Runners' Almanac
All marathons

Mid-November · Northeast · Out-and-Back / Loop

Harrisburg Marathon

Harrisburg, PA · Sunday, November 8, 2026

Runs along Riverfront Park and out to City Island, an island park in the Susquehanna River in the middle of Pennsylvania's capital. Very flat.

Riverfront Park and City Island route

  • Best for PR
  • Boston Qualifier
  • Scenic
Official site

Opens the race organizer's website

Typical start

40°

Cooler than 89% of U.S. marathons

Modeled historical conditions

Elevation gain

150ft

Flatter than 64% of races

Estimated total climb

Field size

800

Larger than 31% of races

Estimated field

PR potential

9.3/10

Top 25%

Almanac model

Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.

Course profile

150 ft gain · 0 ft net

Flat course, out-and-back / loop.

0510152026.2
Schematic profile drawn from total gain, total loss and course category, on a shared vertical scale of 200 ft. Not a surveyed GPS trace.

Race-day weather

Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.

6 AM

32°

Start

40°

Midday

51°

ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk

Typical start sits at 40°F, excellent marathon conditions.

Typical dew point 33°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.

Harrisburg Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Harrisburg offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is atmosphere: expect long quiet stretches and few spectators.

Why runners choose this race

A out-and-back course around Harrisburg, PA, with very little meaningful elevation change.

The case for it

  • PR attempts
  • Boston qualification
  • Runners who care about scenery
  • Runners who want a low-key start

The tradeoffs

  • You want crowds and on-course energy

Course and logistics

Course type
Out-and-Back / Loop
Surface
Road
Profile
Flat
Total gain
150 ft(estimated)
Total loss
150 ft(estimated)
Net elevation
0 ft(estimated)
Field size
~800 runners(estimated)
Crowd support
Quiet, low-key
Entry
Data coming soon
Start / finish
Start and finish in the same area

Race details

Typical timing
Mid-November
Next confirmed date
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Region
Northeast
Editorial tier
Featured
Data last reviewed
2026-08-26
  • Best for PR
  • Boston Qualifier
  • Scenic
  • Out-and-back
  • Loop course
  • Flat course
  • Destination race

Similar races

Races with a comparable profile.

Mid-October · Northeast

Atlantic City Marathon

Atlantic City, NJ

Weather
51°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
~1,000 runners
Course
Flat
Elevation
50 ft gain

8+ miles on the ocean Boardwalk

PR9Weather9Experience7

Late September · Northeast

Baystate Marathon

Lowell, MA

Weather
56°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
~1,500 runners
Course
Flat
Elevation
200 ft gain · 0 ft net

Event listed as: Marathon

PR9Weather8Experience7