All marathons

Early October · Northeast · Out-and-Back

Maine Marathon

Portland, ME · Sunday, October 4, 2026

Casco Bay coastal vistas

  • Scenic
Official site

Opens the race organizer's website

Typical start

45°

Cooler than 69% of U.S. marathons

Modeled historical conditions

Elevation gain

600ft

Flatter than 23% of races

Estimated total climb

Field size

1K

Larger than 44% 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

600 ft gain

Rolling course, out-and-back.

0510152026.2
Schematic profile drawn from total gain, total loss and course category, on a shared vertical scale of 400 ft. Not a surveyed GPS trace.

Race-day weather

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

6 AM

37°

Start

45°

Midday

56°

ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk

Typical start sits at 45°F, excellent marathon conditions.

Typical dew point 38°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.

The bottom line

A small race that trades atmosphere for room to run.

Maine 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 out-and-back course around Portland, ME, with steady rollers that reward even pacing.

The case for it

  • Runners who care about scenery
  • Runners who want a low-key start

The tradeoffs

  • No notable warnings in the data.

Course and logistics

Course type
Out-and-Back
Surface
Road
Profile
Rolling
Total gain
600 ft(estimated)
Field size
~1,000 runners(estimated)
Crowd support
Pockets of spectators
Entry
Data coming soon
Start / finish
Start and finish in the same area

Race details

Typical timing
Early October
Next confirmed date
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Region
Northeast
Editorial tier
Featured
Data last reviewed
2026-08-26
  • Scenic
  • Out-and-back
  • Destination race

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Races with a comparable profile.

Mid-October · Northeast

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Weather
48°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
~2,000 runners
Course
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Elevation
450 ft gain

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Mid-October · Northeast

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Weather
48°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
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Course
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Elevation
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Late October · Northeast

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Weather
48°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
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Course
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Elevation
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