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Marathon Details - Harrisburg Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > PA > Harrisburg > Harrisburg Marathon

Harrisburg Marathon

Enders Harrisburg Marathon & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay

Harrisburg, PA USA

November 10, 2024

http://www.hbgyrun.org

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Race Details

Fast, flat with rolling hills at the 16-17 mile marks. USAF course certified (PA 07023 WB).

Contact Information

Name:	Andy Wahila
Address:	Harrisburg Marathon East Shore YMCA 701 N.Front Street Harrisburg, Pa 17101
Phone Number:	717-232-9622
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (177)

Course 4.3

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.7

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Number of comments: 177 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 18 > ]

A. S. from Pennsylvania (PA) (12/10/2023) "Great smaller marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a very nice smaller marathon. The logistics were super easy. It was simple to get to, there was plenty of parking near the start, and enough port-o-johns. Overall the course was flat and scenic, with not too many spectators but enough to keep it interesting. I was a little concerned about a double loop course and being at like mile 10 thinking how I'd be back in a couple of hours and then just hoping to hang on. Also worried that running right past my car at mile 13 would be easy to bail out if not feeling it. But turned out to be a non-issue. What really impressed me the number of volunteers and how good they were. There are quite a few turns and turnarounds but there were marshals at all of them so it would be near impossible to stray off course. The aid stations were also top notch, including 8oz water bottles which I really liked as I could get them and drink without stopping or spilling half all down my front. Highly recommended, it's a good one for a PR or BQ attempt.
S. B. from New Jersey (11/27/2022) "Enjoyable small marathon" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very nice small marathon. Course goes along the river and is primarily flat and quite scenic. There is not tons of fan support but definitely enough to keep you going. We stayed at an airbnb in town and were able to basically roll out of bed and walk to the race. Would definitely run this again.
B. B. from Pittsburgh,Pa (5/3/2022) "Solid small race" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 For the second year, Harrisburg's was a double loop that was flat and pretty scenic. The race starts on City Island with plenty of free parking steps from the start/ finish. Plenty of support and nice swag including a hoodie. Really solid organization. We stayed in Gettysburg and enjoyed Tattered Flag Brewery after the race.
c. g. from Pennsylvania (11/11/2020) "great job adjusting" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Tom, crew and volunteers. I just want to say thank you for making this happen. you are the gold standard in my opinion and putting on an in person marathon in these times meant a lot to me and I am sure many others. Thank you again!
R. G. from PA (11/13/2019) "Wow! Great job!" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had not run this race in many years, so I was curious to see how it has evolved. The 2019 race definitely gets an 'A' grade. Course: The race looks like a mess when you view it online due to a multitude of turns on the first half. However, the turns were well staffed and I only had a few minor instances of uncertainty as to where to go. I actually found all of the turns made the first half go by faster. The second half is straighter and fast. The part I didn't like and found mentally challenging was coming up from the river walk at the end and then briefly heading in the opposite direction of the finish line. Despite the turns, it's a fair, flat course with good negative split potential. Organization: Pretty much text book. Easy logistics, good pre-race details, interesting swag (cotton hoodie), sufficient number of well manned water stops, gels offered, on time start, bag check, nice medal and awards, marked and manned course, and an area to stay warm pre-race. Congrats and thanks to the organizers, volunteers and the city of Harrisburg for doing such a good job. Spectators: This is a modestly sized race, so you should not expect a great many spectators. However, the course lends itself to having multiple good cheer sections. Overall, I enjoyed this race and my weekend in Harrisburg. This race is a great alternative to the Philadelphia Marathon if the smaller, logistically easy experience is more your thing. Given the time of year and flat course, PR potential is there.
Brandon W. from Wilmington, Delaware (11/12/2019) "Fun Small-Sized Marathon in a Great City" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran Harrisburg Marathon in November 2019 as a fun fall marathon. Harrisburg is a great city that isn't overwhelmingly large with plenty of restaurants and trails/paths downtown. I stayed at the Harrisburg Hilton on 2nd Street which is one block from the finish line and about a 10 min. walk across the Market St. bridge to the starting area on City Island. There is plenty of free race-day parking on City Island if you do need to drive to the start though. The weather was perfect with zero wind, a starting temp. of 36 degrees and a finishing temp of about 50 degrees. The expo is very very small (one conference room in a hotel) which was kind of nice because you were in and out quick and there were plenty of friendly race staff there to answer questions or go over the course map. Best part is you get a sweet hoodie rather than just a t-shirt! The race is rather small with only about 650 marathon runners (plus those that did the walking division and the relay). The starting area had a warehouse with race-day packet pickup and a huge heater to stay warm. The race started at the foot of the Market St. bridge and with the small size of the race, I found myself with plenty of room to just walk right up and start. The course does have a lot of turns especially in the first 10 miles. You cross several bridges in the first 10 miles, run on some hard rock-packed trails, and do a cool loop around the Harrisburg Senators baseball stadium on City Island at mile 9. After mile 10, it is a long straight (mostly) out and back on the path along the Susquehanna River. Very scenic and flat to run on. You do meander through some residential neighborhoods from about mile 14-15 before continuing the out and back which turns back around mile 18. There is a quick incline up from the path along the river back up to street level at mile 25.5 which is pretty mentally tiring. The finish is exciting with a quick left then right turn onto 2nd street which is lined on both sides with crowds cheering. At the finish you get your finisher medal, a heat sheet, and a bagged lunch. There was a gluten-free option, turkey or ham and cheese sandwich, and Mac and Cheese (I believe food was from Panera Bread). Overall, a great small fall marathon that should have pretty close to perfect weather, is fast and flat and great for a PR or BQ, and is very well organized and scenic. Harrisburg is a great city that I would even consider going to visit again on a weekend trip. Highly recommend Harrisburg Marathon!
cory golden from Pennsylvania (11/11/2019) "Flat, well organized, scenic" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Good course to PR on. I have twice, the course loops keep you occupied and not bored, well organized, friendly. Ill be back next year for my 3rd!
C. C. from PA (12/1/2018) "Nice November Marathon" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've run Harrisburg once previously (my old home-town). I largely like the new course as it removes the lonely industrial park and difficult, untimely hills in Wildwood Park. Still could be improved especially in the last mile with the awkward serpentine before you finally get on 2nd street for only about 200M to the finish. A longer finish on 2nd would be much more enjoyable for fans and tired runners longing to see the finish. Expect the construction in the neighborhood will be fixed-up by next year. No big complaints since I BQd and was within my target time. Weather was good. Pick-Up and tiny expo was easy and the start on the island was nice. Easy parking and plenty of areas to warm-up or stay warm. A fair number of pace groups -- surprising but nice for a smaller marathon. Overall, a really nice, November marathon
S. B. from NYC (11/17/2018) "Flat course could that use some road work." (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pros: I signed up for this race a week before and booked a hotel 3 blocks from the finish all for less than $225. Number pickup was easy and fast. The weather was perfect (sunny, upper 30s-low 40s, very little wind). Majority of the course was out and back on a flat, fast road that was closed to traffic. There were people to run with (I had company most of the race and I ran under 2:55). Finally, unlike Steamtown or Pocono there were no big hills in the late stages of the race, aside from the steep little climb up from the river in the last mile. Cons: The footing for several sections is iffy. Specifically along the water where you really need to be careful not to step between sidewalk slabs. There is also a mile or so on a gravel trail before the 10k mark and sections of very bad road before mile 15 and mile 22 (this also happened to be where there were water stops). Also, there were far too many really tight turns for a race run in a city. On the way back after the turnaround you have to watch for runners running toward you and volunteers at water stations (which go in both directions???) looking the wrong way. Also, many of the volunteers were seemingly HS kids who held onto the cups with a deathgrip. The fans that were out were supportive, but don't expect a big-city race atmosphere with people cheering all the way. There is also a relay run at the same time. This is a gimmick that simply needs to go away. There were arrow signs on the course for relay runners that confused individual runners (mile 22 specifically). Yes, I would run this race again, although I'd like to see some improvements to the roadways.
K. W. from Ohio (11/16/2018) "GREAT race! Will be back!" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great marathon - one of the most scenic I have run so far (minus Boston). The spectators were outstanding and the race organization was well thought out. I will definitely be back to run this race again. The hoodie, post race food, aid stations, and overall experience were top notch. I thoroughly enjoyed this race experience and course. A few cons: Least favorite part was running on a gravel trail for about a mile-1.5 on the south side of course. The gravel was uneven and made for a bit lopsided landing. It was early enough in the race to not feel terrible, but you wonder what it may do to hips and ankles later in the race. The Radisson Hotel was one of the worst hotel stays I've had. While it was close to the race start and where the race expo was held, it was otherwise awful. They offered no breakfast, not even orange juice before the race and though they said all runners had a 3:00pm checkout, all the room keys were reset and we were locked out once we got back to the hotel. 20+ cold, sweaty, tired runners standing in line trying to get room keys re-keyed was a bit annoying after they advertised there was a late checkout. I will definitely stay at a different hotel next time.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 18 > ]



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A. S. from Pennsylvania (PA) (12/10/2023) "Great smaller marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a very nice smaller marathon. The logistics were super easy. It was simple to get to, there was plenty of parking near the start, and enough port-o-johns. Overall the course was flat and scenic, with not too many spectators but enough to keep it interesting. I was a little concerned about a double loop course and being at like mile 10 thinking how I'd be back in a couple of hours and then just hoping to hang on. Also worried that running right past my car at mile 13 would be easy to bail out if not feeling it. But turned out to be a non-issue. What really impressed me the number of volunteers and how good they were. There are quite a few turns and turnarounds but there were marshals at all of them so it would be near impossible to stray off course. The aid stations were also top notch, including 8oz water bottles which I really liked as I could get them and drink without stopping or spilling half all down my front. Highly recommended, it's a good one for a PR or BQ attempt.
S. B. from New Jersey (11/27/2022) "Enjoyable small marathon" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very nice small marathon. Course goes along the river and is primarily flat and quite scenic. There is not tons of fan support but definitely enough to keep you going. We stayed at an airbnb in town and were able to basically roll out of bed and walk to the race. Would definitely run this again.
B. B. from Pittsburgh,Pa (5/3/2022) "Solid small race" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 For the second year, Harrisburg's was a double loop that was flat and pretty scenic. The race starts on City Island with plenty of free parking steps from the start/ finish. Plenty of support and nice swag including a hoodie. Really solid organization. We stayed in Gettysburg and enjoyed Tattered Flag Brewery after the race.
c. g. from Pennsylvania (11/11/2020) "great job adjusting" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Tom, crew and volunteers. I just want to say thank you for making this happen. you are the gold standard in my opinion and putting on an in person marathon in these times meant a lot to me and I am sure many others. Thank you again!
R. G. from PA (11/13/2019) "Wow! Great job!" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had not run this race in many years, so I was curious to see how it has evolved. The 2019 race definitely gets an 'A' grade. Course: The race looks like a mess when you view it online due to a multitude of turns on the first half. However, the turns were well staffed and I only had a few minor instances of uncertainty as to where to go. I actually found all of the turns made the first half go by faster. The second half is straighter and fast. The part I didn't like and found mentally challenging was coming up from the river walk at the end and then briefly heading in the opposite direction of the finish line. Despite the turns, it's a fair, flat course with good negative split potential. Organization: Pretty much text book. Easy logistics, good pre-race details, interesting swag (cotton hoodie), sufficient number of well manned water stops, gels offered, on time start, bag check, nice medal and awards, marked and manned course, and an area to stay warm pre-race. Congrats and thanks to the organizers, volunteers and the city of Harrisburg for doing such a good job. Spectators: This is a modestly sized race, so you should not expect a great many spectators. However, the course lends itself to having multiple good cheer sections. Overall, I enjoyed this race and my weekend in Harrisburg. This race is a great alternative to the Philadelphia Marathon if the smaller, logistically easy experience is more your thing. Given the time of year and flat course, PR potential is there.
Brandon W. from Wilmington, Delaware (11/12/2019) "Fun Small-Sized Marathon in a Great City" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran Harrisburg Marathon in November 2019 as a fun fall marathon. Harrisburg is a great city that isn't overwhelmingly large with plenty of restaurants and trails/paths downtown. I stayed at the Harrisburg Hilton on 2nd Street which is one block from the finish line and about a 10 min. walk across the Market St. bridge to the starting area on City Island. There is plenty of free race-day parking on City Island if you do need to drive to the start though. The weather was perfect with zero wind, a starting temp. of 36 degrees and a finishing temp of about 50 degrees. The expo is very very small (one conference room in a hotel) which was kind of nice because you were in and out quick and there were plenty of friendly race staff there to answer questions or go over the course map. Best part is you get a sweet hoodie rather than just a t-shirt! The race is rather small with only about 650 marathon runners (plus those that did the walking division and the relay). The starting area had a warehouse with race-day packet pickup and a huge heater to stay warm. The race started at the foot of the Market St. bridge and with the small size of the race, I found myself with plenty of room to just walk right up and start. The course does have a lot of turns especially in the first 10 miles. You cross several bridges in the first 10 miles, run on some hard rock-packed trails, and do a cool loop around the Harrisburg Senators baseball stadium on City Island at mile 9. After mile 10, it is a long straight (mostly) out and back on the path along the Susquehanna River. Very scenic and flat to run on. You do meander through some residential neighborhoods from about mile 14-15 before continuing the out and back which turns back around mile 18. There is a quick incline up from the path along the river back up to street level at mile 25.5 which is pretty mentally tiring. The finish is exciting with a quick left then right turn onto 2nd street which is lined on both sides with crowds cheering. At the finish you get your finisher medal, a heat sheet, and a bagged lunch. There was a gluten-free option, turkey or ham and cheese sandwich, and Mac and Cheese (I believe food was from Panera Bread). Overall, a great small fall marathon that should have pretty close to perfect weather, is fast and flat and great for a PR or BQ, and is very well organized and scenic. Harrisburg is a great city that I would even consider going to visit again on a weekend trip. Highly recommend Harrisburg Marathon!
cory golden from Pennsylvania (11/11/2019) "Flat, well organized, scenic" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Good course to PR on. I have twice, the course loops keep you occupied and not bored, well organized, friendly. Ill be back next year for my 3rd!
C. C. from PA (12/1/2018) "Nice November Marathon" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've run Harrisburg once previously (my old home-town). I largely like the new course as it removes the lonely industrial park and difficult, untimely hills in Wildwood Park. Still could be improved especially in the last mile with the awkward serpentine before you finally get on 2nd street for only about 200M to the finish. A longer finish on 2nd would be much more enjoyable for fans and tired runners longing to see the finish. Expect the construction in the neighborhood will be fixed-up by next year. No big complaints since I BQd and was within my target time. Weather was good. Pick-Up and tiny expo was easy and the start on the island was nice. Easy parking and plenty of areas to warm-up or stay warm. A fair number of pace groups -- surprising but nice for a smaller marathon. Overall, a really nice, November marathon
S. B. from NYC (11/17/2018) "Flat course could that use some road work." (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pros: I signed up for this race a week before and booked a hotel 3 blocks from the finish all for less than $225. Number pickup was easy and fast. The weather was perfect (sunny, upper 30s-low 40s, very little wind). Majority of the course was out and back on a flat, fast road that was closed to traffic. There were people to run with (I had company most of the race and I ran under 2:55). Finally, unlike Steamtown or Pocono there were no big hills in the late stages of the race, aside from the steep little climb up from the river in the last mile. Cons: The footing for several sections is iffy. Specifically along the water where you really need to be careful not to step between sidewalk slabs. There is also a mile or so on a gravel trail before the 10k mark and sections of very bad road before mile 15 and mile 22 (this also happened to be where there were water stops). Also, there were far too many really tight turns for a race run in a city. On the way back after the turnaround you have to watch for runners running toward you and volunteers at water stations (which go in both directions???) looking the wrong way. Also, many of the volunteers were seemingly HS kids who held onto the cups with a deathgrip. The fans that were out were supportive, but don't expect a big-city race atmosphere with people cheering all the way. There is also a relay run at the same time. This is a gimmick that simply needs to go away. There were arrow signs on the course for relay runners that confused individual runners (mile 22 specifically). Yes, I would run this race again, although I'd like to see some improvements to the roadways.
K. W. from Ohio (11/16/2018) "GREAT race! Will be back!" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great marathon - one of the most scenic I have run so far (minus Boston). The spectators were outstanding and the race organization was well thought out. I will definitely be back to run this race again. The hoodie, post race food, aid stations, and overall experience were top notch. I thoroughly enjoyed this race experience and course. A few cons: Least favorite part was running on a gravel trail for about a mile-1.5 on the south side of course. The gravel was uneven and made for a bit lopsided landing. It was early enough in the race to not feel terrible, but you wonder what it may do to hips and ankles later in the race. The Radisson Hotel was one of the worst hotel stays I've had. While it was close to the race start and where the race expo was held, it was otherwise awful. They offered no breakfast, not even orange juice before the race and though they said all runners had a 3:00pm checkout, all the room keys were reset and we were locked out once we got back to the hotel. 20+ cold, sweaty, tired runners standing in line trying to get room keys re-keyed was a bit annoying after they advertised there was a late checkout. I will definitely stay at a different hotel next time.

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Marathon Details - Harrisburg Marathon