- 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
Late September · West Coast · Out-and-Back
Kenai River Marathon
Soldotna, AK · Sunday, September 27, 2026
An out-and-back along the Kenai River on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a region built around salmon fishing, timed for fall foliage season.
Fall foliage and wildlife along Kenai River
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
25°
Cooler than 99% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
250ft
Flatter than 48% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
300
Larger than 0% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
7.9/10
Ahead of 41% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
250 ft gain
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
17°
Start
25°
Midday
32°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 25°F, warm for racing.
Typical dew point 13°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.
Kenai River Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Soldotna 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 Soldotna, AK, with gentle rollers but no sustained climbing.
The case for it
- 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
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat to rolling
- Total gain
- 250 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~300 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Quiet, low-key
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Late September
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Scenic
- Out-and-back
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- 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
- Weather
- 51°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners
- Course
- Flat to rolling
- Elevation
- 250 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Avenue of the Giants Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience8