- Weather
- 56°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,500 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 200 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR9Weather8Experience7
Mid-September · Northeast · Double Loop
Erie Marathon
Erie, PA · Sunday, September 13, 2026
Flat, minimal elevation gain, run through Presque Isle State Park on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie, and built specifically around its Boston-qualifying rate. This isn't a scenery-first destination race, it's a tool serious runners use to hit a number.
Presque Isle State Park; top BQ percentage
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- First Marathon
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
57°
Cooler than 13% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
80ft
Flatter than 87% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
1.8K
Larger than 71% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
9.2/10
Ahead of 69% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
80 ft gain
Flat course, double loop.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
49°
Start
57°
Midday
67°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 57°F, good conditions.
Typical dew point 50°F, 22% 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.
Erie Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Erie offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is that nothing about it is extreme in either direction.
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around Erie, PA, with very little meaningful elevation change.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- First-time marathoners
- Runners who care about scenery
The tradeoffs
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Double Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat
- Total gain
- 80 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~1,500-2,000 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Pockets of spectators
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-September
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, September 13, 2026
- Region
- Northeast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- First Marathon
- Scenic
- Loop course
- Flat course
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 40°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 150 ft gain · 0 ft net
Riverfront Park and City Island route
PR9Weather9Experience7
- Weather
- 41°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~400 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 200 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Great Woods Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience6