was still able to punch out a run five minutes off my PB. It’s that flat… -ish.
What Could Have Been Better: Not much? Niagara Square served as a mini runner village once through checkpoint, and there were plenty of portajohns. Yet if you got there a little closer to race start, it would be a bit of a wait. (See if you can get into that area on race day no later than 5:45am for the 6:30am start.) Speaking of, the 6:30am start seemed way early, yet there was plenty of daylight at that time. It could be an issue for those traveling far on race morning. Course support was great, water support for the half was fine, but I could have done with carrying my own hydration as well.
TL:DNR? Great race, easy enough course, friendly for beginners, great vibe, I mark this as West New York’s answer to a mini mini mini NYC Marathon.
Let's Go Buffalo
Flat and fast race with great support! The expo is held the day before and is easy to get to. For a big city, there were no issues with traffic … MORE
Flat and fast race with great support!
The expo is held the day before and is easy to get to. For a big city, there were no issues with traffic getting to and from the expo. I opted to stay closer to the airport outside of the city, and it took 15 minutes to get to the expo and race start. The expo is well run with a few vendors. There was a great selection of official marathon merch.
Getting to the start was very easy. There are plenty of bathrooms near the start that are just for runners. You can use the indoor bathrooms at the convention center, but the lines can get long. I parked about an hour before the start (5:30) and had no problem getting to the start.
The course is well supported and there is a wide range of pacers if you have a specific time goal in mind. There are water stops every two mile until mile 12 and then it switches to water stops every mile. There are some cheer zones on the course but the majority is pretty quiet especially after the halfway point.
The course is relatively flat and fast. There aren’t any real “hills” in my opinion, but when you are running a marathon any slight incline can feel like a hill…
The after party is great, however it caters towards the half marathon finishers and faster marathon finishers. The afterparty ends at 1:00 and that is when the course closes, so any back of the pack marathoners were not able to enjoy the afterparty. The band ended early (around 12:00). There was plenty of food, snacks, and drinks when I got made my way to the afterparty at 11:00.
Overall this is a great race, and I am definitely going to sign up for it again!
Great race, great town
Big expo, fun photo wall, well organized, beautiful city course with historical sites, water views, crowd and aid support. I ran the 5k, and then you could do packet pickup … MORE
Big expo, fun photo wall, well organized, beautiful city course with historical sites, water views, crowd and aid support. I ran the 5k, and then you could do packet pickup for the half shortly after, great sales at some of the vendor booths. For the Half marathon the weather was pretty great, sections of the race you were seeing the faster runners, which is always a boost. Very nice medals but no additional challenger medal for running both. A great city to check of New York.
Brilliant Run in Buffalo
The city of Buffalo hosts a wonderful race weekend! The half marathon course was mostly flat, fast, and fun! The event was well-organized, there was lots of crowd support, the … MORE
The city of Buffalo hosts a wonderful race weekend! The half marathon course was mostly flat, fast, and fun! The event was well-organized, there was lots of crowd support, the course was interesting as well as providing a great tour of the area, and the volunteers were awesome. The finisher medal was very nice, and the race expo was solid. Just a couple suggestions would have made this race top-notch: I understand that the primary post-race celebration was held inside the convention center, but most runners just want to grab a quick banana or bagel after crossing the finish line. None of the runners that I traveled with went to the post-race celebration because it was “so far away” from the finish festivities. It would have been nice to have some of the basic finish line sustenance out along the finish chute. Also, the extreme amount of fencing was a bit over-the-top, and prohibited easy reuniting with friends and family. If you travel to attend this race, be sure to walk back down to the Canalside area of Buffalo and ride the Carousel!! It was fun!
Buffalo Gals Showed up
This marathon was a well organized and fun event. Beginning with the expo at the convention center. The expo was upstairs and included many of the usual marathon amenities. I … MORE
This marathon was a well organized and fun event. Beginning with the expo at the convention center. The expo was upstairs and included many of the usual marathon amenities. I was able to snag a magnet for a reasonable $5, however did not get a poster. The race swag was a long sleeve with an inlet. There were not many freebies at the expo, however there was some food & drink for purchase.
For the race, if you are getting dropped off do so from the east of the start line. I was dropped off at the Hyatt regency and went inside to warm up before heading to the corral. Note that there is no corral assignment as it is a free for all once inside. The race started promptly at 6:30. The weather was cool 44 degrees and moderate breeze and sunny with no clouds. The course heads north and loops back south which is not ideal for me. I prefer to see everything only once, however this race has several repeat areas. There are a few rolling hills but not enough to significantly slow your pace. There was plenty of hydration throughout the course. There was water every other mile along with Gatorade. There was also gu shots available on a table at mile 11. There was a lot of shade throughout the course, as it runs through a lot of neighborhoods with large trees. There was quite a bit of crowd support throughout, most notably at Delaware park. There was a hard breeze during mile 25 heading downtown making a difficult finish. As you finish you hear your name on the PA system as well as where you are from. You are also shown on a video board.
For the post race party, you got your medal right away, and walk down to get hydration, chips, crackers. You will have to walk around the finish line to enter the convention center, then have to walk upstairs. There were oat bars, graham crackers, Oreos, mini muffins, seed chips, water, and chips such as Fritos. There was a large area to eat and relax with friends and family. I wanted a bag to put my belongings in however there wasn’t any. I saw many people carrying one. After asking, the volunteers instead gave me a cardboard box which also works but is a little awkward. Overall I would recommend this race to someone looking for a flat spring race, and to pr.
A Memorial Day Tradition
This is my third year doing the half marathon. I used to live in Western NY but moved to New England over the summer. I found pretty cheap direct flights … MORE
This is my third year doing the half marathon. I used to live in Western NY but moved to New England over the summer. I found pretty cheap direct flights from Boston to Buffalo and decided to come back and do this again. I have reviewed this race several times so will focus on some things that changed. I now needed a hotel and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Downtown Buffalo which is maybe 1/4 mile from the convention center and start/finish line and very convenient. You definitely don’t need to rent a car though I opted to due to plans not related to the race. I got my packet Saturday though they did offer race day packet pick-up this year. There was good pre-race communication except the time limit for the half was unclear. The website said 3 hours (yikes) but the guide said 3:30. I have done this race around 3:30 one year and had zero issues so I assumed that was the actual time limit and they seemed to keep the course open longer than 3:30. They also will keep the finish line open longer since there is also a marathon so you don’t have to worry about getting a finishing time for the half. The race is excellent and mostly flat with a nice tour of Buffalo. Production is really good with lots of aid stations, course marshals, and police support. There is a lot of spectators, musical acts and participants so it is a high energy course. My only complaint this year is there were some terrible and very rude drivers. This is somewhat outside of the races control as the volunteers and police would tell the drivers to stop and they wouldn’t listen so I had to stop a couple times for cars to pass. Perhaps a bit more police support would help though they weren’t really listening to police either. I decided to take the race slow and finish around 3:30 as I was initially planning to do Run to Remember in Boston on Monday which had a tighter time limit and I wanted to save energy (I ended up deciding to skip Run to Remember as it had a 3 hour time limit and I realized I didn’t need it for my goal to make sun level and I wasn’t in the mood to stress about getting a finishing time and definitely not in the mood for a DNF). I had no issues finishing this race around 3:30 except the last 2 musical acts were packing up but the aid stations and important stuff was all still there. The swag this year was nice with the long-sleeved hooded tech shirts with very bold designs and I liked the color block buffalo medals this year. They fixed the issue with the finish line food from yesterday and volunteers handed runners single items so I doubt they ran out of food as there was plenty left and I was one of the later half finishers. I also liked they had the snacks at the finish line as last year the only food was at the post race party. There is a post-race party in the convention center but I decided to skip as I wanted to have plenty of time to shower and check out of my hotel and I had enough food at the finish line. This is definitely a really good race and it would be perfect if Buffalo had less rude drivers. I would definitely recommend this race for NY especially if you prefer large, urban races and don’t want to run in NYC. I will be back again though I think I may be in Canada next year this weekend so probably 2026.
Hometown Half
The Buffalo Half was a rewarding experience, and as a local, I'd certainly run it again and/or take a crack at 26.2 in the future. Downtown Buffalo is my go-to … MORE
The Buffalo Half was a rewarding experience, and as a local, I’d certainly run it again and/or take a crack at 26.2 in the future. Downtown Buffalo is my go-to training ground for longer runs as there are plenty of landmarks and scenic tree-lined villages to be enjoyed. The half is relatively flat, with a couple gradual inclines that take awhile to surmount, namely the first couple miles, and going through West Side neighborhoods between mile 6 and 7, and mile 8 and 9; then a final incline up towards the finish line. There was nonstop, jam-packed crowd support that made the race wildly fun – the best I’ve encountered thus far. Plenty of hydration stations with both water and Gatorade. Many volunteers and everything on the course is well-managed and clearly marked. The medal is adorable and I rather like the offbeat mesh hoodie that reminds me of a hockey jersey; I plan to wear it whenever I go ice skating. The main sticking point of the event is the accessibility of the convention center used for packet pickup, the expo, and post-race party. The finish line is located right next to the center, but it’s completely barricaded except at one, maybe two, narrow points. This made packet pickup difficult (I went as the 5K was finishing up) and it was even more congested leaving after finishing the race. It took me 5 minutes to exit the finish area, and several more minutes to reach the entrance of the center because of two-way foot traffic and spectators camping out on the sidewalks. This might be a minor complaint, but when you’ve been up since 2AM and your legs feel like lead, patience is scarce. 🙂 I enjoyed shopping around at the expo but was too tired to stay for the party.
One of My Favorite 5Ks
The 5K takes place the Saturday before the half/full marathon. This was my 4th time doing this race and I realized it is the race I have done the most … MORE
The 5K takes place the Saturday before the half/full marathon. This was my 4th time doing this race and I realized it is the race I have done the most times. As I have run it a lot and it has been the same course I will leave this review pretty short. It is one of my favorite 5Ks because it is such as fast course and I always have one of my fastest times and this year was no exception. They have race day pick-up for the 5K in the convention center right by the start line. The swag this year was a hooded, tech shirt. The 5K is well organized and very fast with a slight uphill the first half and slight downhill the second half and goes through downtown Buffalo. There is a nice medal for a 5K. The only issue this year was they ran out of food. Finishers got a big bag and there was a selection of fruit, granola bar, oreos, chips, and mini muffins. However by the time I finished (which was right in the middle of the pack) they were almost out of everything and I just got a bag of mini muffins. I will give this a pass as they have been experimenting with the best way to do post race food and they fixed this for the races the next day.
Hidden Gem
A well run and organized event. Consistent updates from race directors kept me informed in the weeks leading up to... the hooded tech shirt is a great idea, and a … MORE
A well run and organized event. Consistent updates from race directors kept me informed in the weeks leading up to… the hooded tech shirt is a great idea, and a very cool finisher’s medal top it off. The crowd support on the course was solid, and with water/aid stations every 2 miles along the way made it easy for runners to stay hydrated. The course had some small hills but wasn’t excessively hilly or flat…just varied enough to keep you pushing.
The massage tables at the finishers chute was great.
Cons…the Expo and post-race party were meh IMO.
Repeat race
I love this race. It’s well run, fantastic communication, great support, spectators… the town of Buffalo is also super cute and close to Niagara which is fun to hit while … MORE
I love this race. It’s well run, fantastic communication, great support, spectators… the town of Buffalo is also super cute and close to Niagara which is fun to hit while in town. I highly recommend again and again!
Fun race
There were many spectators which made this race more fun. I also enjoyed running by the water. My husband and kiddos were able to see me 3 times on the MORE
There were many spectators which made this race more fun. I also enjoyed running by the water. My husband and kiddos were able to see me 3 times on the route
Great Event/ Fabulous Swag
I loved the convenience of this marathon, especially coming from another state. It was close to the airport, easy to find parking to get in and out of the expo … MORE
I loved the convenience of this marathon, especially coming from another state. It was close to the airport, easy to find parking to get in and out of the expo and nice to be able to park free close to the start on race day! I love marathons that consider additional costs of the runner and make it easy to just get there and just run! Well supported course with great volunteers and plentiful aid stations! The announcer at the start, which is showcased with grand fireworks, was spectacular! We saw her again at the finish and she was so enthusiastic bringing the runners home! The long sleeve zip up we received was awesome and well appreciated! Loved the medal as well, it was super cool! Pizza, fruit, chips and cookies was easy to grab at the convention center right in the building next to the finish line making it easier for other family members to find their runner without everyone in the way in conversation. Great idea! Great event and loved how they catered to the runner, making the whole event just fun and stress free! Awesome organization!
Good race - crowded post-race party
Big, fun race. No issues with course, production. CRAP long sleeve hooded shirt. Yet another shirt I'll never wear. TOO many family members clogging up the food lines and taking … MORE
Big, fun race. No issues with course, production.
CRAP long sleeve hooded shirt. Yet another shirt I’ll never wear.
TOO many family members clogging up the food lines and taking up the seats at the post-race party. Ridiculous! I spent all of this money and I had to beg a family to move a kid to a stroller so I could have a seat. Meanwhile, the kids have numerous bags of snacks and I never got one. (family didn’t even offer one of theirs). Thank GOD there was beer with no wait! Drank a few with the “family” as they passed judgement.
Solid event, no issues, fun weekend.
Ran the Half. Nice expo. We stayed at Embassy Suites, 1.5 blocks from start/finish areas. So walked to race 15 minutes before start. 6:30 start is nice before sun and … MORE
Ran the Half. Nice expo. We stayed at Embassy Suites, 1.5 blocks from start/finish areas. So walked to race 15 minutes before start. 6:30 start is nice before sun and weather warmed up to much. No issues with the course, decent scenery, some live music, aid/hydration stations were adequate. Interesting artist designed finisher medal. Post race in convention center was good. I left fairly quickly to return to hotel for shower and breakfast, then checkout. Overall a solid event. I would run again if I lived closer. Just chose Buffalo for New York State in my 50 state goal. 👍
Much Better Swag This Year
This is my second time doing the Buffalo Half Marathon so my initial review is more detailed. Last year I enjoyed the race but I was disappointed that when I … MORE
This is my second time doing the Buffalo Half Marathon so my initial review is more detailed. Last year I enjoyed the race but I was disappointed that when I signed up the swag item was a tumbler and not a jacket even though when I registered it had me select a jacket size. Don’t worry that was not an issue this year. I appreciated they changed the sign up swag option when registering to pick a size if apparel is the giveaway so if it was not a shirt or jacket I would not be as disappointed. The swag this year was very nice, long sleeved hooded tech shirts. Not sure if it’s quite as nice as the jacket from 2 years ago but it is a very nice swag item and better than what you receive for most races so I was happy this year. There is a helpful athlete guide created before the event. Packet pick-up is at the expo at convention center. I got it after the 5K. Expo is mid sized. Street parking is super easy by the convention center. The race is really nice and organized. It is an early 6:30 start but that allowed for beautiful weather and it didn’t get very hot until the end. It is a nice scenic, urban course. It is pretty flat. Just small inclines. Maybe one minor hill. It’s a fast course. I had another half the next day so was doing run-walk intervals to conserve energy but it’s a good PR course. There are a good number of spectators and musicians throughout the course. Not quite as much as some of the party races like OKC and Little Rock but more than average. Also lots of aid stations. All with water. All or most with Gatorade. One had gels. The gels were salted peanut which I thought was kind of an odd flavor though. My time wasn’t super fast but I was aiming to complete both half marathons this weekend around 3:10 which was exactly what I did. There are lots of back of packers. It has a stated time limit of 3:30 but there were a bunch of people well over that. Some over 4 hours. Finish line is nice and I liked the medal a lot this year. I’s a cool Buffalo design. I do have one complaint about the race and that is the post race party. I didn’t get to go last year so I was excited for it. It is located in the convention center right near the finish line. But it was jam packed and this year they gave no food just water at the finish line. The line for food was crazy. I tried getting in line and was told it was actually further back and I couldn’t figure it out and the place was so crowded it looked uncomfortable and I just left and ate snacks I had in the car. Would recommend having recovery food at the finish line and just the party food (pizza) in the convention center like last year or having separate lines for recovery food and pizza so it isn’t one huge line. I don’t really care much about post-race parties so I didn’t take away a sneaker. Maybe people who care about them like them this crowded. Other than the post-race party this was a pretty perfect race this year. I would definitely recommend this race for NY state for 50 state half and full marathoners. Along with being a great race, Buffalo is also a very affordable, convenient city to visit and there are a bunch of hotels by the convention center so you don’t need a rental car.
Great city race
Buffalo runs a great race. Fireworks at the start add to the excitement. Knowledge of the course is important as you cross a high point (North Street) several times. Knowing … MORE
Buffalo runs a great race. Fireworks at the start add to the excitement. Knowledge of the course is important as you cross a high point (North Street) several times. Knowing the course is uphill toward North and downhill away, will help your pace if you don’t overcook going up to North. It is not a big hill, but will wear away at your legs. The section out to the lakeside park has a nice view of the BFD boat shooting off its water cannons! The post race party was upstairs in the conference center instead of being down at race level. If you want anything other than water and a recovery drink, be prepared to go upstairs into the event hall.
Fast, Fun Way to Start the Weekend
This is m 3rd year participating in the Buffalo 5K which is the day before the half and full marathon. It has been the same course for all 3 years … MORE
This is m 3rd year participating in the Buffalo 5K which is the day before the half and full marathon. It has been the same course for all 3 years so read those reviews for more details. This year it started at 8am. There was packet pick-up race day for the 5K at the convention center right by start. Everything went smooth. Race was well produced. It is a fast 5K course. With a slight uphill in the middle and a fast finish. I had my fastest 5K of the year this year and always have a fast time. Swag this year included a very nice hooded tech shirt and a cute buffalo medal. There was water bottles, chips and granola bars at the finish. Would recommend doing the 5K along with the half/full. It is also a great 5K on its own if you aren’t up for the longer distances.
Wonderful flat course, great city
The Buffalo Half Marathon was an excellent production. I loved the course--it was pretty much flat with lots of shade, and miles 10-12 were along the waterfront. Great spectators who … MORE
The Buffalo Half Marathon was an excellent production. I loved the course–it was pretty much flat with lots of shade, and miles 10-12 were along the waterfront. Great spectators who were cheering on the runners the whole way. The only disappointment was with the advertised live music along the course. There were only a few live music stations, and one of them was playing an acoustic guitar–not really the vibe I needed!! I also wish they had given out t-shirts (we got travel mugs instead). Those are minor complaints, though, and overall I loved it!
Really fun race
The communication from the race coordinators was great, very well organized start/finish, loved the accessibility to bathrooms both portapotties and in the convention center before and after the race. The … MORE
The communication from the race coordinators was great, very well organized start/finish, loved the accessibility to bathrooms both portapotties and in the convention center before and after the race. The swag I loved – a tumbler instead of a shirt (I have SO Many shirts!). After party was inside the convention center which I also liked, as I don’t always stick around since weather is so iffy. Tons of community support. I highly recommend this race!
Race with the herd!
Great starting line production. Excellent race management. This event is run like a big city event or major. Excellent race! The late May date ended up being a bit warm. … MORE
Great starting line production. Excellent race management. This event is run like a big city event or major. Excellent race! The late May date ended up being a bit warm. Hopefully they can move it to mid-May in later years.