- Weather
- 39°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~600 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,200 ft gain
Spokane River gorge and "Doomsday Hill"
PR5Weather9Experience7
Mid-March · West Coast · Point-to-Point
Catalina Island Marathon, 10K, 5K
Avalon, CA · Saturday, March 13, 2027
Event: Catalina Island Marathon | Verified 8/26/26: 4,310 ft gain confirmed (template was correct here). Field size corrected DOWN from template guess of 800 to real ~410-437 finishers. Not a BQ course.
- Boston Qualifier
Registration opens on the organizer's site
Typical start
56°
Cooler than 14% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
4,310ft
Flatter than 0% of races
Organizer figures
Field size
437
Larger than 13% of races
Recent finisher count
PR potential
4.7/10
Ahead of 5% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
4,310 ft gain · 0 ft net
Hilly course, point-to-point.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
48°
Start
56°
Midday
63°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 56°F, good conditions.
Typical dew point 34°F, 6% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
This one is about the day, not the clock.
Catalina Island Marathon, 10K, 5K is a strong choice for runners who like a course with real character, and the climbing is the point here. The tradeoff is atmosphere: expect long quiet stretches and few spectators.
Why runners choose this race
A point-to-point course around Avalon, CA, with real climbing that will cost you time if you race it hard early.
The case for it
- Boston qualification
- Runners who want a low-key start
The tradeoffs
- You want crowds and on-course energy
- You are chasing a flat-course PR
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Point-to-Point
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Hilly
- Total gain
- 4,310 ft
- Total loss
- 4,310 ft
- Net elevation
- 0 ft
- Field size
- ~~410-437 (2024-2026 finishers) runners
- Crowd support
- Quiet, low-key
- Entry
- Moderate
- Entry fee
- $160(most recent listed price)
- Day of week
- Saturday
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in different locations
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-March
- Next confirmed date
- Saturday, March 13, 2027
- Registration
- Open now
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Recommended
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Boston Qualifier
- Point-to-point
- Hilly course
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 35°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~500 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,100 ft gain
Deception Pass bridge and Puget Sound
PR5Weather8Experience7
- Weather
- 34°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000-3,000 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 900 ft gain
Pacific Northwest staple; chilly weather
PR5Weather8Experience8