The Steamtown Marathon is a USATF-certified event and is an official Boston Marathon qualifier. The course features a net elevation drop of 955′. The point-to-point course runs through 14 communities and includes approximately 4.2 miles of paved rails-to-trails along the Lackawanna River. There are 14 official stations and several port-a-lav stations on the course.
In a Runner’s World online survey completed by thousands of runners, Steamtown was named the 6th best overall marathon. Runner’s World has also named Steamtown one of the nation’s 10 best for first time marathoners.
Steamtown has been consistently ranked as one of the nation’s fastest marathon courses by several running magazines and Web sites. On average, 22% to 25% of Steamtown finishers qualify for the Boston Marathon.
Although Steamtown’s course may be fast, it is not necessarily easy. The significant down hills in the first eight miles tend to beat up your quads making it a challenge to tackle the three notable up hills in the last three miles of the course. The up hills aren’t terribly long (one to four blocks each) or terribly steep, but their locations in the last few miles can take their toll on even the most experienced runners.
The 14 aid stations will have Gatorade and water. A few will have miscellaneous snacks. There will not be GU or gel on the course. There will be port-a-lavs at the start, along the course, and at the finish.
All miles will be clearly marked. There will be only a few clocks on the course – wear a watch.
A cheaters mat will be at an undisclosed location to ensure that all athletes who cross the finish line have run the entire course.
Several bicycle clubs will ride the course seeking runners in need of assistance.
The Steamtown Marathon benefits the children and residents of St. Joseph’s Center, Scranton. Thanks to the generosity of our runners and sponsors, the Marathon has donated $1.6 million to St. Joseph’s since 1996.
The field is capped at 3,000 runners and the race usually sells out. Please enter only if you are confident that you will complete your training and participate in the race. Remember to book your hotel room as early as possible.
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Great logistics, downhill
Beware of two important uphills and a few miles of steeper downhills. You need to bank your energy, not time from mile 3 to 8 or your going to burn … MORE
Beware of two important uphills and a few miles of steeper downhills. You need to bank your energy, not time from mile 3 to 8 or your going to burn out and crash.
Wonderful Race All Around
There is so much to love about Steamtown. Here are the highlights: the course is ripe for a PR. The first half has a lot of downhill which affords the … MORE
There is so much to love about Steamtown. Here are the highlights: the course is ripe for a PR. The first half has a lot of downhill which affords the opportunity to bank a lot of energy or time. It is scenic with many trees, including miles of serene stretches where you’re on paved trail next to a river. The crowd support is solid for such a rural area. Each town had sections of loud support which boosts the spirits. There were plenty of aid stations with water and Gatorade. The second half has some hills, including some rough ones in the last 5K so make sure you have some time to spare. The post race was solid. When I walked into the tent for refreshments, every volunteer stopped what they were doing and gave me a standing ovation (they did that for every runner). VERY COOL! The food spread was the best I have seen. I am disappointed I had no appetite to enjoy any of it. That night is a party for the runners with food, drinks, and live music. I brought my mom, wife, and daughter and everyone had fun (though the music was really loud; my daughter asked to leave early because it was hurting her ears). The logistics of the entire race went so smoothly. I got regular email updates that were humorous and the right frequency. The bus pickup to go to the start line was a piece of cake, the high school volunteers at the start were amazing and kept us organized, I can’t say enough about this race. I didn’t achieve my goal that day, but it had nothing to do with anything race related. This is a first rate marathon, one of the best I have done!
Awesome community support at this race
People in each of the towns came out to cheer you on and many put out tables with snacks and drinks for you right outside their homes. Race committee was … MORE
People in each of the towns came out to cheer you on and many put out tables with snacks and drinks for you right outside their homes. Race committee was a real nice group of people. Nice dinner the night of the marathon!
Steamtown is a good race to BQ
I really like Steamtown and will run it again this year. The expo is VERY small. It's held at a local college. There are only two vendors, one of which … MORE
I really like Steamtown and will run it again this year. The expo is VERY small. It’s held at a local college. There are only two vendors, one of which is the race selling a few additional pieces of Steamtown merchandise via a local running shop. The other vendor is the “big name” vendor that’s at every expo selling stuff at deep discount prices. I think I spent 10 minutes total during packet pick up and the expo.
There aren’t a lot of big chain hotels in Scranton proper, so I stayed outside of town, but only about 5 miles away. They do not have a “host” hotel and there aren’t any special group discounts either. If you want to run and stay overnight, make reservations early.
On race morning, you park in the city, board a bus that takes you on a 45 minute ride to the start. It is a point to point race. They drop you off at a school, so you can go inside and stay warm, relax. They had coffee, hot chocolate, donuts and pastries inside.
The course winds its way through many of the communities in this northeastern part of PA. There is generally good support, but there are also times when there is no crowd at all. You spend some time on a trail, which I like. It is a paved rails to trails, so no worries about mud. It is a net downhill race, but there are several hills. None of the hills would make you blink an eye if it were a training day. However, they come at the end of the race, when your legs can be tired. Respect them, plan for them and run hills on fatigued legs during your training.
The medal was simple, nice, with a train on it. The finish line area was nice. A few snacks and drinks. You can hang out in a grassy area in the center of town. They do the awards right there too.
They do it right in Steamtown and they have been doing it for 21 years. I would recommend this race for anyone looking for a smaller-ish race (I think registration caps at 3,000 or 4,000) with a PR in mind.
Finish Line: Alfredo's Pizza Cafe
Among PA marathoners, Steamtown Marathon is a must-do race. Although much of the course is down hill, be prepared for a climb to the finish line. Although much of the … MORE
Among PA marathoners, Steamtown Marathon is a must-do race. Although much of the course is down hill, be prepared for a climb to the finish line. Although much of the course is in rural areas, the locals come out in great support of runners!
For the many fans of The Office, there is plenty to anticipate at the finish in downtown Scranton – including the famous pizza that is not a hot circle of garbage.
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Fast point-to-point course
Get bused 26.2 miles north to run a downhill 26.2 miles into downtown Scranton. Very quick course. Start at a local school and then there is a steep downhill within … MORE
Get bused 26.2 miles north to run a downhill 26.2 miles into downtown Scranton. Very quick course. Start at a local school and then there is a steep downhill within the first mile. The finisher medal is very small and bland.
Fast point-to-point course
Get bused 26.2 miles north to run a downhill 26.2 miles into downtown Scranton. Very quick course. Start at a local school and then there is a steep downhill within … MORE
Get bused 26.2 miles north to run a downhill 26.2 miles into downtown Scranton. Very quick course. Start at a local school and then there is a steep downhill within the first mile. The finisher medal is very small and bland.