The course
Out-and-back. Lakeside. Certified.
Both races start and finish at the Madison Barracks Polo Field on Pike Rd, on Lake Ontario's Black River Bay. The course heads out through the village, down Main St, and onto quiet, rolling country roads. The half turns at mile 6.55; the full continues to 13.1. On the way home the route eases downhill, goes along the water, then runs flat through the village on Washington and Broad to the finish at the Polo Field. Rolling early, gentle late.
- ~570 ft
- of gain (full)
- 246–470
- ft elevation range
- 6 hrs
- time limit (≈13:45/mi)
- Paved
- marked & marshaled
The real thing
The course, mile by mile
Zoomable marathon and half views, every aid station and toilet, the elevation profile, spectator spots with directions, parking and packet pickup.
Open the interactive map ↗
Watch it first
See the course before you run it
First-timers, this is your homework. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.
5:41 Full Marathon course preview
Every mile of the 26.2, start to finish.
Plays from YouTube
3:26 Half Marathon course preview
The 13.1 out to the turnaround and home.
Plays from YouTube
3:24 Drone flyover of race morning
The start area, the village and Lake Ontario from above.
Plays from YouTube
The one rule
⬅️ Run LEFT.
It's an out-and-back, so there's two-way runner traffic most of the morning. Stay to your left, especially near the turnarounds. We've worked with local authorities to minimize traffic, but a few local vehicles may appear, so stay alert.
Half turnaround (mile 6.55): stay left, loop around the sign, head home.
Marathoners: stay left and keep going; your turn is at 13.1. Turning at the half turnaround as a full registrant is a DQ, not a half finish. Rules of competition
Support
Aid every ~1.5 miles, a toilet at every single one
Water and lemon-lime Gatorade at every station. Bring your own gels; drop trash at stations or mile markers. Every station is run by a local team competing for your post-race vote: the Water Station Contest.
🍌 Bananas at mile 6 for everyone, again at mile 7 on the way back for the half, and at miles 8, 13.1, 18.5 and 20 for marathoners.
🍊 Orange slices at the half marathon turnaround: everybody passes it at mile 6.5, and marathoners get a second pass at 19.5 on the way home.
Half Marathon
8 aid stations, plus the turnaround
Marathon
17 aid stations, plus the turnaround both ways
It counts
Both courses are USATF certified.
Both were measured by Don Hughes, who has certified over 100 courses in 18 years. Certification is what makes a time count. The marathon's certificate is what makes it a Boston qualifier. The half's counts for records and rankings; Boston only takes marathon times.
Marathon certificate
NY23021DNB · counts for Boston ↗
Half certificate
NY23020DNB · records and rankings ↗
Chasing a course record? There's a $100 bonus in it for you: see the records you'd be breaking.
Boston qualifier
Running for a BQ?
56 runners qualified for Boston here in 2026. Work out your standard, see why the course suits a BQ attempt and when a time here counts.
Boston qualifier page