- Weather
- 54°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~3,500-4,000 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 900 ft gain
Crosses 3 rivers via iconic yellow bridges
PR5Weather9Experience9
Mid-October · Northeast · Point-to-Point
Mount Desert Island (MDI) Marathon
Bar Harbor, ME · Sunday, October 18, 2026
Acadia National Park; prime fall foliage
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
44°
Cooler than 72% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
1,200ft
Flatter than 5% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
1.2K
Larger than 54% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
5.1/10
Ahead of 13% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
1,200 ft gain
Hilly course, point-to-point.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
36°
Start
44°
Midday
54°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 44°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 37°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
This one is about the day, not the clock.
Mount Desert Island (MDI) Marathon is a strong choice for runners who like a course with real character, and the climbing is the point here. The tradeoff is time: race it hard early and the hills will collect later.
Why runners choose this race
A point-to-point course around Bar Harbor, ME, with real climbing that will cost you time if you race it hard early.
The case for it
- Runners who care about scenery
The tradeoffs
- You are chasing a flat-course PR
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Point-to-Point
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Hilly
- Total gain
- 1,200 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Pockets of spectators
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in different locations
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-October
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Region
- Northeast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Scenic
- Point-to-point
- Hilly course
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 57°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,400 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Marathon: Sunday, June 13, 2027
PR5Weather8Experience7
- Weather
- 35°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~600 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 900 ft gain
New Hampshire mill town and Merrimack River
PR5Weather8Experience7