- Weather
- 50°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Flat to rolling
- Elevation
- 300 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience7
Early May · West Coast · Out-and-Back
2027 Avenue of the Giants Marathon
Arcata, CA · Sunday, May 2, 2027
Runs along the actual Avenue of the Giants, the scenic highway through Humboldt Redwoods State Park lined with old-growth coast redwoods, some over 300 feet tall. The course is an out-and-back with only about 250 feet of gain across the full distance, a flat, shaded run under the canopy rather than a technical or hilly test. Early May timing puts it ahead of Northern California's dry summer heat, and the redwood cover keeps things cool even late in the race.
Event: Avenue of the Giants Marathon
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- First Marathon
- Bucket List
Registration opens on the organizer's site
Typical start
51°
Cooler than 37% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
250ft
Flatter than 48% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
1.2K
Larger than 54% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
8.6/10
Ahead of 46% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
250 ft gain · 0 ft net
Flat to rolling course, out-and-back.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
43°
Start
51°
Midday
59°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 51°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 39°F, 16% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
A quietly fast race that does not ask for much beyond honest pacing.
2027 Avenue of the Giants Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Arcata offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is that nothing about it is extreme in either direction.
Why runners choose this race
A out-and-back course around Arcata, CA, with gentle rollers but no sustained climbing.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- First-time marathoners
The tradeoffs
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Out-and-Back
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat to rolling
- Total gain
- 250 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 250 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- 0 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Pockets of spectators
- Entry
- Moderate
- Entry fee
- $100(most recent listed price)
- Day of week
- Sunday
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Early May
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, May 2, 2027
- Registration
- Open now
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Recommended
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- First Marathon
- Bucket List
- Out-and-back
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 42°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,500 runners
- Course
- Flat to rolling
- Elevation
- 300 ft gain
"TrackTown USA"; finishes on Hayward Field
PR9Weather9Experience8
- Weather
- 44°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Flat to rolling
- Elevation
- 250 ft gain
Cascade mountains into Bavarian village
PR9Weather9Experience7