Maine Coast Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K
Wells, ME
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Get ready to run where the ocean meets the road! The Maine Coast Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K returns to Wells, ME this May, and it’s shaping up to be the most unforgettable race weekend yet. With breathtaking coastal views, white-sand beaches, and sparkling marshlands, this is more than a … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 01):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 60 | 61 | 49 | 63 | 63 |
| L (°F) | 36 | 31 | 43 | 51 | 31 |
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Where was the race director?
I loved the race swag. Packet pick up was easy. Email said to get to the shuttle pick up early! We did. We waited about 90 minutes at the race … MORE
I loved the race swag. Packet pick up was easy. Email said to get to the shuttle pick up early! We did. We waited about 90 minutes at the race start. It was cold and windy. Could they not have had a tent with heaters for the racers? I’ve been to other races that planned for the weather. Gear pick up was too long and unorganized. The return shuttle to our vehicle was a joke. Unorganized. I would not recommend this race for Maine.
Horrible Management
I paced someone for their first half (my 10th). The course itself was amazing and so was the swag. Everything mentioned in the other reviews is accurate though. The worst … MORE
I paced someone for their first half (my 10th). The course itself was amazing and so was the swag. Everything mentioned in the other reviews is accurate though. The worst shuttle management pre and post race I have ever seen. This race is the gold standard for worst production all time for me and I doubt it will ever be beaten. Sat in traffic for 40 mins at the start because no one was directing it. Sat in the freezing rain for 40 mins post race waiting in a parking lot fighting for a shuttle. Porta potty lines insane, half a mile walk to the start from corrals, mile markers off, race .2 miles short. It’s a great course if you want to cheat your PR, but avoid it at all costs otherwise!
Pretty but Imperfect
First time running this race, and also my first half marathon, and it was a mixed bag. Initial logistics were easy: I opted to have my bib mailed to me, … MORE
First time running this race, and also my first half marathon, and it was a mixed bag.
Initial logistics were easy: I opted to have my bib mailed to me, and it arrived in plenty of time.
Race day logistics were a little messy; I’d seen reviews last year that the shuttle buses were a bit chaotic, and I think it was probably slightly better, but still not ideal. The port-a-potties and gear check lines were messy at the start line. I had to wait about 30 minutes to go to the bathroom, and was glad I wasn’t checking anything. The race started about 8-10 minutes late, and we had to walk quite a ways from the corrals to get to the actual start line.
I went out with the 2:10 pacer group, but realized after the first three miles that they were running faster than 2:10 pace, so dropped back so as not to blow myself out early on, so that was a bit frustrating.
The course was mostly flat and largely paved, running along the sea shore and through parts of the Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve. Those segments were quite pretty (though hard to enjoy in the rain). There was a small section of sandy path that was a tough in shoes with high stack height. Some segments were on roads that were only partially closed, which could be a bit alarming in the rain. There was also a hill right around mile 12, which felt cruelly placed.
The course was definitely short. I saw reviews that mentioned this was true last year, and they haven’t fixed it. It seems particularly bizarre that we had to walk so far to the start line only for the finish to be short of the full distance. The mile markers also seemed to be a bit off in places, both compared to my watch, and also compared to the course map. I had to jog through the finish chute to get the full distance, and I’m definitely not an expert at running the tangents, so I’d guess it was at least 250 meters short.
The weather was unfortunately cold and rainy, and the volunteers were incredible for staying out there and staying positive through it all. Huge thanks for all their efforts.
Swag wise, the medal has a cool design, and the half zip hoodie seems nice. I didn’t stick around for any post-race amenities, because I was so cold and wet, but it seems like it would have been fun party on a nicer day.
I wouldn’t do this race again, but as long as you go in prepared for the issues above, I wouldn’t tell folks not to do it either.
Great course and volunteers.
I participated as the 2:40 pacer for this race. Overall this was a fun race, though there were some logistical challenges. The positives: Bib pickup was smooth. The course itself … MORE
I participated as the 2:40 pacer for this race.
Overall this was a fun race, though there were some logistical challenges.
The positives: Bib pickup was smooth. The course itself was beautiful, ALL the volunteers were absolutely amazing. The medal and shirt are great. Post/race festivities were fun, though I didn’t stay long. The aid stations will plentiful and well supplied..
The not/so-positives: Parking for the shuttle to the start line was a mess. At Beach Acres, volunteers were having drivers back into spaces, which, when coupled with the sheer volume of cars arriving, caused major backups and delays. It felt like there was an unnecessarily and weirdly long walk to the start line. At least one of the mile markers was over half mile off, and.the course seemed to run a little short; my watch came up at 13:05 and a lot of others reported the same or similar times. The line for gear check was unusually slow and long. Likewise, the shuttles back to the parking areas seemed slow because the lines for that were also enormous.
That all being said, it was a good race run by good people, and hopefully they can look at some of the issues that runners encountered and fix them for next year.
1st and last time
The first 4 miles are beautiful and are along the coastline, as the name of the marathon alludes to! After those 4 miles, the majority of the course is run … MORE
The first 4 miles are beautiful and are along the coastline, as the name of the marathon alludes to! After those 4 miles, the majority of the course is run along 2 long roads that are open to traffic, with absolutely nothing to look at in regards to scenery. At mile 18, you finally cross back over the main road and head back towards the coastline, where it is scenic compared to what your scenery was during miles 5-17. There is a “sandy” part of the course that you are on for about 0.5 miles or so, which made it interesting. The course itself had a small, gradual incline from miles 5-12 or so, with the occasional rolling hill. From miles 12-21, it it fairly flat, with an occasional small hill. At miles 21 and 24 respectively, there are larger hills (not large in the grand scheme of things, but a hill nonetheless late in the race). After that last hill, it is smooth sailing to the finish. Although the weather was kind of lousy, there was still a great crowd, as small local races are concerned (low 50s and drizzling/raining/windy)! There were a lot of water and gatorade stations, that also had Ucan gels. Plenty of bathrooms as well. One thing I was disappointed about were the lack of specific pacers that the website said would be available. They did not have the 3:35 and 3:40 pacers, but they did have the 3:30 and 3:50, which were as close to what I was looking for.
The race pick-up was at the park where the finish line is. It was fairly quick, and had a couple of small vendors. There were designated parking areas that you signed up for, and then got shuttled to the start line. They were punctual this year, which was not the case back in 2023 when I did the half marathon, and we started right at 7:30am as we were supposed to. The finish line had a lot of food/drinks and beer given out, as well as live music. If the weather were better, I would’ve stayed there longer to enjoy it.
Pretty good race
Over all the race was pretty good imo once it got going. Think this is the 3rd year for the race and the first 2 didn’t star on time and … MORE
Over all the race was pretty good imo once it got going. Think this is the 3rd year for the race and the first 2 didn’t star on time and this one didn’t as well. Was supposed to star at 7 but didn’t get going till 712 and not sure why. The race is a point to point and you have to take a bus to the start. Guess in years past the buses where running late, but I swore I heard the announcer say at around 650 all the buses had showed up. around 703 they finally did the national anthem. after that they came in and said the course had been mis measured and we needed to walk up the road about a quarter mile. once we crossed the start it was about 712 or so. nothing major, but since you could t park at the finish you had to take the buses back. just got a little nervous about getting back to my hotel in time for check out. read the buses back could have up to a 30 minute wait. i didn’t stick around for the after party and finished fast enough to be able to just walk over to the buses and get right on. i actually liked the course a lot. first 5 miles or so are ran along the water front and a small town which was pretty. next 2-3 where run through some marsh type terrain which was t awful. last 4-5 where run on some main streets which did have traffic but i never felt in any kind of danger as there were lots of cones and police directing runners and traffic. miles 10.25 thru 12 was pretty much a steady incline and the last was down hill. this was my 35th state and over all would put it in the middle.
This race is mid at best
I have done many half marathons . This was one of my least favorites. The race begins at 7am and there are 3 different assigned parking areas. At each parking … MORE
I have done many half marathons . This was one of my least favorites. The race begins at 7am and there are 3 different assigned parking areas. At each parking area you are picked up by a school bus that then brings you to the start line. This was about 15 min ride from the campground parking. After of course having to wait to actually get on a bus. At the start there were then very few porta potty’s and there was no clear signage for gear check etc. The race did start relatively on time. HOWEVER they had us go through this big arch BUT the arch wasn’t actually the start of the race…. The start was about 0.3/.4 mile walk from the arch. This caused a ton of confusion some people were running and getting mad some people were walking it was confusing for a lot of first timers I think they didn’t realize you need to go over the timing chip. Mile 1 was EXTREMELY bottle necked. I ran a whole 2 and a half minutes slower than my next slowest mile… I did well on this course (2 min off my pr especially considering I ran Boston marathon 2 weeks ago) but this course was simply not great. It was short of the 13.1 miles…. Everyone I talked to had the last mile only be 0.9. So most people including my own watch was reading 13.04. I kept running through the medal area to get to 13.1. This is not a race I would recommend for PR attempts. The parts of this course actually near the water were great. The course also does get a bit of elevation on the back end. I think Mike 8, 10 and 11 had some hills. But several miles run on one lane of a super busy road… so cars are zipping by you and it’s really boring you pass like some random stores and it’s nothing to write home about. Water stations were really great tho had no problem getting water or gatorade when I needed. I heard there were gu gels on the course but didn’t see any personally. Crowd levels were actually solid too for a smaller race which was nice. Now to some positives. The medals were gorgeous I loved them. The post race was probably one of the more fun ones I’ve been to. A great selections of drinks and ice cream and honestly good food trucks. You got an ice cream and 2 beer tickets with your bib. They also gave a zip up like fuzzy sweater thing as the merch when you signed up which wasn’t my favorite but it was unique and different which I appreciated. There was cute merch too for sale after the race. However like usual all the smaller sizes sold out quickly. So most things only were available in a large. After the race there were busses back to the parking lots. These took like 20/30 min wait in line to get on a bus. That was to be expected tbh. Overall this race is really mid. A lot of logistical issues that I think they could work through, but the course isn’t anything to write home about tbh. If you are looking for a New England race on the water I would recommend the Newport half in April instead.
Loved it!
Beautiful race showcasing the coastline of Maine! I love the start line of the race, but it was challenging to get to with bussing, which resulted in some delay for … MORE
Beautiful race showcasing the coastline of Maine! I love the start line of the race, but it was challenging to get to with bussing, which resulted in some delay for the beginning of the race. I appreciated the course being run along the beautiful coast, the route was great. The finish area was also challenging to get in and out of, especially for spectators but all of this seems to be due to the growing interest in the race, which is good. It was chilly, but I’m sure this is most likely the best time to hold this event before the tourism influx.
Great Coastal Forest Tour of Maine
Small but well run expo at the finish line. Start line drop off was pretty easy for us around an hour early. The race was well marked and the volunteers … MORE
Small but well run expo at the finish line. Start line drop off was pretty easy for us around an hour early. The race was well marked and the volunteers were amazing! Excellent finish line energy!
Decent local race
The race was well organized and decent for a small local race. The first 4 miles and last 3-4 along the coast and near the water were really nice, but … MORE
The race was well organized and decent for a small local race. The first 4 miles and last 3-4 along the coast and near the water were really nice, but the vast majority was boring, boring back roads. The half course looked nicer with more water time, which was a bummer as a full runner.
I stayed close to the bus, so was able to walk. Transport to start was easy, staging area was well organized, and finish party was fun (though more food options would have been nice).
Crowds were shockingly good for a small race. There were a few areas with pretty big crowds, but support was consistent throughout the race as a ton of people would see their runner and drive ahead over and over.
Not a bad race, if I lived nearby, but probably wouldn’t do again.
Lovely race!
I was very nervous after reading last year’s reviews of the pretty terrible bus situation. I made sure I got to the college in plenty of time and it was … MORE
I was very nervous after reading last year’s reviews of the pretty terrible bus situation. I made sure I got to the college in plenty of time and it was an easy ride to the start line. The bus back did take a lot longer than I thought was Acceptable but it didn’t ruin my experience. We probably waited 35 minutes for a bus was very nice. Suggestions for next year would be more buses. Also more food at the finish line. I was looking for granola bars or chips or something like that. I didn’t want Pizza.
Much improved, minors to fix.
I actually really enjoyed this race. I was very hesitant to sign up for this race considering the rough glitches they had the year before. This time, they had improved … MORE
I actually really enjoyed this race. I was very hesitant to sign up for this race considering the rough glitches they had the year before. This time, they had improved things a bit, but still caused a delay in the start by about 15 minutes. I would still consider running this race in the future. Scenery was nice, minus when we had to run down a stretch of one of the busiest roads that connected towns. The course ran longer than measured and couldn’t wait to be at the end, that which seemed to last forever. Swag was pretty nice and bib pickup ran smoothly. Hydration stations were well-organized. Only issue is to plan for more buses and smoother start times. I do suggest this race.
A Well Run Event
This was my first marathon and it was a great experience. Communication before the event was clear and accurate. Got a nice zip up sweat shirt in the mail with … MORE
This was my first marathon and it was a great experience. Communication before the event was clear and accurate. Got a nice zip up sweat shirt in the mail with my bib before the race. Getting to the start was easy as my wife was able to park at the starting line, but it filled up fast and most people needed to take a shuttle, which was all communicated. The first 5 miles of the race was very scenic along the coast, however most of the race was along roads that were not very scenic. The last 4 miles were also very scenic. I wish more of the race was on the coast, especially with a name like “Maine Coast Marathon” but it was a fine enough route and it was very clearly marked. The spectators were great. The finish line was fun. The announcer they had at the start and finish was so hype and fun. Nice looking swag and medal. I had a great time at the race especially because it was my first marathon and I was so excited I completed it. I’m sure there are more scenic marathons out there but this was a very solid race that was very well run.
Ocean view
I enjoyed this half marathon, which was flat and ran along the ocean for the first few miles. Getting to the start involved catching a shuttle at one of several … MORE
I enjoyed this half marathon, which was flat and ran along the ocean for the first few miles. Getting to the start involved catching a shuttle at one of several places. There were shuttles to take you back also.
There was beer, pizza and ice cream for the finisher’s, along with a decent medal. Registrants also received a long sleeve hooded t-shirt. Packet pickup was at the park where the finish line was located.
Water stops were adequate with good crowd support along the course.
Cautions
Having run this multiple times now, a) some credit due to the organizers for fixing a few of the persistent problems (in 2023, it started over 40 minutes late because … MORE
Having run this multiple times now, a) some credit due to the organizers for fixing a few of the persistent problems (in 2023, it started over 40 minutes late because of the busses; there was basically no water at the finish line; and the gear check was terrible). b) however, the race this year still started late (only 15 minutes, but that was enough that I nearly pissed/shit myself at mile 12), and more importantly the half-marathon is STILL wildly mismeasured (over a quarter-mile long). I get the geography and 5k running at the same time limits options, but they refuse to acknowledge this is an issue, avoid mention that the half isn’t USATF certified on their site (though the full is), and have just totally buried their heads in the sand about this.
Also, the race emcee is the most annoying and obnoxious human being on earth. Great swag, though, and the post-run beers and food are great (even if it feels weird to crush two beers and a pizza at 9:00 am).
Longest 0.1 miles ever!
This is a race produced by Loco Races that takes place on the Southern Maine Coast about 20-30 minutes from the NH border. It is a little over an hour … MORE
This is a race produced by Loco Races that takes place on the Southern Maine Coast about 20-30 minutes from the NH border. It is a little over an hour drive from where I live so it is pretty local. I was initially not going to get a hotel until I looked at the race logistics of both this and Revel White Mountain and just how early I would need to get up both days and last minute booked a room at the Holiday Inn in Wells. It was actually fairly cheap for a hotel for race weekend in Maine. Since I initially though I wasn’t getting a hotel I opted to have my packet mailed. There was good pre-race communication and good updates about when the packet was mailed and when to expect it. I received it over a week early and it included bib and shirt. The shirt is a sweatshirt with a really nice design but the material is a bit cheap and it runs very small. If (this is a big if) I do this race again I would get it 2 sizes up. Race day morning is kind of a mess as there are multiple different shuttle options. This is partly on me but I was on call last week and the Revel race starts crazy early so I did sleep as late as possible but race morning was a mess. I realized the runner drop off which is the 5K start and is about 1 mile from the half marathon start and has a shuttle was only half a mile from my hotel so I decided to walk and take shuttle and if line was long just walk to the start. It was not clear if there was a shuttle from the finish back to the runner drop off but there was a parking lot under a mile from my hotel so I thought it’d be easier to not deal with parking. Not sure if that was the right call or not. I got to the runner drop off area and there was a huge shuttle line so I just walked to the start and got there a few minutes before the race. It worked out as there were some porta potties on the walk so I didn’t have to wait in the huge lines. The shuttles did seem a mess and the race started 20 minutes later which I suppose is better than the 40 minutes late last year but it still not good especially as I had plans in NH that afternoon. The race had pacers to help line up but no corrals. The beginning of the race was a bit tight but it was on a closed road and everyone was able to spread out really quickly. I will talk about what I loved for the race which was the course. The course is a point to point and a lot of it runs right by the water. There were some beautiful views. Some of it also runs through the town which is a cute beach town. It was definitely a top 10-20% course in terms of scenery and my favorite course I’ve done in Maine even if it wasn’t my favorite race in terms of production. The course is also pretty flat. I will give a warning it is “Maine flat.” Maine is a very hilly state and this was much flatter than the other races I’ve done in Maine but did have about 300 feet of elevation gain and a couple smaller hills. I actually like this elevation profile but a few runners from flatter areas of the country I spoke with were surprised by the hills. The course was either on closed or coned off roads and there was adequate police support and course marshals. There was not adequate aid stations though. I think there was only 5 and 3 of them ran out of gatorade and one ran out of cups by the time I arrived. The course has stated 3:15 time limit and I pushed myself to stay under the time limit. The race however was not strict about the time limit and the course was not being torn down before I finished which was good. Now let’s get to one of my biggest issues which was the finish. So I was pacing myself perfectly for a just under 3:15 time limit. I know courses are typically a bit longer than 13.1 miles to get certified and that if you don’t do the tangents perfect you will end up running over 13.1 but I timed myself using the mile markers. The mile marker seemed accurate as I made mile 13 with around 13.1 miles on my Garmin and about 3-4 minutes to spare and was happy as I knew I could run 0.1 miles in 3-4 minutes. However I did run 0.1 miles and the finish line was nowhere in sight so I ran another 0.1 miles and still no finish line and someone says it’s just around the corner. Finally after about 0.35 miles past the 13 mile marker I make it to the finish but sadly ended up over 3:15 as I did not account for the extra 0.25 miles in my race strategy. My Garmin said I rain 13.45 miles. This was so frustrating to run a race perfectly to get a goal time and miss it by under a minute because the course is 0.25 miles long. Luckily as I said they weren’t strict and I got a finishing time but I really wanted under to get under 3:15. This was definitely not a tangent issue and even if it was then the earlier mile markers were incorrect as there is no way I did the tangents so bad I added a quarter mile after the 13 mile marker. The medal though is really nice and mermaid themed and I really liked the after party. There was a ton of people still there even with my slower finish. There was also pizza, ice cream, granola bars and bananas. Luckily there was cheese pizza and plenty of food left as I did not have time for lunch with the late start. Then there was the trek back to the hotel. As I said my plan was to take the shuttle to the nearest parking lot to my hotel. However the shuttle line was insane. I looked at how long a walk it would be and it was 2 miles and I would get to my car exactly the time I needed to if I walked and I couldn’t risk the shuttle as I may be late for my afternoon plans. Overall I will say I loved the course but there were 3 very big and very fixable issues which were the shuttles, running out of supplies at aid station, and the course being too long. I really think the race needs to reconsider the number of runners, the start time, or the start/finish location. I did really love the course and this is a convenient race location for me but I’m not sure I would do it again unless they fix these things. Next year I am registered for Indy Mini and Flying Pig this weekend so I will not be running this race but I will see what the reviews say for this race next year and maybe consider it in 2026 if they fix these issues. Overall even though I thought this course was better, I would recommend the Maine Half Marathon in Portland in October for 50 staters as the logistics were much better worked out.
OK for a small local race
I think this is a fine local race, but not one I would travel to. I don’t think it’s logistically at the point where it can handle 2000 runners for … MORE
I think this is a fine local race, but not one I would travel to. I don’t think it’s logistically at the point where it can handle 2000 runners for the half.
The 5k and half were both on Saturday. They have different start lines. There were 4 different locations for runners to park at in the morning and get shuttled to the start. Traffic was a nightmare for the buses, and not all the bus drivers knew what start line was which. The bus I was on told us we were getting off at the half start and it ended up being the 5k. The race ended up starting 20 minutes late because buses were still dropping runners off at the start.
The course along the ocean was pretty. It was mostly flat, maybe 2 noticeable hills. The water stops seemed fairly random and weren’t as frequent as most other races. I don’t remember seeing nutrition at any of them, but I could have missed it. Porta potty stops seemed infrequent. I think most along the coast were meant for construction workers.
The mile markers seemed pretty accurate until mile 13. It was off by maybe .1 (not a big deal). But then from the mile marker to the finish was another quarter mile… wouldn’t have kicked so early if I had known!
I think the half and 5k got the same medal. Some differentiation would be nice. The race shirt was a hooded long sleeve shirt.
I didn’t stick around for anything at the finish due to the late start and having to be shuttled back to the parking lots. They did have a bag drop, however when you picked up the bag at the finish, they were all just randomly spread out on the lawn. No order, so you had to hope to come across your number with hundreds of other bags to sift through.
Most of the negatives are things that can be fixed, and hopefully they will be if the race director wants this to be a huge race. As of now I wouldn’t recommend this race to anyone that has to travel to it (50 staters), however it’s a fine, small local race.
Great course!
Mostly flat course Great views! Plenty of water & gatorade stops Smooth packet pick up Hoodie and medal are nice looking! Post race party is great- music, pizza, ice cream … MORE
Mostly flat course
Great views!
Plenty of water & gatorade stops
Smooth packet pick up
Hoodie and medal are nice looking!
Post race party is great- music, pizza, ice cream and beer along with the usual bananas, water and bars.
The best MC – Michael Bernier is always a treat!
Race morning shuttles could use some tweaking. Also, have bathrooms at shuttle lots. The last 5 busses arrived 10 mins before the start and the bathroom lines were already so long. Race started a few minutes late, but it was better than last year from what I hear! The shuttles add a lot of stress and confusion but it’s worth having the course start and finish on the ocean!
Course was 13.4mi…
What a view🌊
I’m going to break this one down: Packet pickup was easy and they were really accommodating with swag changes Parking at the school was easy but we did get there … MORE
I’m going to break this one down:
Packet pickup was easy and they were really accommodating with swag changes
Parking at the school was easy but we did get there early. The race it self takes you down the coast for 5 miles before zigzagging you back through a beautiful beach town. Now for the down side: The race started 40 min late due to parking and shuttle bus planning. The course is about a 1/4 mile long and when getting to the finish area the lines to get post race food were very long. With the late start and the weather I would have liked to see more aid stations on course, There were 5.
Note the race directors have sent out an email saying that they are making plans to improve these issues for next year.
Great scenery
Leading up to the race, the website was a little sketchy and it was hard to reach anyone via email due to the wrong info posted. Once I finally got … MORE
Leading up to the race, the website was a little sketchy and it was hard to reach anyone via email due to the wrong info posted. Once I finally got through to the correct email, they were very helpful and told me everything I needed to know. In the future they should hopefully update the website so there is less confusion.
On race day, everything was right on time, directions, or easy to understand, and even though I ran slow, there was course support throughout the entire marathon. It was unseasonably warm, but the aid stations had plenty of water, and luckily there were lots of beautiful scenery.
The windbreaker was pretty awesome and the metal will look good with my other states