Erie Marathon at Presque Isle
Two loops of a lake-hugging peninsula where the biggest obstacle is the September heat. Minimal elevation, mile-by-mile aid stations, and a field chasing Boston qualifying times make Erie one of the most focused PR venues in the Northeast.
The course.
Race-day weather.
Mid-September on Presque Isle is typically cool and breezy, with race-morning lows in the mid-50s and highs near 72°F. Lake Erie keeps temperatures moderate but generates the course's biggest variable: the wind off the lake, which usually picks up after sunrise and can be a factor on the second loop.
Entry.
Open registration. The field cap is small (around 1,200 across all distances) and sells out months before race day. Registration typically opens the prior November.
Register on race siteLogistics.
ERI, 5 mi from the start.
From the community.
Race history.
Founded in 1996 as a low-key local race, Erie quietly built its reputation through the 2000s as word spread about the BQ rates. The current field cap was set deliberately small to preserve the on-course experience. The race is run by volunteers; the elevation profile chart is famously a flat line.
First run in 1996. Roughly 700 finishers in a recent edition.