Combos Marathon & Half Marathon
Albany, GA
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Combos® Marathon prides itself on giving our runners an extraordinary experience with a weekend full of fun events. The marathon and half marathon are open to runners and walkers of all ages and skills. Albany, Georgia offers a flat, spectator-friendly course. Join the Downtown Street Festival after the race, … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Mar 07):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 84 | 71 | 78 | 84 | 86 |
| L (°F) | 59 | 36 | 49 | 65 | 59 |
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Combos Half
Overall I feel this is a pretty decent course and a decent mid-size race. Some of it is along busy roadways and some nice scenic areas through neighborhoods. A few … MORE
Overall I feel this is a pretty decent course and a decent mid-size race. Some of it is along busy roadways and some nice scenic areas through neighborhoods. A few gentle hills here and there. The second half of the course for the half marathon did have some areas on the main road where the crown of the road can make a significant impact on your form if you are not careful. There are areas you may need to position yourself closer to the traffic cones near the traffic because of the slope towards the gutter. Southern springtime weather is always a game of chance, but we were fortunate for overcast for most of the race making it a pretty comfortable morning. Lots of water and gatorade available at the aid stations, some had fruit and Gu gels available.
The packet pickup and expo the night before:
– Appeared organized with great volunteers
– Bought some new Brooks at a special event price from the running store that was present. They had some gels available for last minute fuels.
– LOTS OF COMBOS, I personally don’t eat them but my two teens loved them.
Strong possibility for a return to try the full marathon.
Runner-friendly, small-town vibe
I entered last-minute as a training run and was pleasantly surprised. -friendly and enthusiastic volunteers -Plentiful aid stations for a small race -Easy logistics with convenient free parking, short porta-john … MORE
I entered last-minute as a training run and was pleasantly surprised.
-friendly and enthusiastic volunteers
-Plentiful aid stations for a small race
-Easy logistics with convenient free parking, short porta-john lines
-On-time start and timing company was fast & accurate
-Family was able to drive out along the course to cheer
-Awards ready at the finish line (pick up and go)
-Expo was more ‘old school’ (typical 1990s race expo). Just a few local vendors (not running-related) and one running store, which had any last-minute needs (gels, body glide, etc) and some great deals on shoes. My kids run, and they found themselves some training and racing shoes (Hoka Cielo carbon for $69, Brooks Ghost for $59)
-Weather is a gamble (hot/humid this year with near-record high, freezing last year)
-The post-race food options could be better. They had oranges, bananas, bagels, and…..Combos. Lots & lots of Combos (which I am not a big fan of, and they are even less appealing after a race)
-The course was not totally flat as it had gentle rollers. Just enough to change it up a little. Mostly residential with some beautiful scenery/trees/parks in the second half.
This course has potential for fast times if the weather cooperates. I would definitely consider returning to this event. It was not my best performance due to the weather, but I thoroughly enjoyed the event.
26.37 miles at least
26.37 miles at least. Very well prepared course with excellent support! Best care I have ever had for any race. Multiple porta potties. Great nutrition and hydration points. Just too … MORE
26.37 miles at least. Very well prepared course with excellent support! Best care I have ever had for any race. Multiple porta potties. Great nutrition and hydration points. Just too long. Not best for PR.
Awesome
This race was everything a runner is looking for- route marked, aid stations every 2 miles, police directing traffic and the numerous volunteers that cheered you on. It was a … MORE
This race was everything a runner is looking for- route marked, aid stations every 2 miles, police directing traffic and the numerous volunteers that cheered you on. It was a local race but it was perfect. The weather was in the 70s and it was mostly flat.
Hot, poorly run, 27 miles, expo is joke
Was very hot at the start and it greatly affected everyone's times. The cop at the very first turn went the wrong way, making the leaders run .85 extra miles. … MORE
Was very hot at the start and it greatly affected everyone’s times. The cop at the very first turn went the wrong way, making the leaders run .85 extra miles. And about .5 extra for most people. Rolling hills the whole way which isn’t bad until the end because it’s so hot. The expo had one vendor and you got a bag of combos lol.
Great Small Town Race, Fast Terrain
This race is a great small town race. I stayed in the host hotel, which was walking distance to the start and finish line. This made race morning go so … MORE
This race is a great small town race. I stayed in the host hotel, which was walking distance to the start and finish line. This made race morning go so easy and smooth!
My goal was to qualify for Boston, and this was the perfect course for it. It is mostly flat, with a few small rolling hills to keep it interesting. The course winds through a part of the college, and also through several area neighborhoods. There are a few sections on a busy highway, but most of it is on quiet roads.
There are plenty of aid stations and volunteers, and the course was marked well. The pace groups were right on pace. I faded from my pace group the last six miles, but I was still able to meet my goal and BQ.
The post race food and ammenities is great, there were plenty of options. And it was nice to be able to just walk across the street to my hotel when I was ready for a shower and a nap!
Snickers bar any one?
What's not to love about a snickers bar treat included in the swag. The course was fairly flat and easy. My pace was slower than usual but I enjoyed walking … MORE
What’s not to love about a snickers bar treat included in the swag. The course was fairly flat and easy. My pace was slower than usual but I enjoyed walking with a friend and the residential scenery and river views. Race organization, support and volunteers were great. A lot of locals came out to cheer, too.
Great community involvement!
Although Albany GA is struggling, the community involvement in this race is tops. The race starts just outside of Hilton Gardens Hotel which makes it very fly in/fly out friendly. … MORE
Although Albany GA is struggling, the community involvement in this race is tops. The race starts just outside of Hilton Gardens Hotel which makes it very fly in/fly out friendly. The course is very flat and fast, unless you’re from the north and then the southern heat and humidity will slow you down. Lots of aid stations along course. My biggest complaint was the lack of after race food.
Poorly organized; hot and humid
My 6th and least favorite marathon. Little spectator support. Boring course. Hoping to BQ but 63 degrees at the start and almost 70 at the finish and very humid. Disappointed … MORE
My 6th and least favorite marathon. Little spectator support. Boring course. Hoping to BQ but 63 degrees at the start and almost 70 at the finish and very humid. Disappointed in the post race food. Only gatorade and oranges. No bananas, bagels, bananas, pizza. Marathon shirt is not comfortable and lettering is already coming off after about 3 washes. I would not recommend this marathon to anyone attempting to BQ despite what the website says.
Flat Race
Very nice race- well supported along the course and mostly flat. Can be a little humid. The expo was small, but also saves a lot of steps the day before. … MORE
Very nice race- well supported along the course and mostly flat. Can be a little humid. The expo was small, but also saves a lot of steps the day before. Very friendly volunteers.
Super flat and fast!
If you want to get a PR/BQ, this is an ideal race. The weather at this time of year is not too hot but can get humid! It is a … MORE
If you want to get a PR/BQ, this is an ideal race. The weather at this time of year is not too hot but can get humid! It is a smaller race so if you rely on crowd support to get you through, you might want to find another race. The people that were there volunteering were incredible and genuinely excited for the runners. The expo was so-so and post race celebration was not the best. I would not run this race again, but recommend it to those who want to explore a new part of Georgia.
Good production & nice post race
This was a return to marathoning for me, after a long layoff due to injury. So I was mainly focused on finishing and having a decent race. There is not … MORE
This was a return to marathoning for me, after a long layoff due to injury. So I was mainly focused on finishing and having a decent race. There is not much of anything to do in Albany, other than the race. The race was pretty flat and fast and they had a nice post race party with plenty of beverages.
Double Digit PR
When I crossed the finish line the first words out of my mouth as I stood hunched over with my hands on my knees was "God I hate marathons". I … MORE
When I crossed the finish line the first words out of my mouth as I stood hunched over with my hands on my knees was “God I hate marathons”. I do. I really, really do. But I also love them. I think because, using the words of first time marathoner and my friend Patrice, it never fails to serve up a nice big piece of humble pie at some point. 26.2 miles is a long freaking way and I don’t think running a marathon will ever be a walk in the park for me. I always have a point somewhere along the course where I regret the very poor life choice I made to run a marathon. But then I finish and there is really nothing like the feeling of finishing a marathon for me, probably because that distance is so difficult for me. I also really love seeing other people finish.
This race is flat, somewhat scenic and is well organized. There are enough people to never feel alone and to have the buzz and excitement but not so many where you feel crowded or have to weave around others. The medal was a turtle which I of course appreciated. But the thing about flat is towards the end the same repetitive movement can get to be a bit much so be prepared for that. Overall I liked this race well enough to do once. It is not so exciting or so scenic as to want to repeat the feat. But if you live in the South and are on a mission to PR this is the race for you.