the Bismarck Marathon route features breathtaking scenery along the out-and-back course that parallels the Missouri River. The route incorporates a start and finish line at the North Dakota Capitol, including sections that take runners through historic neighborhoods in Bismarck.
The Bismarck Marathon was the 247th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 233rd largest in 2022.
This year 7% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 8.4% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Bismarck Marathon the 228th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 214th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 99.02 ranks it as the 195th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest course in North Dakota.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Bismarck Marathon a PR Score of 99.02. This PR Score ranks it as the 143rd fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest in North Dakota.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Bismarck Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 1793 feet (546m) Min Elevation: 1628 feet (496m)
The marathon is well organized and supported by the community. The course is well marked. There was plenty of support and aid stations along the course. The out and back portions did not have a way to track if everyone did the out and back. In fact, this years women's winner should be in question for the following reasons - A couple of runners witnessed her jumping into a bush and later coming out in the first out and back section. One runner passed her while she was walking. Then later, the same runner passed her again. Several runners don't recall seeing her in the out and back sections of the course. But there wasn't any hard evidence to disqualify the winner who got away with a win and a course record with a bonus. The directors initially turned everyone away that complained. But, later they did some more investigation and stood by their recollection of the results, even though a number of runner were certain the winner had cheated.
4 Stars from 1 Reviews
