Maine Marathon 2026: Start Time, the Hills to Yarmouth and How Warm the Finish Gets

The short version — The Maine Marathon runs Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, from Baxter Boulevard on Portland's Back Cove. The marathon, half and relay all start at 7:45 a.m. ET, with a 6:30 a.m. early start for walkers. It is an out-and-back to Yarmouth with about 858 feet of climbing, course support ends at 2 p.m., and as of Thursday, Sept. 24, all three races are still open on RunSignup until 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. There is no race-day registration.

This is Maine's biggest marathon, and it still behaves like a local race: one start line, one finish, a bridge over the Presumpscot estuary and a lot of neighbors on lawn chairs along Route 88. The things that trip people up are the hills in the middle, a finish that can run 20 degrees warmer than the start, and a Saturday bib pickup that is across town from the start.

What time does the Maine Marathon start, and when does the course close?

From a 7:45 gun, a 2 p.m. close gives you 6 hours 15 minutes, or about 14:19 per mile. The early start is meant for walkers, and the race is blunt about it: early starters who finish under 5:30 are disqualified from awards. If you are a 4:45 runner hoping to get a head start on the heat, this is not the tool.

What is the Maine Marathon course actually like?

The race calls it "moderately hilly," which is fair. FindMyMarathon's profile has 858 feet of climbing and 858 feet of descent, with the course sitting between 9 and 166 feet above sea level. None of the climbs are long; there are just a lot of them.

• Miles 0 to 4: flat, around the Back Cove and out Route 1 North across Martin's Point Bridge into Falmouth.
• Miles 5 to 17: the rolling part, on Route 88 and the side roads through Falmouth Foreside and Cumberland up to the Yarmouth turnaround. You run every one of these rollers twice.
• Last 4 miles: flat or downhill, back over the bridge and along Baxter Boulevard to the finish.

The half runs the same road for the first 6.5 miles and then turns back toward Portland, so half runners get the flat opening and the first set of rollers but not the second half of the climbing. Relay legs run 5.7 to 9 miles, and free relay buses shuttle between the start and the three exchanges.

Compare that with Wineglass the same morning, which drops about 200 feet net across the Finger Lakes. If you trained on flat ground, let the Route 88 miles cost you a little and take it back on the last four.

How cold is race morning in Portland?

Those are hourly readings from Portland International Jetport, the nearest official station, on each race Sunday (NOAA/NWS observations via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet). The race's own FAQ says to expect the mid-40s at the start rising to the upper 50s or low 60s by the finish. Two of the last four years fit that. The other two did not: 2023 hit 72 by 12:51 p.m. and 2025 hit 78, which is exactly when a 5-hour runner is on Baxter Boulevard with no shade.

Wind is the other variable. In 2022 a steady 13-knot (about 15 mph) wind came out of the north-northeast, and by 10:51 it was 17 knots. On an out-and-back that runs up the coast, a north wind is in your face all the way to Yarmouth and behind you on the way home. That is the one year to start slower than planned.

The NWS office in Gray, Maine, puts out the Portland forecast; its seven-day window reaches Oct. 4 around Sunday, Sept. 27.

What should you wear for a 7:45 start on the Back Cove?

Dress for the second half, not the start line. A start in the high 40s with a finish in the 70s is a 25-degree spread, so most people are best in shorts or a short tight, a singlet or tee, and arm sleeves or cheap gloves they will shed by Falmouth. If you run in leggings, a 7/8 or capri length handles a warm finish better than full length; that goes for anything from a $25 pair to a $100 one.

For the wait, you are close to the start, so the damp-air problem is shorter than at a point-to-point race. A throwaway layer still helps on a 47-degree morning with a 44-degree dew point. The race runs a baggage tent near the start and donates anything left behind to a homeless shelter, so you can check a warm top for after. Our kit-by-temperature chart covers each band, and if you are parking in the dark before 7, the pre-dawn visibility notes apply to the walk from Marginal Way.

What is on the aid tables, and should you carry your own gels?

The race places aid stations about every two miles, each with water and Gatorade Endurance Lemon Lime, and medical staff at each one. The FAQ does not list gels, so plan to carry yours. Five or six gels fit in a waistband or belt; if you are deciding between a belt and a vest for this, our belt vs. vest comparison is the short answer. Practice with Endurance Lemon Lime on a long run before Oct. 4 if you have never had it.

Can you still sign up, and what does it cost?

Yes, until 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 3. Prices on RunSignup as of Sept. 24:

Deferrals and transfers closed Sept. 5. Both the marathon and half are USATF-certified and Boston qualifiers.

Where do you pick up your bib and park?

Saturday, Oct. 3, at Innovation Hall, University of New England, 772 Stevens Ave. The expo runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and bib pickup 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On race morning there is pickup at Pedro Field from 5:30 to 7 a.m. Bring ID and the QR code from your confirmation email; to collect for a friend you need a signed note from them.

For parking, the race points runners to the lots along Marginal Way (including 84 Marginal Way and the AAA, USPS and Maine Community Bank lots), the Back Cove lot and street parking by Deering Oaks. The USM garage is $4.15 an hour or $16 for the day. Do not park at the Hannaford lot; the race says so specifically.

How fast is Maine, and how many people run it?

Marathon finishers have grown every year since 2022, per FindMyMarathon: 747 in 2022, 905 in 2023, 1,037 in 2024 and 1,176 in 2025. The share running a Boston qualifier has fallen as the field has grown, from 12.2 percent in 2022 to 6.6 percent in 2025. Across all three races the 2025 event drew more than 5,000 entries.

The records are 2:19:19 by Ryan Eiler (2022) and 2:39:38 by Abby Hamilton (2021). Last year Sammy Mills of Portland won in 2:25:53 and Emma Howe won the women's race in 2:45:25, her second win in three years. Both half-marathon records fell in 2025: Colin Cernik ran 1:04:39 and Cliodhna O'Malley 1:15:06.

The race gave $793,285 to charity in 2025. This year's beneficiaries are Nanna's House, Day One, Camp No Limits and Pine Tree Society.

What should race week look like from here?

At 10 days out, the work is done. Our fall build-up countdown lays out the last two weeks, and the short list for Maine is: one last session at goal pace on rolling ground, no new shoes (see the shoe rotation notes if you are deciding which pair races), and a check of the Gray forecast on Sept. 27 and again Saturday night. Running a different race that weekend? Twin Cities is also Oct. 4, and the full list of our race guides is on the marathons page.

Sources: mainemarathon.com (races, FAQ, packet pickup, 2023 and 2025 recaps), RunSignup race and event pages, FindMyMarathon course and finisher data, Portland Press Herald (Oct. 1, 2023), NOAA/NWS hourly observations at Portland International Jetport. All checked Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.