- Weather
- 42°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~4,000 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain
Bridges and scenic neighborhood route
PR8Weather9Experience8
Late September · West Coast · Point-to-Point
Bellingham Bay Marathon
Bellingham, WA · Sunday, September 20, 2026
Mount Baker and Bellingham Bay scenery
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
42°
Cooler than 82% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
500ft
Flatter than 30% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
800
Larger than 31% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
7.3/10
Ahead of 37% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
500 ft gain
Rolling course, point-to-point.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
34°
Start
42°
Midday
49°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 42°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 30°F, 16% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
A small race that trades atmosphere for room to run.
Bellingham Bay Marathon is a strong choice for a first marathon, and the course rolls gently without any sustained climbing. The tradeoff is atmosphere: expect long quiet stretches and few spectators.
Why runners choose this race
A point-to-point course around Bellingham, WA, with steady rollers that reward even pacing.
The case for it
- Runners who want a low-key start
The tradeoffs
- You want crowds and on-course energy
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Point-to-Point
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Rolling
- Total gain
- 500 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~800 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Quiet, low-key
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in different locations
Race details
- Typical timing
- Late September
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Point-to-point
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 37°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 900 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Bend Marathon
PR7Weather8Experience7
- Weather
- 48°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain
Lake Champlain and Green Mountains views
PR7Weather9Experience8