Savin Rock Marathon & Half Marathon
West Haven, CT
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The course is challenging and starts off with 4 miles flat, followed by 5 hills in the next 5 miles and finishes downhill and flat for the final 4 miles. Do that twice for the Marathon. 1/3 of the course is along Long Island Sound. Some roads will be partially … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Mar 28):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 40 | 59 | 52 | 52 | 33 |
| L (°F) | 31 | 42 | 45 | 43 | 25 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Great Race
I've done this race 2x, once this past March, and once in 2023. Both days had completely different weather. This year, the weather was in the mid 60s and sunny. … MORE
I’ve done this race 2x, once this past March, and once in 2023. Both days had completely different weather. This year, the weather was in the mid 60s and sunny. In 2023 when I did it, it was in the low 40s with rain and high winds. Would keep that in mind when debating on whether or not to do it. Bib and shirt pick up is the morning of the race. The course itself is relatively flat for the first and last 4 miles. Everything in between is more or less rolling hills, with the steepest/longest one after crossing the mile 8 marker. Not much scenery to take in when going up the hills either, as you are going in between neighborhoods. Most roads are open to traffic. The last 2-3 miles are right along the water, which I enjoyed, but it can certainly get windy. I would do this race again, as it is local to me, but I would not expect to get a PR if I were to do it again.
Connecticut is Done!
A hot hilly challenge! No way to control race day temperature, it got very unseasonably hot. While the race starts and finishes on the waterfront at Savin Rock, most of … MORE
A hot hilly challenge! No way to control race day temperature, it got very unseasonably hot. While the race starts and finishes on the waterfront at Savin Rock, most of the race takes places on the residential asphalt streets of West Haven. If you PR this race, congratulations! Because it is a challenging course. Hillier than i expected. There were plenty of police officers helping with traffic control, but all roads stayed open during the race. It is a good no frills race to get Connecticut done if you are trying for the 50 states club. Plenty of race day parking. Aid stations had water and gatorade, nothing else. Finish line had water, gatorade and bananas. There was no after party.
The hills had hills
As other reviewers have mentioned, this is a no frills race. There is no expo, just a race day bib and shirt pickup. The half and full start at 8 … MORE
As other reviewers have mentioned, this is a no frills race. There is no expo, just a race day bib and shirt pickup. The half and full start at 8 and do 1 loop for the half and 2 loops for the full. The start is right along the beach, which is a nice way to start the day.
The first mile is along Long Island Sound before turning inland. The course if flat for the first 4 miles before you get to the hills. There is around 566′ of elevation gain, but it is all concentrated between miles 5-10. These were some tough hills in neighborhoods with few spectators, and even fewer views. The last 2-3 miles flattened back out and had nice views of the sound.
The announcer was great and gave me a special shout out. There were only a few options at the end which included bananas, a bagel and gatorade. There was plenty of parking and a minimal line for the bib pickup. Age group winners received a nice pint glass. The shirt and medal were also nice.
Overall, it was a decent race. Volunteers were great as well as the officers directing traffic. The course was not closed off to traffic, so be aware. Also, not many views outside the first mile and last couple miles. While I was in town, I made sure to visit the Pez factory and visit Sandy Point.
Well Run Small Race
I almost didn't run due to injury but I'm glad I got to complete it. There is plenty of good communication from the event organizers. They know what they are … MORE
I almost didn’t run due to injury but I’m glad I got to complete it.
There is plenty of good communication from the event organizers. They know what they are doing so the entire race was well run.
This is a no frills event. There is no expo. Bib and shirt pickup is on race morning.
The event is both a half and a full. You do 2 loops of the course for the full. The course is very hilly. Doing the double loop takes some mental fortitude because you know you have those hills coming up a second time.
The course as it runs through residential neighborhoods is pretty vanilla. There is very little crowd support so it does get lonely out there especially on the second loop. The most cheer you get is from the volunteers at the aide stations. Of course you get plenty of support at the halfway point and finish. So if you are looking for a race with support and cheer, this is probably not for you. Also the race is mostly on open streets but the cops do a great job of always stopping traffic for the runners. Never did I feel in danger.
All miles are marked and there are cones in certain areas. But there was a certain area in the second loop that I thought I could easily take a wrong turn but there were no such problems.
Although most areas are kinda boring, hitting the beach area at the halfway point and finish is pretty neat.
We had great weather. The shirt is a white tech shirt. The medal is nice but I did swap it for their traditional shark medal. The medal is cute.
To sum it all up…no frills, hilly, small, lonely on second loop, but well run, nice medal, beautiful beach views.
Also I stayed at a Homewood Suites about 2 miles away. There is tons of free parking near where the race starts and ends.
Thank you Savin Rock. I take positive things away from all my marathon experiences and this race was no different.
My wonderful race experience
Despite the rainy weather, I still saw amazing views of the Long Island Sound. The race was run very smoothly and well run. The medal is super cool, ascending 5 … MORE
Despite the rainy weather, I still saw amazing views of the Long Island Sound. The race was run very smoothly and well run. The medal is super cool, ascending 5 hills was super awesome and fun.
No Frills All Hills
If you're looking for a challenge, this is a good one. The course starts out nicely along the shore with pretty views of the ocean, turns into a hilly city, … MORE
If you’re looking for a challenge, this is a good one. The course starts out nicely along the shore with pretty views of the ocean, turns into a hilly city, and finishes back along the shore. Keep in mind none of the roads are closed, so there are plenty of cars whizzing by. Aid stations are in really busy places. The first one we had to cross to the other side of a busy street, the second one was in the parking lot of a ballpark, and the third was in the middle of a busy roundabout. There were not enough portlets at the start line, and that line got really long. Race shirts were a nice high vis orange tech tshirt. Medals were small and pretty boring. Food at the finish consisted of quartered bagels, cut in half bananas, water, and gatorade.
Small town, poorly produced
With so many races being cancelled in 2021, I was grateful to have this race. There wasn't much communication from the race committee in the weeks leading up to the … MORE
With so many races being cancelled in 2021, I was grateful to have this race. There wasn’t much communication from the race committee in the weeks leading up to the race which worried me that it may be cancelled. The course is a double loop, with a variation of hills and flat and not well-marked. The race guidelines informed runners that it was their responsibility to know the course. I drove it the day before but on the second loop I ran a block longer than the race course but fortunately a runner saw me and called me back. As you ran through the city, the shoulders were narrow and you were running with traffic. Cars came very close to the cones and there weren’t any signs that I noticed that cautioned residents that a race was in place. I didn’t feel safe. The only port a pots were at the start and halfway through, about 6 mile mark. Towards the end of the race, during the last 3 miles, I saw the cones being pulled up ahead of me. I saw a city bus almost clip a couple of runners ahead of me. The shirt was ok but the medal is really cute.
Ran same course "virtual"
March race was canceled/postponed in 2021. I had plans to be in West Haven so I ran the official course on my own. Walking distance from a few hotels, course … MORE
March race was canceled/postponed in 2021. I had plans to be in West Haven so I ran the official course on my own.
Walking distance from a few hotels, course was flat, mix of neighborhoods and ocean. Weather in March was perfect 40’s sunny. Many nice shops, restaurants, and historic places to visit.
Shirt and metal were nice. Race folks were great to work with as well.
Coastal Views and Changing Leaves
This race is normally in March but this year was changed to October due to Covid. I chose to run this race because it was a new state within driving … MORE
This race is normally in March but this year was changed to October due to Covid. I chose to run this race because it was a new state within driving distance that was happening this weekend. There is a race day packet pick-up which is great since it is a Saturday race and Connecticut is about a 5 hour drive for me so I didn’t have to leave work early or pay extra to get my packet shipped (another reason I picked this race for Connecticut). I would have liked a little more pre-race communication such as when the race was officially approved, etc. but they did send an email the week before with all the important race info. I drove Friday night and stayed at the Hampton Inn in West Haven. It was nice and about a 5 or so minute drive to the start and a reasonable price. Packet pick-up was at the convention center. Due to covid we weren’t able to wait inside. It was a rainy day and the forecast looked terrible so most people waited in their cars. Packet pick-up was easy and included bibs and shirt. The shirt is a short sleeve tech shirt. It is nice quality and I like the design but it is white which is not my favorite color to run in. There were also plenty of porta potties with almost no lines out front. The race starts by the beach behind the convention center so close to the cars. Luckily the weather seemed to clear up just for the race. It was very rainy in the early morning but just drizzling at the start. The race has the same start and finish line and is a loop. Runners just lined up and went. I think some sort of signs to indicate pace or something could have helped spread us out more as this is a decent sized race with about 500 people but it spread out quick enough. The first 2 miles are lovely and along the beach and you are treated to very pretty views and very flat, fast running. Then you go through town. Town was much more mixed in terms of difficulty and scenery. The first two miles in town were flat. I was making good pace and thought I could potentially break 2:30 but this is a trick. The next 6 miles are super hilly. There was about 500-600 feet of elevation gain in this race which overall isn’t terrible but almost all of it was in this 6 mile stretch. Scenery here had some beautiful sections of fall foliage with changing leaves, some boring neighborhood sections and one very un-scenic short, industrial section around the mid point of the race. At mile 10 the race flattens out again and goes on the road next to the beach. I was able to have a fast last 3 miles. I didn’t even come close to 2:30 with the hills but the fast ending let me finish a few minutes under 2:45. I would say the overall difficulty is average but it is a strange course with half the race super easy and half the race super difficult. The course had aid stations about every 2 to 2.5 miles. Aid stations had water, gatorade, Gu (at just about all of them!) and lots of friendly volunteers. I’m glad I carried water since I personally like aid stations more frequent that this but it seemed enough in the cool weather. There were also accurate mile markers for both the half and the marathon. Course was mostly well marked and safe. It was on open roads. All intersections had arrows and most had police. Much of the road was coned off but a few sections were narrow and made it harder to pass people and some runners retreated to the sidewalk a bit. As long as you paid reasonable attention you should be safe and not get lost but I could see how a runner could miss a turn if they weren’t paying attention. For the half there was always runners running around me and there were some spectators. However as the marathon is 2 loops, I’m guessing the second loop of the marathon is more lonely and easier to miss a turn. At the finish line the announcer calls your name and you get your medal. It is a cute medal with a shark on it but the ribbon is plain. There was no food this year due to covid though that was mentioned in the email and I kept a granola bar in my car to eat when I finished. I also really lucked out with the weather as the rain picked up again after I finished but it was just a pleasant drizzle most of the race for me. Overall this was a solid race for Connecticut. It also has a 5 hour time limit for the half which makes it great for walkers. I wouldn’t go out of your way to do this race but if it works with your schedule it is not a bad choice for Connecticut.
A good thing in a small package.
This is a nice little 2-loop marathon through the town of West Haven, CT. The 2019 edition was characterized by overcast skies, chilly temps and 20+ mph gusts off of … MORE
This is a nice little 2-loop marathon through the town of West Haven, CT. The 2019 edition was characterized by overcast skies, chilly temps and 20+ mph gusts off of Long Island Sound, so some strategic layering was required. Fortunately, you run right past your vehicle as you begin the second half of the marathon and can make a NASCAR-worthy pitstop to change out shoes or clothing. The portions along the Sound were very scenic with a running soundtrack of surf noise and seabird cries. The course segments through town along the shoulder of the road were hilly and a bit more stressful. I retreated to the sidewalks on more than one occasion, just to put a little distance between the traffic and me.
If you’re on a budget and need a CT marathon, this is a good option. I would be remiss without making a microbrew recommendation. CT is thick with breweries, but be sure to check out Two Roads, the largest independent brewery in the state. And I really liked two of the smaller taprooms; Milford Point Brewing and Problem Solved Brewing. You just can’t go wrong with a post-marathon brew at a place called Problem Solved!
Nice race to check off a small state.
Savin Rock is a great little race to check off Connecticut. No frills. No surprises. The COURSE: There are some ugly hills. The course is a double loop. The first … MORE
Savin Rock is a great little race to check off Connecticut. No frills. No surprises.
The COURSE: There are some ugly hills. The course is a double loop. The first mile & the last 2 are along the waterfront with nice views. The rest is through the town/neighborhoods on roads with traffic. The police/volunteers did a good job of keeping us safe. The second loop was a bit lonely (as usual with double loops) and many of the volunteers/cops had disappeared. I didn’t have any trouble, but was uncertain at couple of intersections. There were scattered water stations and very few toilets.
This was a quick in and out state for me. There’s not much touristy things to see there (IMO). The race itself was pleasant but I doubt I would make the trip to go back for this race.
Great First Race!
This was my first half when I was in college. Overall, felt flat to me, not horrific hills. Good swag, good production. Was honestly excited to finish! I hope to … MORE
This was my first half when I was in college. Overall, felt flat to me, not horrific hills. Good swag, good production. Was honestly excited to finish! I hope to run it again!