Marquette Marathon

Registration is open to all runners and stays open through the day before the race. You'll get the best price by signing up between January and March, with prices increasing for later registration periods. You can register through the University Tickets platform.

Yes, the course is USATF certified and qualifies for Boston. Roughly one in five finishers runs a Boston-qualifying time, which reflects how much the net downhill profile genuinely helps.

The course is a net downhill point-to-point, dropping around 800 feet from the start in Ishpeming to the finish in Marquette. Most of the descent comes in the first half, so the back half is considerably flatter. Total climbing is modest at just over 350 feet.

Early September in Marquette typically brings cool mornings in the low 50s and afternoon highs around the mid-60s. Conditions are generally favorable for fast running, though wind off Lake Superior can be a factor in the later miles.

The Marquette Marathon is a smaller race with roughly 400-450 finishers in recent years. It has a low-key, community feel compared to larger city marathons.

The time limit is 6 hours.

The race starts in Ishpeming, about 15 miles from Marquette. Runners stay in Marquette and take an organized shuttle to the start on race morning. The finish is near the Northern Michigan University campus in downtown Marquette. The nearest airport is Sawyer International (MQT), about 21 miles from Ishpeming.