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The 10 Best Spring Marathons in 2023

Updated: Feb 4, 2023



Now that the holiday season is over, it’s time for runners to turn their attention to something just as important (if not more!)...picking a spring marathon! There are many options for your spring race, but these 10 are the best spring marathons in the United States. To keep things simple, I’m defining a “Spring Marathon” as one that occurs between early April and early June. The early spring represents some of the most ideal running conditions. Two of the races listed below fall just outside of this window, but they are close enough and definitely great events. I’ll exclude the Boston Marathon as runners need a qualifying time and those “Roll Down the Hill” REVEL races didn’t make the cut either. Without further ado, here are the ‘10 Best Spring Marathons of 2023’.


Boasting over 11,000 finishers in 2022 and an average overnight low temperature of 52 degrees, this point-to-point marathon starts at Dodger Stadium and sends runners east toward Santa Monica. There’s a turnaround at Mile 22 to a Finish Line on the Avenue of the Stars. The race features entertainment along the course as runners make their way through many of LA’s most famous and diverse areas.
Course: Point-to-Point
Elevation: Net Downhill
Course Nutrition: GU and Eletrolit Hydration

The GO! St. Louis Marathon is another point-to-point course that starts in Forest
Park and ends near the famous Gateway Arch. With a net downhill profile, runners are
primed for fast times. April temperatures in the St. Louis area hover in the 40’s, which
can create some ideal running conditions.
Course: Point-to-Point
Elevation: Net Downhill
Course Nutrition: Gatorade Endurance

This marathon is designed with one goal in mind: helping runners grab a BQ. The unique course features 8 fast and flat loops around the Fox River and has an individual water bottle station on the course in addition to the typical aid stations. Everyone is treated like a professional so the field size is capped at only 300 runners.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Flat
Course Nutrition: Clif Shot and Gatorade

Ideal weather conditions will greet runners in Olathe, Kansas for this looped, rolling course. The race starts at the Garmin World Headquarters with top finishers receiving Garmin watches as a prize (imagine that?). For the rest of us, this well-established race has all of the course amenities you'd expect from a smaller marathon.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Hilly
Course Nutrition: GU Gels and Gatorade

The Glass City Marathon takes place in Toledo, Ohio, and is generally regarded as one
of the fastest marathons in the United States. Featuring a relatively flat course that
traverses paved roads and trails, a field of 2,500 runners will loop through
neighborhoods and parks finishing inside Glass City Stadium.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Flat
Course Nutrition: Honey Stinger Gels/Chews and Gatorade

This smaller race may not be on everyone’s bucket list, but the double-looped course along Lake Michigan’s shoreline makes for a scenic and generally flat marathon. The course heads through neighborhoods and downtown areas before heading for an out-and-back on some quiet country roads and trails. There is a bit of gravel in this section, but the area is pancake flat and offers a nice break from the concrete.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Mostly Flat with a few small hills
Course Nutrition: Clif Shots and Gatorade

The Flying Pig Marathon is one of few races that takes runners through two states. The course starts and finishes in Cincinnati, Ohio, but also takes runners on a brief tour of Covington, Kentucky. While not the flattest course in the country, there is a steady downhill elevation profile for the entire second half of the race. With over 2,500 finishers in 2022, The Flying Pig Marathon is a mid-sized race with all of the amenities of the larger events.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Hilly first half; downhill second half
Course Nutrition: GU gels and Gatorade Endurance

The looped course winds its way through many of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods while
traversing three bridges and running past the stadiums for both the Steelers and
Pirates. The Pittsburgh Marathon is another mid-sized race with over 2,600 finishers in
2022. Race organizers point to the estimated 300,000 spectators as a major reason that
this race should be on every runner’s calendar for 2023.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Hilly
Course Nutrition: Honey Stinger Gels, salty snacks, and Nuun

Near-perfect temperatures typically greet runners in Green Bay for this marathon. With
overnight lows of around 45 degrees and a relatively flat course, runners loop through
the streets of historic Green Bay before making a final Loop inside Lambeau
Field before finishing just outside the iconic stadium.
Course: Looped
Elevation: Flat
Course Nutrition: Gatorade Endurance

No race in the country has seen its popularity grow more in recent years
than Grandma’s Marathon. This fast and flat point-to-point course has drawn
professional runners such as course record holder Kellyn Taylor and top Boston
marathon finisher CJ Albertson. Perfect weather conditions in 2022 produced some
of the fastest finishing times in event history. If this is your choice for a spring
marathon, be sure to register soon as it will invariably sell out.
Course: Point-to-point
Elevation: Flat
Course Nutrition: Gels and Powerade

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1 Comment


Richard
Richard
Nov 24, 2023

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