Maine Marathon & Half Marathon
Portland, ME
- Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Gorham Savings Bank Maine Marathon features an out-and-back course for all three races — marathon, relay and half marathon — with rolling hills and views of the Portland skyline, the Back Cove, Casco Bay, and peak fall foliage. The Marathon is USATF certified and a Boston Marathon qualifier. The … MORE
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Wonderful experience
I'm running 50 states and chose this race because it's in Maine's largest city, so I presumed that it would be well-attended, well-organized, and well-supported. I was not wrong on … MORE
I’m running 50 states and chose this race because it’s in Maine’s largest city, so I presumed that it would be well-attended, well-organized, and well-supported. I was not wrong on any of those counts. There were about 3,200 total finishers for half and full combined (~2:1 ratio). Expo went smoothly, including packet pickup. Start could have used a little more signage, public address, and volunteer guides but I managed to be in the right place at the right time. Course was hilly and somewhat scenic but not unlike what I expected, having been to the area before. Great volunteer and crowd support for a smaller city. Aid stations were plentiful but could have used a few more fuel options, especially in the back half. Technical shirt and finisher medal were both beautifully designed. Post-race food was a little on the skimpy side but beer garden was nice and showcased a lot of local/regional brews. Easy access via PWM airport and Amtrak means you can get in and out quickly, though you’ll probably want to linger and enjoy everything that coastal Maine has to offer during peak fall foliage. Definitely recommend!
Fantastic race in Maine!
This was my first time in Maine and was my 14th state. I ran the NH Marathon the day before, but was still able to make it to packet pick … MORE
This was my first time in Maine and was my 14th state. I ran the NH Marathon the day before, but was still able to make it to packet pick up on that Saturday afternoon, then check into an Airbnb which was very conveniently located (only about 5 miles from the race start/finish). The race communications were great! I received emails detailing where to park for free on the morning of the race and there were plenty of volunteers directing traffic and runners. There were lots of portapotties near the race start line, the course itself had plenty of aid stations with water and Gatorade, and there were unofficial aid stations scattered throughout the course as well.
I ran with the 4:35 pace group and I just want to say that pacer Greg was a great support, and really all of folks in that group made the run pleasant and fun! The course is a bit hilly but definitely not as much as NH so I really very grateful that NH was first and Maine was second of the races that weekend!
The changing colors of the trees were nice to see, and some of the houses (ok mansions!) were also really cool views to take in along the course.
The after party was great – I availed myself of assisted stretching/muscle tension release by some osteopathic medical students and ate a yummy meal consisting of burger and fries at a vegan food truck – each runner received a $3 off coupon for the food trucks and there were several options to choose from. Overall this was a very well-run race, Portland was an easy city to fly into/out of, and I’d recommend this as your Maine race if you’re trying to do a marathon in each state!
Great race for Maine!
Well run race with a fairly easy course. Although there are rolling hills, they are spread out and the uphill sections are followed by downhills. Aid stations only have water … MORE
Well run race with a fairly easy course. Although there are rolling hills, they are spread out and the uphill sections are followed by downhills.
Aid stations only have water and Gatorade – carry your own nutrition. Course marshals could have done better at some of the spectator locations keeping the spectators back off the road. This was also a problem at the finish.
Overall – great race if you are looking to get Maine in for your 50 states. The 1st weekend of October can hold ideal weather for racing – which is why the date conflicts with many other races that weekend.
beautiful Fall Foliage
This was my 31st Marathon in my 21st State. ...Flying in to Boston and driving a rental car to Portland was smooth and most cost effective...Be prepared for accommodation prices … MORE
This was my 31st Marathon in my 21st State. …Flying in to Boston and driving a rental car to Portland was smooth and most cost effective…Be prepared for accommodation prices as they were higher than expected… prepare to pay for parking everywhere around town…the communications and social media before the race was superb with timely updates and information…Packet pickup and expo was at a community Center and everything seemed jammed packed together, however it was a nice small expo and the process didn’t take long….race day logistics was pretty easy ( I was dropped off as our hotel was 10 miles away)…plenty of porta potties and water was available….the weather was close to perfect….The course was very scenic as October 6th in Maine was almost perfect peak fall foliage and additionally running next to the bay was beautiful at times…It did seem repetitive as we ran through a lot of residential neighborhoods…The was plenty of official and unofficial aid stations…plenty of crowd support as well and music on the course was motivating…more hills than I expected….At the finish the medal were cool, especially for a 50 stater as they were shaped like the State of Maine (a little small). They had the traditional finish line things including pizza, bagels, and beer as well as food trucks and such. I didn’t stick around long so I can’t comment too much on the finish line festival as the family planned to do some more touristy things around the area…nice area to visit and make a short vacation out of as we visited a few museums, light houses, and beaches…not to mention lobster rolls and Holy Doughnuts….
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Fall on display in beautiful Maine
Had a terrific time running in Maine this weekend. I had my best ever performance and finally broke 3:30. Major psychological victory. Pros: great weather, scenery, support, aid station management, … MORE
Had a terrific time running in Maine this weekend. I had my best ever performance and finally broke 3:30. Major psychological victory.
Pros: great weather, scenery, support, aid station management, medal (shaped like Maine).
Cons: rolling hills, some pretty acute. Particularly mile 17. Smaller race if you need big race energy to get you through. A lot of my miles were by myself (which I enjoyed).
My first visit to my 50th state
I had been/visited 49 of the US states and DC. I decided to enter Maine to get my states-visited count to 50. I also entered New Hampshire Marathon for the … MORE
I had been/visited 49 of the US states and DC. I decided to enter Maine to get my states-visited count to 50. I also entered New Hampshire Marathon for the day before (but because of airline difficulties the Friday before, I missed NH….oh well, that left Maine).
I opted for race morning bib pick-up. I got there early as they did allow an early start and I had broken my left foot pinky two 10 days earlier so I was a bit concerned. But after I got my bib, I decided to just stay in the official start time.
The crowd was a bit larger than I expected but still easy to find a spot. I saw a few pacers – from 3+ hours to 5+ hours. I decided to stand next to a 4:45 pacer but never latched on or ran with that pacer.
The gun went off and we started running. As usual, it was a bit crowded at the start and it took me a bit of time to cross the starting mat. We ran along the shore. Weather was cool – but very comfortable (actually, almost perfect running weather for me).
First part of the course was mostly flat but then we started a small series of “rollers” that continued to the 1/2 way turn-around point (and back). The run took us through quaint neighborhoods, farm areas, and some wooded areas. Crowd support was almost constant and the aid stations well staffed. Volunteers were great.
I hit the 1/2 marathon at around 2 hours and was satisfied. My broken toe hadn’t bothered me too much. I decided to mix jogging and fast walking at around mile 14-15. I continued that way.
I chatted with other runners and was enjoying the race. At mile 25.75 I was looking at my pace, estimated the time it took me from start gun to cross the start pad, and estimated the times I stretched my legs at about 3 water aid stations and thought I had 5 hours in sight. I crossed the finish line in 5:00:18….close enough.
All in all, a very good race, very well organized, great volunteers and a beautiful location. Plus it got me my 50th state visited and 20th state with a marathon or longer finish.
Well organized, smooth road race.
Well organized, city run. Great race side music. Everything went smoothly from start to finish and plenty of porta-potties before and during the race. The course followed the bay and … MORE
Well organized, city run. Great race side music. Everything went smoothly from start to finish and plenty of porta-potties before and during the race. The course followed the bay and through some sweet neighborhoods. Had my first Lobster Roll from the truck afterwards and it was everything, HIGHLY recommend making that part of your race experience. Nice little beer garden near the finish where you can drink and cheer in the rest of the runners.
Beautiful Marathon
This was such a beautiful marathon. The neighborhoods we ran through were super nice. Not a ton of spectators but there were people cheering us on in the neighborhoods we … MORE
This was such a beautiful marathon. The neighborhoods we ran through were super nice. Not a ton of spectators but there were people cheering us on in the neighborhoods we ran through. I really liked this marathon.
A Good One
This was the 4th of my New England Half Marathons over the course of 5 weeks and it was my favorite. A very nice scenic course and very well organized. … MORE
This was the 4th of my New England Half Marathons over the course of 5 weeks and it was my favorite. A very nice scenic course and very well organized. My only complaint was the traffic backup and poor traffic control leading up to the designated parking garage. I was sure I gave myself enough time to make the race in plenty of time but it ended-up being a close call! The police were standing around talking with one another rather than directing and getting the traffic moving. Also got scammed by the parking garage company when I received a invoice in the mail for $55 two months after the race. Thankfully the Race Director stepped-in to resolve the issue.
Portland, Maine Marathon
expo was easy to find and open later than posted which was very helpful. appreciated all the great support from many different people, Scenery was very nice and many very … MORE
expo was easy to find and open later than posted which was very helpful. appreciated all the great support from many different people, Scenery was very nice and many very friendly runners participated. Good parking excellent organized race would recommend it for sure.
Lacking Support
Pros: Early start for a longer cut off, pretty course, free parking, pacers. Cons: While they offer a longer cut off time they don't treat the back of the pack … MORE
Pros: Early start for a longer cut off, pretty course, free parking, pacers.
Cons: While they offer a longer cut off time they don’t treat the back of the pack the same – when I finished there were still 50 people out there and some water stations were already being tore down, food trucks were gone, beer garden was tore down and food was largely picked over. Appreciate the longer finish window but not fair to people finishing later (as is allowed) to not the same experience.
Battled through injuries
Beautiful scenery and weather. Rolling hills were challenging but not a killer. The volunteers and spectators were awesome. I ran well below my goal but had an injured hamstring. Will … MORE
Beautiful scenery and weather. Rolling hills were challenging but not a killer. The volunteers and spectators were awesome. I ran well below my goal but had an injured hamstring. Will definitely be back.
Wonderful Race
The course is tough but not crazy, the scenery is beautiful, and the cheering squads are no joke. The race results can be printed out for you at the end … MORE
The course is tough but not crazy, the scenery is beautiful, and the cheering squads are no joke. The race results can be printed out for you at the end of the race. They had little cups of animal crackers, goldfish, peanut bagels, and way more. The food trucks were lined up waiting for you.
Very nice large race
This was a very nice large race, about 4,000 participants. Course had volunteers are every place you needed to turn, not only guiding you but providing encouragement. Scenery was awesome … MORE
This was a very nice large race, about 4,000 participants. Course had volunteers are every place you needed to turn, not only guiding you but providing encouragement. Scenery was awesome on the Maine coast.
Maine running at it's very best
If you run in Maine, you have to do this race. The course has everything. Hills, woods, ocean views, live music and loads of enthusiasm from locals who come out … MORE
If you run in Maine, you have to do this race. The course has everything. Hills, woods, ocean views, live music and loads of enthusiasm from locals who come out to cheer you on. There are pace groups for the full and half marathon, and plenty of water stations. They also offer a relay so if you have a team of up to four runners you can do that. Nice little expo the day before and a very well organized starting area with plenty of porta potties and a very well staffed bag check. Be ready for a cool start and wear something you plan on discarding. This was my first half and it couldn’t have been more enjoyable. I went out with a pace group that was about 5 minutes slower than my goal time and after about 5K I put them behind me. Managed to run negative splits the whole way and beat my goal by a few minutes. This is one of those races where if you don’t train on hills you might struggle. The nice thing about the course is that it’s out and back so the biggest hills for both the half and full are in the middle of the course and the home stretch is mostly flat or downhill.
Great Marathon with Rolling Hills
Packet Pick up is easy and good no of participation Race day parking is easy Start area is good with all water and other amenities Windy at start on lake … MORE
Packet Pick up is easy and good no of participation
Race day parking is easy
Start area is good with all water and other amenities
Windy at start on lake side.
Great Course with rolling hills. Lots of crowd first 6.5 miles where half marathon returns.
Maine is beautiful!
I found this race to be surprisingly good! I would recommend it to anyone. There is another one that I really wanted to do, that is more scenic, but I … MORE
I found this race to be surprisingly good! I would recommend it to anyone. There is another one that I really wanted to do, that is more scenic, but I thought I wouldn’t meet the qualifying time due to the hills. With a 7 hr cutoff, you have a generous time to finish. There are indoor bathrooms to use before the race and parking is close to the start/finish. The course is an out and back and it was fun to see all the runners coming at me but not fun when I made the turnaround and I was pretty much by myself because the slower ones were way behind me. There was also an early start so some of the slower runners may have been there. I opted to pass on the early start because there was a remote chance I would get an AG award and you couldn’t get one if you took the early start. My gamble paid off and I finished 3rd and there were more than 3 in my AG!. I loved the bagpipes at the start and there was a solo bagpiper later in the race. I loved the music at the race, not so much rock and roll but more rhythm instruments and drummers. Aid stations were well stocked but they did not have any gels. I didn’t miss that, I carry my own. The course is pretty, on the Atlantic oceanfront for some portions and in beautiful neighborhoods. There are rolling hills but nothing with steep ascent. There was some fall color and the temp was mid 50s throughout and lots of shade. It was a windy day but the trees provided shelter. I stayed at the Black Elephant hostel. It is amazing!!! It sells out early, I learned about it from another poster here. I don’t usually stay at hostels but after learning how expensive hotels are in Portland and seeing the review on this one, I gave it a try. It was fun chatting with other runners before the race at the hostel. I learned that I came in 3rd later that evening, after I had already left Portland and gone up to Acadia NP. They don’t mail their awards so I emailed the race director and was able to pick up my award on my way back to Boston. Something fun to do the day before the race is go visit Cape Elizabeth and have a lobster roll at Bite of Maine.
Totally Awesome
I chose this race for Maine mostly because it was in Portland on a Sunday so I could drive there without taking any vacation days. I drove to NH Friday … MORE
I chose this race for Maine mostly because it was in Portland on a Sunday so I could drive there without taking any vacation days. I drove to NH Friday night and did the NH half on Saturday and then this race on Sunday. I went to concert in Boston Saturday night so I stayed in a hotel on the NH coast halfway between Boston and Portland instead of staying in Portland. It is a just under 2 hour drive from Boston to Portland so if you are flying and want to fly into a bigger airport it is not a terrible drive. Since I was in NH and Boston Saturday I just got my packet the morning of the race. However race morning was a bit hectic so I’d recommend going to the expo Saturday if you can. There is a parking garage with free parking for runners. I definitely appreciated free parking and a pre-race email telling us exactly where to park. However I don’t think the garage was set up for as large a crowd at one time. I planned to arrive around 6:45 thinking that would give me an hour before the race and would have a relatively relaxing race morning but it took about 10 to 15 minutes from the time I got to the parking garage to the time I parked. Packet pick-up was at the race start about 1/3 mile from the parking garage. Packet pick-up was easy and included tote bag and a nice long sleeved tech shirt with the race logo. It was a nice teal color. However it took awhile to go to packet pick-up and then back to my car and then back to the race start so I ended up lining up with only 10 minutes to spare. Start was well-organized and there were pacers. I was planning to start with the 3 hour pace group to not go off too fast but they did appear to go too fast since I lost them early on and my first mile was exactly 3 hour pace so that would be one of my only complaints. Maybe they were planning to bank time for the hills. The first couple miles are flat with coastal views. Then it is rolling hills in a pretty suburban neighborhood. It is mostly an out and back. While I would call it a scenic course I was a little disappointed in the scenery only because I was so spoiled my last 3 races. I was hoping for more coastal views and running through the city but after the first couple miles it was mostly neighborhood views. It was a very pretty neighborhood and there was nice fall foliage but not as nice as NH and was similar to running in my neighborhood at home. I just wish the scenery was more unique to Maine. The race was great though. Very well marked with closed or coned off streets though a few random cars made it on course probably from the neighborhood. There were plenty of aid stations and tons of on course entertainment. I think there were as many musicians providing entertainment as I have seen in any race. There were a lot of spectators especially for a mid sized race in a smaller city. A lot more than I was expecting making this a great race atmosphere. As it is an out and back with a half and full marathon there were a ton of spectators and entertainment for back of the pack half marathoners finishing with the fast marathoners and also long time limit for the half so very walker friendly. I would definitely recommend this for back of the packers. The course is somewhat hilly though the least hilly of the 4 half marathons I did in the past 2 weekends. Like NH the elevation profile is in the runner’s favor with it being net uphill the first half and net downhill the second half. I knew this would be a slow race given I am not yet back to my normal speed and this was my 4th half marathon in 9 days. I was expecting to finish around 3:30 and was about 10 minutes faster than that. Finish line has a bunch of spectators and you get your medal which is very nice with the race logo. There are the typical postrace food like bagels and granola bars. There are also food trucks and runners get $3 off. I was so excited there was a food truck called the Totally Awesome Vegan Food truck so got a very delicious and filling meal before my long drive home. Overall this was a really great race. While the scenery is nice, I’m guessing there are more scenic Maine races closer to Acadia or more along the coast but there probably aren’t any with better race atmosphere and this is definitely the most convenient race for travel. Also makes a great double with NH. If I lived closer I would do this race again but it was too long a drive for me to do unless I had another reason to be in Maine the weekend of the race.
Top Notch
This race is phenomenal. Very well organized. Remarkably beautiful course. It was a touch hilly, and VERY windy. Not the easiest of races but beautiful. If you're doing all 50 … MORE
This race is phenomenal. Very well organized. Remarkably beautiful course. It was a touch hilly, and VERY windy. Not the easiest of races but beautiful. If you’re doing all 50 states I would recommend doing this one for Maine.
My race review
Beautiful views of the bay's, has a super cool medal. Had outstanding community support. Definitely would consider coming back another time MORE
Beautiful views of the bay’s, has a super cool medal. Had outstanding community support. Definitely would consider coming back another time