Manchester City Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay & 5K
Manchester, NH
- Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay, 5K
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
This Boston Qualifier will give you a tour of NH’s largest city, just 45 minutes north of Boston. Starting in downtown Manchester the course runs through the historic Millyard, the North End, and crosses over the Merrimack River to the Goffstown Rail Trail before returning downtown to finish. Located in … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Nov 08):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 62 | 62 | 48 | 53 | 64 |
| L (°F) | 36 | 35 | 36 | 39 | 33 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Should have been better
I gave this event a 3 star because I felt that the slower runners (me) were not considered. In all honesty, this should be a 5 star event, and faster … MORE
I gave this event a 3 star because I felt that the slower runners (me) were not considered. In all honesty, this should be a 5 star event, and faster runners may give it that rating. The idea behind the run and what they raise money for, fallen soldiers from the state of New Hampshire, is great. The course itself was better than I was anticipating, with most of the second half of the marathon being an out and back. However, when crossing the finish line after a cold and wet day of running, there was no warm food for the runner. A coup of soup was supposed to be provided to the runners (we had vouchers on our bibs) but they were out. If you are involved in this event, please take care of all of you runners. The idea behind this event is a good one, and you need to take care of all of the runners participating in your event.
Well Produced Fall Marathon with Impact
Very well produced for a small marathon. Packet pickup day before was easy, great option for hotel right at start/finish line, strong support at plentiful aid stations (with gel, blocks, … MORE
Very well produced for a small marathon. Packet pickup day before was easy, great option for hotel right at start/finish line, strong support at plentiful aid stations (with gel, blocks, and waffles), and enthusiastic crowd and volunteers. I chose this because they were working with SWIM and the support of veterans is very close to my heart. My father is a Viet Nam vet and my cousin died in service this past year. They sent you a bracelet with the name of a fallen soldier and had poster and images on the stadium Jumbotron on the course – it was very moving for me and my son.
Many of the volunteers were teens and they took their job seriously and were so encouraging and enthusiastic. I recently ran a similar race and was sent in the wrong direction so I was worried about that but didn’t need to – it was very well marked and volunteers were excellent.
Shirt is one of my favorites and the medal is enormous. I enjoyed passing the finish line a few times because it made it easy for family staying at the hotel to come out and cheer us on. I enjoyed the hills – not nearly as bad as I had thought and the leaves looked beautiful this time of year. We lucked out with the weather – rain before and after but for the race it was cool and overcast (my favorite running weather).
Small things that could make it better – not enough food at the end for marathoners and the last half out and back on the rail trail was a bit of a mental challenge as it is very monotonous.
Overall a great small race with amazing people behind the scenes and volunteering.
Gem of a race in the Granite State
I’ve participated in the relay several times, and today was my second time running the full. This event never disappoints. Bib pickup is always smooth. The start line is always … MORE
I’ve participated in the relay several times, and today was my second time running the full. This event never disappoints. Bib pickup is always smooth. The start line is always easy to navigate, with water, med tents, and plenty of volunteers to assist. The course itself is hilly, but if you live in New England, you’ll be fine. Aid stations are plentiful and have plenty of water, Gatorade, and fuel. As always, the volunteers are AMAZING. The shirt is great and the medal is gorgeous!
Whether you want to run a 5k, relay, half marathon or full marathon, there’s something for everyone. 10/10 will always recommend!
NH in the fall was beautiful
The packet pickup was at a local running store who puts on the race. They were so nice! We stayed at the hotel right by the start finish which worked … MORE
The packet pickup was at a local running store who puts on the race. They were so nice! We stayed at the hotel right by the start finish which worked out great. We went to the start at the last minute. It was a nice cool morning and the weather was perfect. The course does a 5 mile loop and then past the starting area, then another loop so back past the finish around mile 12.8-13. Then another big out and back on a trail and you have to go past the finish again just after mile 25 and around the block. The people and everything were great. There is a huge party at mile 23 with everything you could ever want which was so nice. I didn’t love running past the finish so many times but overall I enjoyed this race.
Very Hilly Marathon
This was a nice but VERY hilly marathon. Pretty quiet marathon. At one point we ran through the woods so the marathon wasn't all on pavement. MORE
This was a nice but VERY hilly marathon. Pretty quiet marathon. At one point we ran through the woods so the marathon wasn’t all on pavement.
So Many Hills
This is a race produced by Millennium Running downtown Manchester. This was my third year doing some version of this race but only my first time doing the half marathon … MORE
This is a race produced by Millennium Running downtown Manchester. This was my third year doing some version of this race but only my first time doing the half marathon as I had previously done the full marathon and the half marathon relay. My opinion is pretty much the same of all the races. This is a very well-produced and very convenient race but there are some brutal hills and the scenery isn’t as nice as other races in NH. Logistics really couldn’t be easier. This is located in downtown Manchester with lots of hotels in walking distance from the start/finish and it’s a quick cab ride from the Manchester airport. If you do not want to rent a car, definitely do this race for NH. Of course I live 25 minutes away so I just drove. I parked in the lot I usually do. There is a fee but it’s always convenient. There is race day packet pick-up which I did. Packet included bib and a polyblend long sleeved shirt. It’s fine for a shirt but I actually think the shirt from the 5K yesterday was better. Another thing I love about this race is it is very back of the pack friendly with a 7 hour time limit for the full marathon and a 4 hour time limit for the half. This was one reason I chose to do this race when there were at least 3 half marathons near me this weekend. Even though I have gotten faster and don’t need a long time limit I’d rather support races that are more supportive of back of the packers and also like running with other people. There are also pace groups for slower paces which is nice with a 5:30/2:45 pacer, 5:45/2:52 pacer and 6:00/3:00 pacer. I lined up between the 2:45 and 2:52 pacer. I figured I would finish around 2:52 (I was extremely correct) but wanted to start off a bit faster and bank time for the hills. The start was well organized with the pacers. The first about 5 miles of the race are my favorite part. It starts in downtown Manchester but a lot is on the rail trail. The first 5 miles are pretty flat and I maintained a little over a 12 minute mile pace and was around the 2:45 pacers. One cool part they added was a lap around the minor league baseball stadium at mile 5. I don’t remember this from when I did the full marathon and liked the addition. The prettiest scenery I thought was along the rail trail and the coolest scenery was running through the stadium. The rest of the race I don’t like as much. From about miles 6 to 11.5 it is mostly uphill with a few downhill sections. It is rough and the scenery here is mostly just through neighborhoods and while not bad scenery isn’t anything special. There is a small section through non-technical trail but the rest is on roads that are closed or coned off so traffic is not a concern. Luckily the final 1.5 miles are downhill or flat so there is a fast finish. Race is very well produced as expected. There were aid stations every 1-2 miles with water and gatorade and some had maple syrup energy packets. Course was well marked. There were a ton of people running my pace including marathoners so if you are a slower marathoner who does not like running alone this is a great choice for NH. I was very happy with my finishing time. It was a bit slower than my last few half marathons but this race was much tougher. I wanted to finish under 3 hours with a bit of a cushion and I finished right round my predicted time of 2:52. The medal was excellent this year. There was typical pre race snacks with some delicious tomato soup and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beer at the finish. Decent post race food but yesterday’s 5K was better. Overall I do think this is a good race. It is well produced and very back of the pack friendly. It is not my favorite scenery for NH and the hills between miles 6-11.5 get pretty brutal. I would definitely recommend this race if you don’t want to rent a car or if you are a slower marathoner. I do think there are some more scenic options with more favorable elevation profiles such as the New England Half or Clarence DeMar Half/Full if you don’t mind renting a car and traveling a bit further. As this is a very close race for me I’m sure I will do it again.
Nice small race
This was my 15th marathon and probably sits somewhere in the middle. It was a solid small race with a few things that worked really well. Race day bib pick … MORE
This was my 15th marathon and probably sits somewhere in the middle. It was a solid small race with a few things that worked really well. Race day bib pick up is a huge plus, most of the course was really scenic, start area processes were smooth, LOTS of water stations and gels on the course, volunteers were great, and crowd support was solid on busier parts of the course.
Despite the scenic course, it was pretty boring. A big chunk of the full was out and back / looping on the rail trail (we ran over some parts 3+ times) and crowds were sparse outside of the start/finish and relay checkpoint areas. Also, the portapotties on the other side of the start chute from bag drop was a bit annoying. Also, yes the first half was hilly, but the second was flat. It really wasn’t that bad in terms of hills.
Overall, I’m glad I ran but wouldn’t be top of my list to do again.
Cold November race
Fortunately the very little wind but mostly cloudy. First city half had many hills, second half was thankfully flat. Someone said because I couldn’t find it 960’ of incline. Good … MORE
Fortunately the very little wind but mostly cloudy. First city half had many hills, second half was thankfully flat. Someone said because I couldn’t find it 960’ of incline. Good fan support was a very fun race despite the cold. Very large medal that was actually checked by TSA
Mentally Challenging Second Half
Manchester City Marathon is a great small city race that demands physical toughness in the first half only to be outdone by the mental toughness of the out-and-back second half … MORE
Manchester City Marathon is a great small city race that demands physical toughness in the first half only to be outdone by the mental toughness of the out-and-back second half with an uphill push in the last two miles.
Overall, the race is well organized with regular communication prior to the race. Bib pick up at the store is a bit crowed, but the race-day pickup is also an option. The course volunteers were enthusiastic and great communicate that course path.
Although this is a smaller race, the first half is congested due to narrow rail trail and all runners (half and full) on the course. This should not deter you from registering though, but it is good to know ahead of the start. I logged 1,110 feet of climbing and about the same in decent. Most of these hills are in the first half.
Skip it
Way too many intersections in residential neighborhoods. Not all paved roads. Course support adequate on a rainy day. Post race food gone by 5 hours MORE
Way too many intersections in residential neighborhoods. Not all paved roads. Course support adequate on a rainy day. Post race food gone by 5 hours
A nice but relative hilly course
This marathon is not flat and definitely not one to target for qualifying Boston. But it had awesome pacing teams. The pre- and post-race activities/festivities were adequately and aptly put … MORE
This marathon is not flat and definitely not one to target for qualifying Boston. But it had awesome pacing teams. The pre- and post-race activities/festivities were adequately and aptly put together, especially for the size of the field. Parking options were plenty and straightforward.
Check out my video below for more on the course.
Nice marathon to get NH completed
I did this race to complete NH on my 50 state quest. Logistics were easy with the airport only a few miles away from Manchster and host motel right at … MORE
I did this race to complete NH on my 50 state quest. Logistics were easy with the airport only a few miles away from Manchster and host motel right at the start/finish line. Lots of nice restaurants in easy walking distance.
Race conditions were challenging with cold rain for most of the course.
The race production was good. You can pick up your bib and shirt on race morning. Mile markers were correct and there were plenty of aid stations. The course was nice, although the second half of the marathon was basically an out and back on a bicycle trail. Most of the hills are in the first half. The highlight was a run through a ballpark where they put your image up on the Jumbotron !
Food at the end was minimal and they ran out of hot soup. The shirt was a very nice long sleeve tech shirt and medal was awesome!
Great event **Hills**
This event was really great, even though the weather was not so much. It was cold and rainy, but so well produced. The first half of the race is definitely … MORE
This event was really great, even though the weather was not so much. It was cold and rainy, but so well produced. The first half of the race is definitely hilly so hold on tight, the second half is much easier. There are lots of pacers, well-stocked aid stations and fuel (the maple syrup packets) on course. Huge finisher medal and cool long sleeve shirt. Generous course cut off time, and they keep the finish line open and don’t put away food or anything until the last finisher is done!
Hilly, but Nice!
The packet pickup was in the back of the Millennium Racing store, which was nice to stock up on last minute Gu's (or to get new gear) was an easy … MORE
The packet pickup was in the back of the Millennium Racing store, which was nice to stock up on last minute Gu’s (or to get new gear) was an easy in an out. (Extra tip: 1750 Tap House has good food/beer next door) The shirt was a nice wicking long sleeve shit. Race director was very nice & informative! I think the course was very scenic a majority of the time running around a baseball field (minor league), through some cute neighborhoods, and a few trails (which were flatter). The first 1/2 has more of your hills, and the second have tapered off a bit, minus on last hill about mile 25.5. For a hilly course I really enjoyed this course, and actually had a pretty decent pace. I would certainly do this one again!
P.S. Aide stations were great! Volunteers were very enthusiastic and water/ Gatorade was plentiful!
I paced the 4:30 runners
My first race in NH... started with the rain ended with rain with an average of 49 degrees. Todd and I paced this Hilly race through beautiful and scenic Manchester. … MORE
My first race in NH… started with the rain ended with rain with an average of 49 degrees. Todd and I paced this Hilly race through beautiful and scenic Manchester. Aid stations were well stocked. Volunteers were awesome. Race owner was at the expo and the race. one of my top 10 races.
Love to see Manchester united for this
A silent but deadly smell seeps through downtown Manchester on warm, windy days. Possibly from all the homeless people. It smells like trash, death, and poop had a baby. You'll … MORE
A silent but deadly smell seeps through downtown Manchester on warm, windy days. Possibly from all the homeless people. It smells like trash, death, and poop had a baby. You’ll be walking down the street and then a puff of wind blows in your face and BAM! there goes your appetite. Welcome to Manchester.
…anyway…
If you fly into Boston, like me, Manchester is a 70 minute Greyhound bus ride away. It’s not only the biggest city in New Hampshire, but the best marathon in NH for budget travelers, being the only one reachable by bus from Boston. I didn’t go to the expo since it was in a running store 3 miles outside of town, and the shirts and bibs were available on race day anyway. A nice late starting race (8:50 am) gave me plenty of time to wake up in the morning.
The marathon had about 925 feet of elevation change. The first half was super hilly. Downtown Manchester is on the east side of the Merrimack River. We start and finish downtown, but we cross the river immediately and run 5 miles on a greenway before coming back over and running miles 6-13 in East side neighborhoods. At mile 15 you cross the river a second time and run an out and back for 5 miles in each direction through forests on a dirt-gravel path. This was miserable when it started raining. I couldn’t believe how slow I was on miles 16-20, and blamed it on the loose gravel.
…and then, we hit the turnaround at mile 20, and realized we had been running uphill for FOUR miles straight. And now it was downhill! I was gassed, but those were the easiest miles 20-24 I have ever run. We cross the Merrimack for the fourth time at mile 24 and finish downtown near Veterans Park, in the pouring rain. The crowds were great for a rainy day in a town of 40k. Production was smooth for a smaller race, although the back half was lonely as usual. Prepare for a lot of hills if you run this one, but just know that if you can make it to mile 20, “it’s all downhill from here”.
Fun and varied course
I had low expectations for this race for some reason, but was pleasantly surprised. Loved the course. Yes, it is hilly, but it is never dull, and sometimes really beautiful, … MORE
I had low expectations for this race for some reason, but was pleasantly surprised. Loved the course. Yes, it is hilly, but it is never dull, and sometimes really beautiful, especially along the river. The volunteers were great, even in the rain, as were the spectators cheering in the rain. Everything was perfect in my opinion.
Course notes: Miles 16-20 are on a hard packed trail along the river , surrounded by trees. The prettiest part of the course, but slightly at an incline so your pace may slow a little (mine did). But stick with it, because you turn around after mile 20 and can make up some time going back down the trail. Everything is hunky dory until the last mile when you go up a significant long hill. But you are almost done! When you turn the corner you see the finish line and think I can sprint to the finish, but the course teases you and you have to go around the block and finally see the finish for real. No complaints, but that last 1.2mi could be mentally tough if you are already spent.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPANT
I can’t provide my usual detailed review because due to a knee injury I had to withdraw from in-person participation in this race and instead switch to virtual and complete … MORE
I can’t provide my usual detailed review because due to a knee injury I had to withdraw from in-person participation in this race and instead switch to virtual and complete it as a walker. My “shoe” ratings above are based on friends’ reports.
SWAG: The shirt was a long-sleeved tech shirt in red with the marathon logo on the front and “Running Free Because of the Brave” on the back. (This year’s charity was a veterans’ organization.) The medal is NOT the one with the Manchester cityscape pictured on the website for most of the year; it’s an American-themed white shield-shaped medal with blue stars and red vertical stripes. It’s huge and heavy.
I have to give a shout-out to Millennium Running’s customer service, who were very understanding and helpful.
Better in Small Doses but Still Hilly
Last year I did the full marathon so you can read my prior review for full details. This is an extremely well produced race by Millennium Running but extremely hilly … MORE
Last year I did the full marathon so you can read my prior review for full details. This is an extremely well produced race by Millennium Running but extremely hilly and probably my least favorite marathon course I’ve done. This year I happened to be in NH this weekend but wasn’t looking for a long race so I did the half marathon relay with my dad. One of the fun things about a relay is coming up with a name. Our team name was “A Flock of Seagroves.” Packet pick-up is either the morning of the race or the day before at the Millennium Running store. I got it at the store right after the 5K since I also forgot to bring my handheld water bottle to NH and needed to buy one. Again it was set up as a mini kind of expo in the back. Packet included an ankle timer for the relay, the 2 bibs and 2 shirts. I wasn’t a huge fan of the shirts this year. They are long sleeved tech shirts but they were dark grey and the design was kind of simple. The shirts were much better last year. This year weather was perfect. Cool but not too cold and sunny. My dad’s favorite part of a race is the start and mine is the finish so he did the first leg and I did the second. It was a little cold when not running in the morning so I stayed in the car until closer to my leg so didn’t see the start but it had a mass start this year. The relay was well organized and very clear where to go and what to do. My leg was the worst part of the race with all the hills in the suburbs. It is rough. It was not as rough not doing a full marathon but there was still about 500 feet of elevation change in my section. Scenery a mixed bag. Most of this section is in the suburbs and kind of blah but there was pretty fall foliage. There is a pretty but short section on trail. I don’t think downtown Manchester is scenic at all. This is the only marathon I have done where the second half of the marathon that doesn’t share the race with the half is more scenic since the second half is along the rail trail. However I was very happy to just run straight to the finish line and not have to pass it four times like in the marathon. The finish line is set up really well. The medals were great again this year and different from last year. I’m not sure which one is a nicer design though the marathon one is appropriately bigger than the relay one. There was basic food like granola bar, chips, bananas, yogurt, etc and non-alcoholic beer at the finish. There was also soup and alcoholic beer somewhere but I didn’t get those. I still feel the same way about this race. Not my favorite course but top-notch organization and super convenient location if you are traveling to NH.
Nice Warm-up Run on Rail Trail
They listened to me and decided to keep the Manchester City 5K on Saturday before the longer races on Sunday which was great so I could do a double this … MORE
They listened to me and decided to keep the Manchester City 5K on Saturday before the longer races on Sunday which was great so I could do a double this weekend. They used the same course they did last year which is an out and back along the rail trail behind the baseball stadium in Manchester. Packet pick-up was the morning of the race. This year it was a gradual mass start where we lined up by pace and went off a few at a time to avoid the trail being too crowded. It was chipped time at start and finish. I lined up at 10 to 11 minute/mile pace which is what I ran. Runners did a pretty good job lining up and were most running my pace. There was a bit of a back-up on the uphill at the bridge as a few people walked this section. Other than the bridge the rest is flat or just an incline/decline along the rail trail. It is paved but soft pavement so a nice surface for a warm-up. They call you name at the finish and there were a few snacks, water, chocolate milk and non-alcoholic beer. There is no extra swag if you do the 5K and a longer race but if you just do the 5K you get the race shirt. It is a long sleeved tech shirt. It’s nice quality but I didn’t like the color this year (dark grey) and the design was kind of plain. I still wish they would have some kind of challenge medal or other extra swag item for people who do the Saturday 5K and a longer Sunday race. Overall nice warm-up. Not the most exciting 5K course since it would probably be too much to close the streets of Manchester both Saturday and Sunday. I’d recommend this race if you are doing a longer distance on Sunday