- Weather
- 52°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 100 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience6
Early November · West Coast · Loop
Two Cities Marathon
Fresno, CA · Sunday, November 1, 2026
Event listed as: Full Marathon
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
Registration opens on the organizer's site
Typical start
52°
Cooler than 29% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
200ft
Flatter than 54% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
1K
Larger than 44% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
9.4/10
Top 11%
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
200 ft gain · 0 ft net
Flat course, loop.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
44°
Start
52°
Midday
59°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 52°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 30°F, 6% 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.
Two Cities Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Fresno offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is atmosphere: expect long quiet stretches and few spectators.
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around Fresno, CA, with very little meaningful elevation change.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- Runners who want a low-key start
The tradeoffs
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat
- Total gain
- 200 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 200 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- 0 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~1,000 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Pockets of spectators
- Entry
- Easy
- Entry fee
- $99(most recent listed price)
- Day of week
- Sunday
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Early November
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Registration
- Open now
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Recommended
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Loop course
- Flat course
- Easy entry
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 53°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 150 ft gain
Coastal Pacific Coast Highway ocean run
PR9Weather9Experience8
- Weather
- 50°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~500 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 120 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience6