Cambridge Half Marathon & 5K
Cambridge, MA
- Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Cambridge Half Marathon is a 13.1 mile USATF certified course that starts and finishes at CambridgeSide. It is a fast + flat course along Memorial Drive featuring views of the Charles River, MIT, John W. Weeks Footbridge, Harvard University Stadium, and more. The Cambridge 5K takes place on Saturday … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Oct 31):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 59 | 78 | 50 | 68 | 66 |
| L (°F) | 51 | 52 | 40 | 45 | 55 |
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Flat & Fast
As I said in my 5K review, I had plans in Cambridge this weekend to attend a film festival so it worked out great that the half marathon was this … MORE
As I said in my 5K review, I had plans in Cambridge this weekend to attend a film festival so it worked out great that the half marathon was this weekend. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Cambridge which is less than 1/2 mile walk to the start/finish at Cambridgside. I parked at the hotel and walk to and from the race which made race day so easy as parking is a mess for the 10,000 participants in the half. As I said I got my packet on Friday and the half included a quarter zip jacket which was nice. Race morning was a hot mess which huge crowds and huge lines. Luckily I could just use the bathroom in my hotel and roll over before race start. I get some of this is out of the races control without putting a cap on the number of participants. My biggest critique of race morning is how late the corrals started. I was in the last corral and according to the website we were supposed to start at 7:08. However we started 15 minutes late at 7:23. I did not think waiting 23 minutes to start was an issue with a race this big and I actually thought we were fairly well spread out and it would have been too tight if we left at 7:08. However I planned my day around 7:08 and I was worried I would be late checking out of my hotel. Luckily I ran about 15 minutes faster than I expected so all worked out. I don’t necessarily think the corrals need to leave quicker but they should have more realistic times listed. The course itself is great. Most is along the Charles River. There is a really fun offshoot through Harvard around mile 4 where you run through the football stadium and a local football team cheers all the runners on. This was actually my slowest mile as I just had fun this mile. There are also a lot of porta potties around the football field if you couldn’t go at the start wait until you get here. The first few miles were all on road except the football field. However the middle few miles are on a paved biking path and are a bit tight. There were less slower runners with the stated 3 hour time limit so I didn’t feel too crowded but I heard the middle of the pack was very crowded at this section. You turn around after mile 7 and go back to the start. It eventually goes back on the road and off the bike path. Most of the course is quite scenic with views of Boston, fall foliage and Harvard. It is also a really nice elevation profiles. Mostly flat with some little ups and downs. I was a bit nervous about the time limit but it was a great course for me and we had perfect weather so I was well ahead of pace the entire time. Course was well produced with the roads closed off, lots of course marshals and accurate mile markers. I did think the aid stations could have been a bit more frequent and offered more. Most just had water and 2 had gatorade and none had additional nutrition. For such a big race I’d expect more but they did have the minimum I feel a race needs. No big issues being closer to the back of the pack and streets remained closed my entire race. The last aid station at mile 12 did run out of cups but I had a handheld water bottle and was in the zone and didn’t need more water then. I was very happy with my finish time and also happy I had excellent even splits. However looking at finishing times it does not seem they are strict about the 3 hours limit. However I still get nervous as I have been screwed over by other race companies who suddenly decided to be strict. You get a nice finisher medal and then go in the mall for an additional challenge medal. Post race food was again the bananas and bobo bars which I feel like could be better for a half but I do enjoy bobo bars. Overall I thought this was an excellent course but I do feel like there are too many runners causing a chaotic start and potential crowding on course. I would still recommend this race for MA as long as you are around a 3 hour finisher especially if you like big race and/or want to do a race in the Boston area. I would definitely consider this one again but the chaotic start and 3 hour time limit may stop it from being an annual race for me.
Nice course with great views
Opted for street parking to make a quick getaway. Worked well. Not well organized at the start area with congested access to bag check and start corrals, but otherwise nice … MORE
Opted for street parking to make a quick getaway. Worked well. Not well organized at the start area with congested access to bag check and start corrals, but otherwise nice day. Crowd support was above average.
A 5K with a Medal
I had plans in Cambridge this weekend to go to a film festival (IFF Fall Focus Film Festival at the Brattle) so was signed up for the Half Marathon on … MORE
I had plans in Cambridge this weekend to go to a film festival (IFF Fall Focus Film Festival at the Brattle) so was signed up for the Half Marathon on Sunday. I also decided to book a hotel in Cambridge even though I live relatively close as I had enough points to stay for free and needed to stay at an IHG hotel 2 more nights to keep Diamond Elite Status. So I was very happy when they announced they added a Saturday 5K and you would get a challenge medal if you do the 5K and half marathon. I had done the 5K before when it used to be on Sunday the same day as the half. The separate days made it much smoother. The 5K has about 1000 runners whereas the half has about 10,000 runners. The venue for the race just can’t handle the 10,000 runners so while I very much enjoyed both races I am rating the 5K 5 sneakers and the half 4 sneakers. This year you had to pick up your packet early which makes sense with how crowded race morning is for the half. There is the option to pay to have it mailed. Since I was going to be in Cambridge Friday night anyways I picked up my package then. Though I appreciate the mail option as I would not want to drive to Cambridge just for packet pick-up if I was not staying in a hotel there or seeing a film festival there. The packet for the 5K included bib and a long sleeve shirt. It’s a nice shirt for a 5K. The 5K course is nice and is an out and back along the Charles River with lovely views of the Boston skyline. The course could be very fast. However I took it easy as the half as a stated 3 hour time limit and I didn’t want to overdo so I had a mediocre finish time. You get a nice medal with scenery from Cambridge. Most New England 5K’s don’t give any medals so this is great. There was some water bottles and bananas and bobo bars at the end. Overall this is a nice 5K and I enjoyed getting the do the challenge. If you are able to do the challenge I would recommend it but is the same first 2.5K and last 2.5K of the half so you aren’t missing out too much if you can’t.
Great PR course, messy logistics
Start line definitely needed better organization for a staggered / wave start but once the race started, it was smooth sailing. Great volunteers and aid station set up. Pretty flat … MORE
Start line definitely needed better organization for a staggered / wave start but once the race started, it was smooth sailing. Great volunteers and aid station set up. Pretty flat course during a cool time of the year so ideal PR conditions.
Great PR course
Came in pretty underprepared after an injury during this cycle and still walked away with a small PR thanks to the relatively flat course. Great course set up and organization MORE
Came in pretty underprepared after an injury during this cycle and still walked away with a small PR thanks to the relatively flat course. Great course set up and organization
Fun, fast race - Would do again.
Pros: - Run on Memorial Drive: Beautiful views of Boston, flat (except for a few overpasses) - Relatively easy to get in and out. Race came with a parking pass … MORE
Pros:
– Run on Memorial Drive: Beautiful views of Boston, flat (except for a few overpasses)
– Relatively easy to get in and out. Race came with a parking pass at the start and it was surprisingly easy to get out when we were done despite plenty of folks still on the course.
– Cambridge HS sports teams cheering us on along the route made me smile!
-Finish area is exciting – the last 0.2 mi are lined with people cheering, very fun.
Cons:
– Mile ~ 6-8 are on walking trails along the Allston part of the river. This is beautiful but CROWDED, its also where many people start to slow down/stop. I gave and received a few heel clips.
10/10 half, highly recommend!
I ran this half in 2023 and it was an excellent experience. The weather was perfect, but this race lets you wait in the mall before the race begins which … MORE
I ran this half in 2023 and it was an excellent experience. The weather was perfect, but this race lets you wait in the mall before the race begins which would be so amazing if the weather was poor. It was a bit chaotic in the beginning with bathroom lines (tons of people still in line minutes before start time) definitely recommend getting your bib ahead of time, not driving if you can help it, and arriving early. The route is very scenic with lots of cheering spectators. A young football team cheered us on through the Harvard Stadium which was a sweet touch! I saw reviews for years past where there were issues with the water stations not being ready – this was not an issue today and I think they even added additional water stations at the end. My one complaint is that there is a 3 hour course limit with a hard stop at 10AM… but the race places you in waves to start based on pace (which I totally get) and as a slow runner I didn’t get to start until 7:07. It’s a little stressful for the slower runners that we don’t even get the full 3 hours. Overall, great, flat race that was really nicely organized!
Park at the Museum of Science
I was on call this weekend and wasn't planning to run any races but I decided to see what was around and saw that the Cambridge Half added a 5K … MORE
I was on call this weekend and wasn’t planning to run any races but I decided to see what was around and saw that the Cambridge Half added a 5K distance this year. The Cambridge Half/5K starts at the CambridgeSide Mall which is about 1 mile from my work and the race started at 7:20 and I needed to be at work at 9am so this was perfect. There is the option of packet pick-up either Friday, Saturday or race morning. I had to do it race morning but I would say try to do it earlier if possible. For the race they did have free parking at CambridgeSide but I know those parking lots are tight and had a plan to park at the Museum of Science if it looked like parking would be tough. The exit you take from NH goes past the museum first and then you turn left into Cambridge but there was such as traffic jam at the intersection I immediately knew to park at the Museum. It is not free but it made race morning so easy as it was super easy to park and only about 1/3 mile away. I had time to pick up my packet and bring it back to my car in probably less time than it would have taken to park at CambridgeSide. If you don’t mind paying for parking just do this option. If you really want the free parking arrive around 5:30am (I arrived at 6am and it was already a mess). Packet pick-up was very easy and I was surprised how smooth with how long everything else took. Packet included bib and the 5K had a nice long sleeve tech shirt. I then brought it back to the museum as I noticed huge bathroom lines at the race I used the bathroom in the museum while I was there. Great idea. Even if you don’t park at the museum I’d recommend taking a warm-up jog or walk to the museum and using their bathroom as the lines were ridiculous at the porta-potties and even worse in the mall and there was literally no one using the ones in the museum of science. The start area was honestly just a mess. This is a huge race and the start area just didn’t seem to accommodate everyone. I don’t know what could be done to fix this other than having a tighter cap on runners. The half starts at 7 and it started on time but a bunch of runners started late due to issues with parking and bathroom lines. Again these weren’t issues for me since I utilized the Museum of Science instead for both. I can’t emphasize enough how much easier my morning was parking there. The 5K started at 7:20. The 5K wasn’t as large as the half with close to 1000 runners. The course was very nice. was essentially an out and back though it was out on one street and back on another so there was plenty of room. It was a well marked course and had 2 aid stations. There was perfect weather and it was a beautiful course along the Charles River with lovely views of the Boston skyline across the river. It was also pretty flat with about 40 feet of elevation gains that were just some inclines. It’s a fast course and I was happy to finish in under 36 minutes and I’m pretty sure it’s my fastest 5K in over a year. There is a medal for both distances with a smaller 5K medal. It’s kind of a plain medal but I’ve noticed most 5Ks around here don’t have any medals so I appreciated it. Post-race snacks were fine for a 5K with water bottle, banana and granola bar but would be disappointing for a half marathon. I had a nice time at this race and was happy to be able to get a 5K in this morning. I’d definitely do this race if I am on-call this weekend next year. However I’m not sure this would be my first choice half marathon this weekend if I had it off as it has a 3 hour time limit (although there were finishing times over 3 hours) and there are definitely races with easier parking logistics. Given the tight parking situation at Cambridgeside if you do this race either park very, very early or use the Museum of Science. If you are coming out of town I would try to stay at one of the hotels by the start. They are a bit pricey but would be much easier than trying to park and you can get to them from the airport by public transportation.
The worst half marathon production ever
I have been running races for about 12 years now, including 20+ half marathons, and the organization of that race was hands down the worst I've ever seen. The bag … MORE
I have been running races for about 12 years now, including 20+ half marathons, and the organization of that race was hands down the worst I’ve ever seen. The bag check alone would cause me to say this– we got in line 20 mins ahead of the start and still they managed to cause us to miss the start of the race. I should note that I have thyroid issues– my body temp plummets after the race and if I don’t get warm quickly I can end up shivering for hours. Not only were there no mylar sheets given out after the race, but there was another 20 min line to get my own warm layers. I also had to yell at some EMTs along the route that were not offering any assistance to a guy who had something seriously wrong with his knee– he was convinced he had to hop on one leg the 1.5 miles left in the race to get help. Then there was also promised port-a-potties at mile 11 that were just not there. Post race food was– a banana and a bottle of water. I will not be returning next year, despite living a 15 min bike ride from the start. They were playing with people’s health, and that’s just not ok.
Sunny Sunday, perfect for a PR
Flat course, some choke points. Not crowded, enough cheering. It was a beautiful Sunday, sunny, great views of the Charles and autumn leaves. MORE
Flat course, some choke points. Not crowded, enough cheering. It was a beautiful Sunday, sunny, great views of the Charles and autumn leaves.
But I want to be in the 50 yard line...
This race was a lot of fun I picked up a great long sleeve race shirt in blue with name of race on front and nothing on the back Thank … MORE
This race was a lot of fun I picked up a great long sleeve race shirt in blue with name of race on front and nothing on the back Thank you race sponsors for that On your bib you got three drink tickets and parking validation good for race day And four return trips yo the mall I was glad I allowed plenty of time on race day to get to the parking lot as it took 20 minutes to turn right They did need more pot a potties at the start of the race That would be my only complaint The race course was great It was flat the weather was perfect and you got a chance to see the highlights of Cambridge If you middle of the packer like me there were some sections when you were on the bike path where it was hard to pass but you couldn’t change that There was a great medal and the post celebration took two floors of the defunct sears store So you were inside after the race Great selection of drinks and food It was one of the better post race events They also went all out if you came as team So try and find 20 running buddies to do this race
I think it was the first one
Great race, good memories. I saw people wearing the jacket they gave out all over the place for years. Still have it in my closet. Look forward to running it … MORE
Great race, good memories. I saw people wearing the jacket they gave out all over the place for years. Still have it in my closet. Look forward to running it again.
1st 1/2 marathon in Cambridge
Very fast, good ambiance, great event. We love Cambridge MA. We look forward to the 2nd edition. Superb water stops and friendly crowd along the street of Harvard, Belmont and … MORE
Very fast, good ambiance, great event. We love Cambridge MA. We look forward to the 2nd edition. Superb water stops and friendly crowd along the street of Harvard, Belmont and Broadway.