The Louisiana Marathon - Race Reviews

Louisiana Marathon is a well organized event. This is a medium sized marathon with over a thousand full marathon runners and a couple thousand half marathon runners. The start line and finish line are at the same location in state capitol park. There are plenty of parking not far from the start/finish area. There was no clear start wave. With the full marathon and half marathon started together, it made the first mile running congested. The full marathon and the half marathon share the same route going through LSU tiger stadium and around University lake. The full marathon goes out to cover the other half at the east side of the city with majority of a back and forth route. A portion of the full marathon route was on a street with tree at the center of the route. The tree roots made the road surface very bumpy. We were very lucky to have a good weather for 2025 run. The temperature was about 40~50 degrees all day. The day before was a warm day with temperature 70 degrees around noon time. The day after was a cold day with temperature below freeze and snowy day after. There were good services before, during, and after the run. There were a few flavored free coffee in the morning before the run. There were plenty of aid stations along the way. The intervals were less than 2 miles apart. Quite a few of the aid stations had GU energy gels supply. The volunteers were very helpful. They did a great job in the cold windy weather, specially think about they constantly get their hand wet. I thank the lady at the gear check station who help me put up my hoody after I finished the run. There were variety of drink and food after the run. The capitol park has plenty space to allow the finishers with their friends and family member to sit around. There was a live musical at the finish area. We got our free photo a couple of days after. That's another plus. Many spectators cheer at the finish area. Along the way, there are many families sitting outside of their house cheering the runner in the windy chill cold weather. Baton Rouge is the state capitol of Louisiana. It is also a college town for LSU. It is not far from New Orleans. There are plenty to do there for anyone travel from outside of the area.

I'm on the quest for 50 states. Picked this one for my LA race and would not hesitate to do it again. It had the organization and feel of a larger race. Logistics were easy. Course was interesting and just enough turns to keep things fresh. Very flat with only 2 hills (up and down the overpass) to speak of. Great spectators and aid stations. A little kid gave me some mardi gras beads around mile 20 and it was a huge boost.

Gorgeous course, easy logistics, incredible crowd support which made it so fun, and outstanding post race party with plenty of food, drinks, and music. Great experience - highly recommend!

This was a solid race overall. The course was pretty flat until the onramp at mile 25. The organization of the event and the amount of aid stations were excellent. There were a lot of spectators as well. This race would rank in the top 10 of the marathons I've completed. This was marathon #23 and state #22 for me.

I've run marathons all over the country, and I found this one to be pretty great. The course was mostly flat, the organization was perfect, the weather was good, the water stations were frequent with helpful volunteers, and the swag was nice. There's not much more you could ask for. If I had to be picky and find some areas for improvement, I would suggest filling out the expo space with some more vendors, and I would point out there's a pretty tough bridge to climb around mile 25 which is always a bad spot for a tough hill. But neither of those two items are a big deal at all. If you're doing 50 states, make this your Louisiana Marathon.

These folks NAILED IT.!!!

Note that this race was run during the COVID pandemic. A HUGE hats-off to the organizers and city for allowing us to run...thank you!!! I'll keep my comments to the areas that aren't COVID-related, because hopefully by next year the race can be back to normal. The course is great. It starts and finishes at the capitol complex in downtown Baton Rouge. It's a beautiful area with plenty of green space to relax on after the race. The first part of the course runs through the LSU campus and University Lake, which are both really scenic and enjoyable to run by. After that it was mainly residential, but through some very nice and pretty neighborhoods. Plenty of water tables and plenty of port-o-cans. Organization is top notch. Corrals at the start were well run, and the execution on race day went without flaws. Also, the race provides free race photos! Spectators were few and far between, but with COVID that wasn't a big surprise. The ones that did make it out were very enthusiastic. Overall I think the Louisiana Marathon should be on everybody's list...you will not be disappointed you came. It's a great race, great course, a fun city to spend a long weekend in, and they really take good care of you.

By way of context, LSU beat Clemson to win the national championship earlier in the week and held a parade on their campus the Saturday of marathon weekend. So I laughed out loud when a spectator held a sign: If marathons were easy they'd be called Clemson. The course and organization is spectacular. There are not many spectators, especially as you run through LSU. The ones who were out were amongst the friendliest I've encountered in my marathons. They have turned the event into a reason to have a party. And they want you to partake. When I expressed an interest in the Jell-O shots at mile 16, a spectator ran alongside of me with one in each hand for the taking. While I did not partake, plenty of runners did. I only wish there were more such residents closer to the finish line. Not to despair, there is plenty at the finish line with which to celebrate.

Want a PR and/or BQ? This is the place for you! If you're like me and well past that speedy stuff in your running life, then this is also the place for you! Other than two hills for bridges, it's flat as can be and in 2019, cool temps made for quick times. A nice tour of the city, featuring downtown (with a finish at the incredible state capitol), lakes, LSU campus and some gorgeous neighborhoods. The course featured more water/gatorade stops than any marathon I can remember. Many of them offered energy gels and all had porta potties. And that doesn't count neighborhood spectators, where you could find any matter of fruit, cookies, king cake, gumbo and a variety of alcohol samplings. I think my total came to three beers, two mimosas and one incredibly strong sangria. Needless to say, I wasn't in that PR/BQ grouping. Organization was superb with frequent communication, including the unforeseen cancelation of some Saturday events due to a lightning storm. The post-race gathering was one of the best with samplings of local Cajun cuisine and brews, as well as a stage featuring some outstanding local musicians. So yes, I recommend this race. After 42 marathons, I'd put it in my top five.

The course is flat, the race is very well organized, and the water/power aid stops were plentiful. I just wish it wouldn't have been so damn cold at the beginning - but I'll take it over excessive heat any day. This was a great experience for my 50th marathon!

Someone is doing it right. It was hotter than donut grease this year and my time was awful but still walked away with such a good marathon experience. They had ice every mile after the half split which I'm sure was no easy feat. I've been to marathon's were there are a lot of people watching, but the people come out and are other level supportive. Calling your name, cheering the whole time. I probably passed 50 spreads on tables with various runner support goodies just from the neighbors. Course is so fast. Super pretty surroundings. Food is ridiculous. You get a band for 6 items. I don't understand how you could eat 6 items. Its legit things. Gumbo, Jambalaya, Crawfish mac and cheese. Best race shirt I've ever gotten for any race. Fairly tall and every race shirt is basically unwearable. This one is nice and fits great. Expo was smaller than expected for race this size. Gear you can by from the race organizers are nice. The city seems to make a big deal out of this. We stayed in downtown Hilton and walked easy to start. Just super friendly. Above and beyond. Can't say enough about the feel; the organizers attention to detail; the neighborhood support; free photos!; flat course; free post run massage/stretch; awesome post-race festivities/awards. I subconsciously will feel about a race in line with my performance; My performance was awful and still had such a great experience. Kudos to this race director and the volunteers, and community for getting this thing so top notch in such a short period of time.

Just got home. Super weekend. Very flat course (98% flat but not totally flat). Beautiful course (campus, lake, nice neighborhoods, downtown). For a medium sized race, the course support was very good. One of the best post-race parties ever. Things to fix next year....we came the the quarter marathon on Saturday to watch a family member. We all showed up hungry intending to buy an armband. If are not selling armbands on Saturday, be clear about that in the book. Also, access to the start corral was not ideal. There was no where to enter but the very back, so the fast runners had to wade through several thousand runners to get up toward the front. A few gates along the side would be appreciated. Finally....the water stops were frequent and appreciated, but about half were a bit unorganized. Most of the volunteers had both water and sports drink and you had to guess which hand. The first two or three stops had it right....water for the first two tables, powerade after that. But some of them did not get the memo. That is just constructive feedback and very minor improvements for next year to what is already my favorite race. I will be back next year

This race was amazing. The comments about the course are spot on - fairly scenic, very flat (except that one overpass at mile 1.5 & 24.5), and great crowd support. Course gives you the highlights of LSU and some beautiful old neighborhoods. The neighborhood sections had the potential to be really boring, but crowd support made all the difference. It especially commendable since it was only 38 at race start, yet tons of people came out to cheer. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza (one of the host hotels) and took advantage of the shuttle bus to/from the start. It worked out great and made for one less thing to have to worry about. Pre-race communication was excellent with regular status e-mails. Give some serious thought to splurging on the VIP package - separate bag drop, VIP recovery area with 3-4 massage therapists, free champagne & amazing food. Plus you still have your six stamps for the regular food vendors! Entertainment at the Finish Festival was superb.

Based on comments on the conditions of the roads in New Orleans, I decided to pass on the Rock and Roll marathon and go with the Louisiana Marathon. The expo was the average size for a mid-size race. Plenty of free parking at the nearby casino and an information desk with lots of helpful information about the area. I was able to park for free within a half mile of the start. The 1st half of the course spends a lot of time around LSU. It would have been nice if the mascot could make an appearance. The roads need some work and I saw a runner go down around mile 4 due to a pothole. There was very good support from the neighborhoods. The best part was the large selection of food and drink and after the race. There was a tent dedicated to vegan vendors. It would have been nice if you could get a shower at a local facility but not all races have this arrangement. I wouldn't come back specifically for this race but I would run again if I am in the area at race time.

Everything you've read about how good this marathon was is true. As an out of towner, I felt welcomed the moment I approached the Convention Center for packet pick up. Such a good small town feel to the area and event. Packet pick up was smooth. Race day weather was near perfect. I arrived at the back of the corral about 15 minutes before start, and was able to easily walk up to the 4:15 pacer before the crowd compressed toward the start/finish line. Great course, especially in and around LSU as well as the old neighborhoods. Small, but enthusiastic crowds. It's like the neighbors just needed a reason to get together on their lawns and have a party, and you are that reason. Official water stops seemed like they were nearly every mile in some stretches, with lots of unofficial water stops too. Thank you for the beer around Mile 23 ;-) The post race festival was the best I've ever experienced. Great vendors providing so much great food. Oh, and can't finish my comments without mentioning the Elvis sighting just after Mile 10, with Cadillac! So many good memories.

The Louisiana Marathon was a really nice race from start to finish. We had a great time at the expo. Parking was free in the parking garage attached to the convention center. Organizers placed the packets, shirts and bibs right at the entrance and separate from the vendors. I thought this was a nice touch and made things go smoothly. Tons of vendors and quality merchandise were available for purchase. Race morning was as effortless as I've experienced. Parking was again free and only a short walk from the start/finish line. So many port-a-potties available, there were no lines. No corrals, I do advise getting to the start early so you get line up at your preferred position. Course was flat and fast as advertise. Only hills were the bridge we went over at around 1.5 and then again around 24.5. The bridge was steep, but very short. Running through LSU Campus was gorgeous and the trip around the lakes were scenic. First half of the course was much more scenic than the second (as is often the case in marathons). Split from the half was early at around mile 10.5. From there the course went through neighborhoods. Nice finish as you make the final turn around 25.5 and run toward the capitol building for the last 3/4 miles or so. As much food and drink on the course as anyone could ask for. Fans were sparse, but some of the most enthusiastic spectators I have seen on a marathon route. The post race party was the best I have ever attended. Tons of delicious Cajun food options, beverages and live music. Medal and race shirt are solid. This race is a great choice to race Louisiana.

I really enjoyed this race. The course was very nice, particularly the first half that was in and around LSU and a small lake. The second half was mostly through neighborhoods but they were nice with shade trees, etc. It was quite flat, the only real elevation of any kind being an overpass at the beginning and the end. There was plenty of water on the course. I would have liked a Gu stop before halfway but since they provided a detailed course map ahead of time that wasn't a big deal - I just brought an extra one with me. My biggest criticism was the portajohns. The half marathon and full marathon run together until about mile 11 and while the two races were together the lines at the portajohns were way too long. They had them spaced out pretty well but there just weren't enough. It's a shame to miss a PR because of time spent waiting in a partajohn line, And on the marathon only section they ran out of TP in a few. Spectators were pretty sparse but traffic control was great and all other aspects of the organization were really good. Fabulous finish festival, and lots for kids to do. The only other suggestion I would have would be to add an information station at the Expo (which was also good). Overall, I would recommend this race.

I was blown away by this marathon. The organization was top notch the entire way through. The app was great, as it provided everything I needed to know and allowed my wife to track my progress. The course was beautiful, the water stops were plentiful, and the people in BR were so friendly. I can't tell you how many people were handing out king cake, champagne, etc... The medal was well done. The expo had so many vendors and goodies that it might be the best one I've ever attended. The food was incredible. The vendors provided great food, and the idea to give each runner a bracelet for six items was really smart. The only area for improvement is the start. It was pretty hard for people to get to the front if they were running for time. Also, the course was fairly crowded until the 10 mile mark when the half split off. Because of the number of runners, I would highly recommend a staggered start. You would really only need 3 or 4 different corrals to make it a little less crowded on the course.

I had a great experience in Baton Rouge, and thought the marathon was top-notch. There was a lot of communication before race weekend, there were hotels close to the start/finish line, and I thought the course was beautiful. I loved running through the LSU campus, gorgeous neighborhoods, and with friendly people on their lawns cheering us on. The crowds weren't large, but very friendly and happy to see us. Some of the college boys dressed up in costumes and climbed on their roofs which was hilarious. There were so many aid stations! The support on the course was terrific. I really loved the race t-shirt, too...made of bamboo fibers, soft and NO advertising on the back! The Finish Festival was fabulous...jambalaya, gumbo, good local beer, etc etc. The course is flat, but still interesting. I would highly recommend this race, and had a wonderful time. I have very few negative comments at all...but the starting corrals (or lack thereof) were a mess. Luckily everyone managed to find a spot, but it was pretty disorganized. My only other complaint was with the Hilton where I stayed. My room looked out onto a bar which played LOUD music well past midnight, so not much sleep for me. My suggestion: if you plan on staying downtown near the start line (which is very convenient), be sure to ask for a quiet room when you check in. I know some rooms looked out on the river, which would have been much better for the night before the race. All in all, a great time and a terrific marathon! Highly recommend!

A nearly flawless race. A good size expo with very nice race merchandise. Bib and shirt were at the start of the expo, so it wasn't necessary to wander the expo looking for them. Free parking both for the expo and race day. We were able to park a few hundred yards from the start/finish area. Lots of porta potties pre-race, I was able to use one just minutes before the race without waiting. Very nice flat course, especially through the first half. Highlights included going through the LSU campus and a long loop around a lake. Picturesque finish heading toward the capitol building. Many official water stops and more unofficial water stops than I have ever seen, thanks to all of the kind neighbors who supported the runners. The best post race celebration I have ever seen with beer, local cuisine, and no lines! Outstanding live music as well. Very nice cotton-like shirt, and a solid medal. My only complaint is that some of the water stations were congested as they were placed on narrow parts of the course. There were probably more stations than were needed, but maybe not on a warmer day. If you are visiting Baton Rouge, be sure to check out Tin Roof Brewing Co., they make an excellent IPA. Great race!

This was my second marathon and was such a well organized event! The expo was easy to get your bib and tee shirt at along with many wonderful local vendors. The event is the same weekend as the Houston Marathon which could be the reason for the lack of national vendors (Brooks, Mizuno, etc..) The course is fantastic! Couldn't have asked for a better day with the start in the mid-30's and high in the low 50's. You start at the capitol, Run next to LSU Tiger Stadium and around LSU lakes, and finish back at the capitol. When you get to the longer miles in the marathon you go into residential communities which do an amazing job of supporting you when you get into miles 16-24 of the race. With the event being young (5 years) it doesn't have the crowds a Twin Cities or Dam to Dam might have. Overall a wonderful event for anyone who has ran a few marathons or runs them 3-4 times a year! And of course cant miss the post race food!

Every part of this race, sign up, expo, race, and after part is extremely well organized. Every part went very smooth. There was tons of traffic control provide by Baton Rouge police. The after event part was excellent. They stayed late, had tons of food, and great live music. Crowd support was a little low, in my opinion, but that isn't why I run these events. A large section of the race is on the LSU campus, which is nice. It circles Tiger Stadium and a large lake on the campus. I've done New Orleans and this event. This event is much better.

The expo was fun. Not huge but had everything you would want to see. We stayed at the Marriott and logistics getting to and from were a breeze the people were so friendly. Both before and after the race and on the course. The course was beautiful and easier than most. I had a good finish time as did my friends. The finish line festival was the best with all the local food which was free. We had a full lunch, lots of great local music too. Definitely recommend this race!

This is typical flat and fast course with minimal scenery and a few spectators along the course. At least this year they had food when you finished as first two years there was no food left for anyone that finished in over 4 hours. They did have beer at least every year that people finished. The 4:25 pacer was fantastic as always. Not much done for Legacy and basically ignored going into the 5th year which is sad. Having done 1,000 of races, they need to get more experienced runners more involved in the organization of the marathon. Overall needs lots of improvement and hopefully in a few years this race could be a top 50 marathons in the US.

Very good aid stations and post race food second to none. Close to hotels. Easy to get to the start. Start corrals need improvement. Corrals should be based on time and not who lines up first. Half marathoners should start after the full marathoners. The first half mile is on a road under construction. That should not happen. Too many people for a road filled with potholes and uneven pavement.

Recommend this marathon. I stayed at the Hampton Inn just 3 blocks from the Expo and 3 blocks from the start. The race began on time and the corrals moved forward very quickly. The support on the course is second to none. Even local residents set up tables in their front yards offering king cake, etc. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

This was my 6-th marathon and I loved it. I agree with everything nice that is said below - great flat scenic route (I improved my PB by 15 minutes), very friendly and supportive spectators, perfect weather, unsurpassable Finish Festival, very well organized, ... If anything could be improved - I would add some fruit in the 'energizing stations'. Bananas at least. But I was fine.

Of all the 14 marathons I have run, this is by far the best!! The view running around LSU stadium to around the lake was spectacular!! I highly recommend this marathon!!

Of all of the races I've done, this was the best organized except Boston. Extremely impressive, especially only being it's 4th year. Post race party and food was the best I've seen. Beautiful course, mostly flat, and the weather was perfect - PR conditions all the way. Not a ton of spectators, but the ones who were out were extremely supportive. I'm generally not a fan of any types of out and backs, but the stretches in the 2nd half that were out/back were well designed and it barely felt that way - except for the enthusiatic support from runners on the out portion as I was headed back - that was neat.

I was so pleasantly surprised by the organization and expo for this race. While this is not a big race, the organization is better than even the biggest races. Other race directors could learn something from this race. The course showcases the best of Baton Rouge. The course is nice and flat, which allowed me to PR. Now, let's talk about the finish... What a party! Tons of food and entertainment even for the very last marathoners as I stayed to cheer on the 6 hr-plus marathoners.

Believe the talk...this is a great race. The course is flat and fast and very scenic especially around the lakes. Everything about this race was extremely well organized and well run. My reason for the three stars for spectators is only because not a lot of people came out for this. However, the ones that did come out were wonderful and very supportive!! The post race celebration featuring live bands and assorted restaurant foods was by far the best of any marathon yet.

One of the best overall marathons I have ran. (27th marathon). Pros: expo Pastas dinner- incredible speakers Start of the race organization Flat and fast course Well marked mile markers Crowd support for a small race Post race food and festival Finishers medal High tech shirt Cons: Nothing, IMO any complaints re: this race would say more about the author and less about the event.. Well done Louisiana Marathon!

I have run over 35 marathons and this one I would highly recommend. The course was flat, fast and it ran round a lake with beautiful southern mansions, and huge live oaks lining the course. The food/beverage/music after the run was top shelf, in a very nice open area near the capitol. The hospitality couldn't be beat.

Loved the race even though the temperature got a little warmer than I was expecting. Expo was nice. Lots of vendors and well-organized packet pickup. Also nice that just a short walk away was the MS River and veteran's museaum/memorial complete with the USS Kidd (Navy destroyer) and a couple of old warplanes on display. The course was great, especially the first 10.5 miles. Running through LSU campus and around that lake was beautiful! The warm temps made me a little sick by the finish so I didn't get to take advantage of the great after party and all the great food, but it was a really nice finish festival.

This race has been listed in Runner's World the past two years as one of the best new races. It did not disappoint. I'll start with the only negative-they ran out of much of the food by the time the 4 hour marathoners finished. I'm not a huge eater right after a race, but I feel bad for anyone that is and finished when I did or after. Now for the pros. -Flat course! The overpass at miles 2 and 25 is just that-an overpass. To call it a hill is a disservice to hills. -Weather. 50-60 degrees and low wind. I am always cold and went out in a tank and shorts. -Crowd support. This was way better than I expected for a marathon this size -Porta potties everywhere and no line at the start -Postrace onsite medal engraving. I hadn't seen this before. -So many aid stations -The streets were not as bad as advertised. I was paranoid about this from comments from previous years. I emailed the race director. Any bumps were spray painted. As long as you pay attention, you are fine. No different from any other urban race that I have run. -Separate finish lines for the full and the half. -Finish Festival. Great location and great entertainment. I've never seen so many people just hanging out and enjoying themselves after a race. (The weather didn't hurt!) -Nice sackpack, medal and tech shirt. -Free temporary tattoos with the race logo -On race morning the capital building was lit up with the race logo. Very cool!

One of the best races i've run ever (hundreds overall). I'm going to give my constructive criticism to indicate the only small details that need work for hope the director reads to improve for 2015, because everything else was excellent. 1) Put Powerade and water in separate color cups so you can tell what you are grabbing 2) Separate the half and full the last mile of the course with cones so it is easier to get into final straight-away stretch. 3) Better website directions to pasta dinner night before

This was my second marathon...way flatter than Atlanta in the fall and thus I PRd by 23 minutes, which was fun. The start was a bit of a cluster (no speakers in the back of the corral, and you couldn't hear the national anthem. I think the gun took some people by surprise) and there was some confusion as to whether there was actually a shuttle from the Crowne Plaza Hotel (as advertised on the marathon's website)...that could certainly be cleared up in the coming years. Expo was nice...it was the first one I'd been to so I don't really know what to compare it to, but seemed OK to me. The race was good. Like I said the course is pretty flat. There are several out and backs, including one long one towards the end, which I thought was kind of cool cause you got to see the lead runners. The fans that came out were great and there was a ton of gel, shot blocks, oranges, water, powerade, etc. They only had clocks on the half mile mark and the finish, which annoyed me at first, but by mile 3 I didn't really care. The finish festival was awesome...great food (although they ran out of Crawfish Tamales!), the medal and shirt are fine. One small thing - this is Baton Rouge! After the awards ceremony, they had a '2nd line' band, but all they played was motown covers. They were fine, but maybe some zydeco/local flavor in there would be more appropriate. But whatever. Just a couple really small things I'm sure they'll figure out: -There was a shortage of safety pins...a bunch of people only got 3 in their bib packet and they didn't have any at the gear check. Combine that with the aforementioned shuttle problems and some people were pretty stressed before the start. -I bet it has to be a logistical nightmare, but any chance for race morning packet pickup? The expo closed at 5 on Saturday...and SE Louisiana is pretty far from a lot of places. I came from Nashville and had to get out of town by 6:30 to ensure I'd get my packet. Had there been traffic or anything I'm not sure what I would have done. With so many people coming from out of town (49 states I think they said), having a race morning pickup option, or something to that effect, would make travel a bit easier for those of us coming from out of town. Overall though, I had a great time.