The Louisiana Marathon is so much more than a run, it’s a culturally rich festival that celebrates both running and the unique, festive culture that defines the state. Louisiana is well known for its festivals, where we celebrate the incredible food, music, and dancing that surrounds us. The Louisiana Marathon …
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The Louisiana Marathon is so much more than a run, it’s a culturally rich festival that celebrates both running and the unique, festive culture that defines the state.
Louisiana is well known for its festivals, where we celebrate the incredible food, music, and dancing that surrounds us. The Louisiana Marathon adds running to that mix for a truly unforgettable weekend. Come run a fast, flat, and fun race course, and then enjoy a true Louisiana Festival featuring local musicians, cold beer, and some of the best southern cuisine around.
As a multi-race format, there’s a race for everyone: Marathon (26.2 miles), Half Marathon (13.1 miles), Louisiana Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles), Louisiana Marathon 5K (3.1 miles) and a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kids Marathon (1 mile).
Friends, family, and curious spectators line up along miles of picturesque roadways, filled with inspiring Louisiana sights and sounds to cheer on runners. The Louisiana Marathon course takes runners from downtown Baton Rouge through the University Lakes, the LSU campus, and through historic river town neighborhoods.
Post-Race Celebration
The Visit Baton Rouge Finish Festival is open to the public and features mouth-watering Louisiana food and an eclectic variety of local music. Thousands of runners, spectators, foodies and music lovers enjoy the two-day festival each year.
The VBR Finish Festival cranks up when runners participating in the Louisiana Marathon 5K, Quarter Marathon, and Kid’s Marathon cross the finish line on Saturday. The Finish Fest continues on Sunday, following the Louisiana Marathon and Half Marathon. The VBR Finish Festival showcases some of the best cuisine including Wally Tallin’s award-winning Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Vegan Gumbo at our showcase tents.
The Finish Festival will also spotlight funky, eclectic Louisiana bands that attract visitors from around the globe year-round. There will be an incredible line-up of outstanding local talent on both festival days. Like previous years, the festival anchors the experience and complements the course.
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Fun race with good vibe!
It was fun running through the LSU campus! Course was nice and relatively flat. Post race atmosphere was great! Lots of good food and beer! Plenty of downtown parking. Well … MORE
It was fun running through the LSU campus! Course was nice and relatively flat. Post race atmosphere was great! Lots of good food and beer! Plenty of downtown parking. Well run and fun! Run this and the Gulfport half and you receive a special medal, Beach to Bayou.
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler in LA!
This is a great race choice for running in the state of Louisiana! I loved visiting the capital city, Baton Rouge, and this race course provided an excellent tour. It … MORE
This is a great race choice for running in the state of Louisiana! I loved visiting the capital city, Baton Rouge, and this race course provided an excellent tour. It starts near the beautiful capital building, and winds through the LSU campus and surrounding neighborhoods. The course is fairly flat, a few rolling hills and a sneaky highway overpass hill that you have to conquer twice shortly after the start and before the finish. The crowd support was good, but not great, the cold weather might have been a factor this year because I had heard this race course had a party atmosphere. The race website provided great deals on hotels close to the start/finish that provided late checkout, always appreciated! The race was celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026, so I expected a bit more out of the Expo and finish line festivities. Both were fine, in my opinion, but nothing extraordinary. I missed most of the finish line food because it was a little bit removed from the actual finish line and I headed back to my hotel before finding it.
I participated in the Beach to Bayou Challenge, by also running the Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon the previous month. I always love a bonus medal! The medals are beautiful, big and shiny, very high quality. The t-shirt is a soft cotton style, which I like very much (though I know some people prefer technical fabric shirts). I don’t feel the need to repeat this one, but would certainly recommend for a solid Louisiana race!
I really liked this race.
Pretty flat and well produced. Good support around the race. Main issues were the running surfaces and the weather. It was abnormally cold in 2026. The course had much more … MORE
Pretty flat and well produced. Good support around the race. Main issues were the running surfaces and the weather. It was abnormally cold in 2026. The course had much more concrete than I would want, and there were some stretches of asphalt that were rough due to tree roots (to be fair- this was from really nice live oak trees which were cool). The food after the race was terrific.
Drove 13 hrs to run 13 miles
My sister is in Mississippi. I am in Texas. We met halfway for the best half marathons I’ve ever participated in. 13 hours in drive time to run 13 miles … MORE
My sister is in Mississippi. I am in Texas. We met halfway for the best half marathons I’ve ever participated in. 13 hours in drive time to run 13 miles and don’t regret it one bit only recommendation is that the packet pick up expo could have more vendors food and beverage good music to get the hype started earlier, but loved the autograph wall and our names listed out.
Needs Major Improvement, but good food
I’ve run four marathons so far this year, and this race had the most areas needing improvement. That said, the post-race food was excellent—the only truly enjoyable part of the … MORE
I’ve run four marathons so far this year, and this race had the most areas needing improvement. That said, the post-race food was excellent—the only truly enjoyable part of the day.
Suggestions for improvement:
Start Time: When a race advertises a 7:00 AM start, runners expect the race to actually start then. Pre-race elements like the national anthem and prayer should be completed beforehand. At this race, ceremonies began at 7:00 AM, pushing the actual start back ~15 minutes. Timely starts are important for runners with goals or post-race plans.
Volunteer Coordination: The volunteer coordinator was dismissive toward those who had last-minute emergencies. My mother and I were surprised by how unappreciative it felt. Volunteers are critical to a race’s success and deserve recognition and gratitude.
Post-Race Survey: A dedicated survey email is essential. A buried blurb in a general post-race email doesn’t show that organizers value feedback.
Tech Shirts: Quality tech shirts are expected for a marathon.
Tracking app: Needs better tracking app and post race results. Race needs app that doesn’t require participants to “turn it on” on race day. There was also an issue getting my results and place right after the race. It took 30-45 minutes and the tracking app did not help the situation.
Start Line Corral Access: Openings or breaks in the sides of the start-line stanchions would help runners entering late or saying goodbye to loved ones.
Expo Signage: Clear signs are a must. Staff can’t always be relied on, and navigating in wet, cold conditions was difficult.
Medal Eligibility: The Beach~2~Bayou Challenge Medal is a special medal, and it would make sense if runners could earn it for completing both marathons within the same calendar year. For example, running the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon in December 2026 and the Louisiana Marathon in January 2026 should still qualify for the medal. Clear registration instructions would help runners ensure they receive it.
With attention to start times, volunteers, surveys, and overall organization, this race has potential to be much stronger next year. I have additional suggestions that could further improve the experience and would be happy to share them with the organizers.
Rough roads- beware!
Overall, this is a good race for the state of Louisiana. The actual course is beautiful and you get to run through LSU and downtown Baton Rouge which is really … MORE
Overall, this is a good race for the state of Louisiana. The actual course is beautiful and you get to run through LSU and downtown Baton Rouge which is really cool. Post race food is delicious (shrimp gumbo, yum) and you also get drink tickets and protein drinks. As for packet pickup, parking was a pain (had to find a free parking garage nearby), and, we had to walk up stairs and kind of find where we were supposed to be. There were no signs. I liked the expo- plenty of race gear available and I even got some new running shoes that were reasonably priced. I really liked that lol! Swag was a cotton t shirt shirt and a medal which was okay. Unfortunately, though, this race experience was ruined for me due to rough roads. There were many areas where the roads were broken or risen up. I tripped and fell (hard) over one of the parts that was risen up which threw off my whole race. I had to slow down after that and my time was busted. I’ve never fallen before and I’ve ran a bunch of halfs. I still recommend this race because it’s pretty and generally well organized- just be careful!
Great Course, See the City
Typical of this race, the weather is often quite cold, so good clothing options and a plan are important. This year it was 30ish, but light winds, and warmed up … MORE
Typical of this race, the weather is often quite cold, so good clothing options and a plan are important. This year it was 30ish, but light winds, and warmed up quickly so a shedding clothing plan was important. The course winds through a large area of Baton Rouge, LSU Campus, City Lakes, and amazing neighborhoods. The local citizenry come out in droves across the city wide running celebration with many running fuel options to help with the endurance. Port-o-lets are bunched up and staged throughout the route to support the large flow of runners throughout the morning.
The biggest snafu this year was the packet pickup expo, that seemed poorly planned for smooth entry into the convention center. It was all jammed up, waiting in line for over 20 minutes just to get in the door. The actual expo was not much for the quality of the race, but oh well.
The race finish celebration was very nice and well supported, even for 5:30 marathon finishers, still plenty to eat, great music and a well laid out event.
The Louisiana Marathon does an excellent job of race photos per runner, a few or several good photos and finish, all for free this year. Unusual and great.
Runners fell after hitting Speed Bumps.
Overall, I enjoyed the run. One thing that bothered me was the condition of the course. I saw two runners fall down after they hit a speed bump. These bumps … MORE
Overall, I enjoyed the run. One thing that bothered me was the condition of the course. I saw two runners fall down after they hit a speed bump. These bumps should be identified with tape. Also, potholes should be fixed or marked with paint. The race planners charge a heavy fee. They should focus on making the course safe. The expo was a waste of time. There were plenty of water stations. Not enough toilets at the start. Had some good food in Baton Rouge.
Southern Charm at its best
Definitely my favorite race in the south for comfort and ease! My friend and I came from the Midwest to run this marathon the week after the Houston marathon. We … MORE
Definitely my favorite race in the south for comfort and ease! My friend and I came from the Midwest to run this marathon the week after the Houston marathon. We wanted to try Cajun/creole food in New Orleans, but we also got a lot of that here post race!
The race is a chilly start but takes you through you the LSU stadium and lake early on. Through all the nice neighborhoods, you get welcoming crowds and spectators. Some gave out mardi gras beads which I wore for the last half of the race! I had a lot of bananas and gels along the route. You finish with the capitol building in front of you as you run the straightaway, which was motivating. My friend liked the free coffee before and after the race! Afterwards, you could get a wide variety of southern food to try after the race or just get really drunk with the food/drink coupons! We definitely got our fill of jambalaya and gumbo as well as king cake. We don’t have any of this stuff up north! Overall, this race rewards you for running.
Otherwise, the expo was easy downtown and had some king cake and the race essentials. I stayed at the Hyatt Place and it was cheap compared to other big city races. Parking is free on the street and we manage to park a few blocks down from the start. There was a farmers market going on Saturday literally on the street near the finish. LSU and nice southern restaurants to check out while you’re here.
Better Than Average But Not Spectacular
The race production and management were great. I liked the medal and loved the shirt (color and logo). The race course went through LSU, around a lake, and through a … MORE
The race production and management were great. I liked the medal and loved the shirt (color and logo).
The race course went through LSU, around a lake, and through a few subdivisions. They had plenty of aid stations & bathrooms. They get a win for crowd support & funny homemade signs.
I’m sure the after party would have been great based on the number of food and drink tickets provided, but we needed get back to the hotel in time for much needed showers before check out and hitting the road.
“Bayou fun” in the LA capital
The Louisiana marathon/half marathon in Baton Rouge is part of the Beach to Bayou double; if you completed the Biloxi Mississippi Kessler half marathon in December 2025, you’re able to … MORE
The Louisiana marathon/half marathon in Baton Rouge is part of the Beach to Bayou double; if you completed the Biloxi Mississippi Kessler half marathon in December 2025, you’re able to collect an extra metal at the LA half marathon in January. I wish more states would do this!
Excellent communication prior to the race, plenty of parking for the midsize expo. There they had a baby crawl, which was super fun to watch. Lots of photo ops at expo. On race day, there was plenty of on-street and garage parking. Loved having the start of the race right near the state capitol building and grounds. This was both the start and the finish. The race was a good mix of downtown, residential, and college area. I personally thought it was a beautiful race, but you had to be careful of potholes in the streets. So many neighborhoods turned out to cheer on the participants! The swag included a dual blend T-shirt and a nice metal signifying their 15th anniversary of the race. The best part of the race, was the Cajun food at the end! There was gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and as much King Cake as you could stomach! Wonderful band playing when I finished the race, but on such a cold cold day, we did not stay. This was my 25th state half marathon… halfway there!
We stayed at a hotel about eight minutes from downtown on I-10 East, which saved some money from the downtown hotels and worked just as well. I would highly recommend doing the Baton Rouge Louisiana half marathon on your journey!
Highly recommend this race!!
The Louisiana Marathon was very well organized with the best crowd of any marathon I have done so far. Everyone was just so nice. I am going for a marathon … MORE
The Louisiana Marathon was very well organized with the best crowd of any marathon I have done so far. Everyone was just so nice. I am going for a marathon in every state but I might do this one again next year because I loved it so much. PR course too!
Great food at the after party
We really enjoyed the Louisiana marathon. Everything was run so well, lots of aid stations, great after party where I tried lots of the local food like multiple types of … MORE
We really enjoyed the Louisiana marathon. Everything was run so well, lots of aid stations, great after party where I tried lots of the local food like multiple types of gumbo, jambalaya, and kings cake. The swag was good. The course was fun with lots of crowd support.
Louisiana love and charm
This is a great race with the best crowd support. Need a snack? King cake? High five? Champagne? Tequila? Bloody Mary?? This crowd will have it!! Plenty of bathrooms and … MORE
This is a great race with the best crowd support. Need a snack? King cake? High five? Champagne? Tequila? Bloody Mary?? This crowd will have it!! Plenty of bathrooms and lots of support from the locals.
Nice Overall but Medal Screwup
The course is nice if largely unremarkable. Overhanging trees are lovely and the LSU campus and finish/start at the capitol stand out. Flat and fast. Support, after party, and overall … MORE
The course is nice if largely unremarkable. Overhanging trees are lovely and the LSU campus and finish/start at the capitol stand out. Flat and fast. Support, after party, and overall organization were excellent. Expo was meager. Challenge medals were missing so a bunch of people didn’t get one and I still haven’t heard back about being mailed one.
Update: They ran out of the challenge medal for having also run Mississippi Gulf Coast (Beach to Bayou Challenge) after only ~4.5 hours. Volunteers gave me an email to send my address to so they could send it after. It was apparently the wrong email address, which I only discovered after I realized months later I had never received the medal. When I reached back out they told me that my name had been on a list and they had already sent me the medal in February. I never received it, and I don’t know how they had me on the list if I sent my initial email to the wrong address. It almost seems like this person may just be lying to me because they have no medals to send because they disposed of the excess and they just want me to stop emailing them. It’s a bummer to travel for these races and not get the challenge medal because they misplaced them and then just never made sure everyone had gotten theirs.
Fun, non-crowded, relatively flat course
This was my first marathon and I enjoyed the mostly flat course, the free professional photos and finisher video, the quality of the medal, finishers food/drink options, and smallish number … MORE
This was my first marathon and I enjoyed the mostly flat course, the free professional photos and finisher video, the quality of the medal, finishers food/drink options, and smallish number of participants (sub 2,000 for the full marathon in 2026). The supporters were at times spread out, but sometimes gathered together for higher impact. Residents had their own food/drink stalls setup, which was a nice touch in addition to the official hydration/fuel stops. Keep in mind that the half and full set off together, so it’s initially crowded on the course. The corrals were self-seeded, so arrive to those early if you care where you start. Could have improved by providing a technical/workout race day t-shirt for future training. Course was uneven in some places, so you do need to be careful of potholes. Thank you to all the volunteers and organizers for a welcoming introduction to race running!
Flat-ish course with beautiful Oaks
Expo: On the smaller side, but had everything you would need with a handful of vendors. They also had some events. We enjoyed the baby race. It was an easy … MORE
Expo: On the smaller side, but had everything you would need with a handful of vendors. They also had some events. We enjoyed the baby race. It was an easy in and out.
Race Day: The race was at 7am. I stayed at the Origin Hotel which was a short walk away from the race start/end. It was a chilly morning with temps low 30s, but ended in mid 40s. It was a nice sunny day. They had many porta potties at the start. You self seed your corral. It was a smooth race start.
Course: Road. This is a solid course, mostly flat or very gradual small hills It was beautiful running besides so many Live Oaks. The trees provided plenty of shade, which wasn’t really need today. But, on a hot day it would be amazing. You also get to run through a portion of LSU campus. The half marathoners & full marathoners run together until appox mile 10.5. There was a lot of cheers until the split and then was quiet for some time. You run through many different neighborhoods. Neighbors really show up and provide great snacks and drinks.
Fuel/Hydration: No issues. Every few miles there was water & Powerade. There were a couple stations with fuel, but it was mostly provided by the neighbors. I enjoyed bananas, oranges, GU,
candy, ect.
Other: Crowd support was solid. There were people out and cheering people on. There were many sections of the course with no crowds. There were many volunteers. Thanks to everyone who showed up! I loved the post race food, you get 5 tickets for food or drink. I enjoyed Gumbo, Rice & Beans, and more Gumbo. But, they also had jambalaya and beer.
Overall, I enjoyed this course. It had easy logistics. A nice flat-ish course with nature around you even though you are in neighborhoods.
I was expecting more
Based on everyone's reviews and it's connections to the race in Mississippi, I had high expectations. I felt like their was a large time between signing up for the race … MORE
Based on everyone’s reviews and it’s connections to the race in Mississippi, I had high expectations. I felt like their was a large time between signing up for the race and race day that I didn’t hear much about the race. Communication race week was great, but might have been nice to hear some things in between. The shirt that came with sign up (in training) was nice, but the one that came with the actual race could have been better. The finisher medal was nice enough. Getting to the corral was quite hectic as there was no real indication of entrances and people weren’t really sure where to go. It was also difficult to hear race announcements or the national anthem because they only had speakers at the very front. The course had a lot of potholes and the pavement was not great. After the finish line felt a bit tight. Signage in the finish area could have been better. They had a lot, but wasn’t sure what was where because it was spread out with no signs to guide you. I might suggest looking elsewhere if you want to run Louisiana.
Decent event.
The event was average, or slighter better, in every area. Expo was decent. Found free parking for the expo, and the race. Race morning the starting corrals were very crowded. … MORE
The event was average, or slighter better, in every area. Expo was decent. Found free parking for the expo, and the race. Race morning the starting corrals were very crowded. Started the Half and Full together, same time, 7am. They really should release waves of runners with a little space in between. The course was very congested for the first mile or two. Pretty flat and somewhat scenic. Though LSU campus and some other pretty areas. Had to watch for some uneven pavement and potholes in a few areas. Plenty of aid stations properly spaced out. Didn’t see any gels available, just drinks. Finish area was spacious. Stage with band. Merch tent. Several food tents with Gumbo, Jambalaya, beer, etc. The hot food on a chilly morning was good! Not many places to sit down though. Finishing medal was good size, ok looking, but I wish it was nicer. I had about a half mile walk to my parked car. Got out of the area pretty easily and quickly to get back to the hotel to shower and pack for 11am checkout. My 44th State completing a Half Marathon. Good event, I’d probably rank this one in the 15-25 range of the 44 I’ve done.
Impressed!
I was impressed with this race since there aren't many options for a Louisiana marathon. The expo was on the smaller side, but it still had everything you need. There … MORE
I was impressed with this race since there aren’t many options for a Louisiana marathon.
The expo was on the smaller side, but it still had everything you need. There was a place to have your picture taken for free, merchandise, and small businesses. It was easy to get in and out!
The race started at 7am! It was very chilly that morning since it started in the low 30s, but ended in mid 40s. There were tons of porta potties throughout the course, which was great since I had to use the restroom multiple times!
We ran throughout the suburbs and LSU campus! This was mostly flat, with minimal hills. The half marathoners & marathoners run together until around mile 10.5. There was a lot of cheers until the split and then was quiet for some time. You run through many different neighborhoods, and tons of spectators came out and had alcohol! So I got wasted on the second half!
The only fuel we had was water, Powerade, and GU gels. I wish the aid stations had food like bananas and oranges. I loved the post race food/drinks since you get 6 tickets! I enjoyed gumbo, rice & beans, jambalaya and beer!
Overall, I enjoyed this course. I can see why people rave about this since it’s easy to get in and out of, and it’s on the smaller side. Plus it’s nice and flat, so people could PR and/or BQ for this one!