The Bucks County Marathon course is out-and back along the historic Delaware Canal State Park towpath trail from Yardley north through New Hope Pennsylvania, returning to Yardley.
The first and last 0.3 miles are on paved surface. The tow path is narrow in some sections, requiring single file travel. The towpath has several mule bridge underpasses with low clearance. There are 24 bridge underpasses along the course, for a total of 48 underpassings.
The Bucks County Marathon was the 455th largest marathon in the U.S. last year.
Last year 9.4% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon.
This gives the Bucks County Marathon the 200th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year.
Its Course Score of 99.59 ranks it as the th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the th fastest course in Pennsylvania.
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 Bucks County Marathon a PR Score of 99.59. This PR Score ranks it as the th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the th fastest in Pennsylvania.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Bucks County Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 95 feet (28m) Min Elevation: 46 feet (14m)
Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the Bucks County Marathon
View available accomodations around the Bucks County Marathon Finish Line and Course. Book your Reservation now before the best places are sold out.
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It's hard to believe. Despite the pandemic, I ran a real in-person marathon on Sunday. The experience was mostly positive.
First, the bad:
-The website and the race guide contain typos and out-of-date information
-Some parts of the trail are narrow, rocky, and/or grassy
-The trail remains open to the public during the race
-It's a double out and back, which some runners find monotonous/mentally taxing (though I don't mind it)
-The director didn't have the shirts by race day (but he said they will be mailed to us)
-We were told some of us won't receive shirts because we didn't register early enough, but there was no clearly stated registration deadline
-This year, they likely won't have race photos to preview and purchase (their FB page says they had technical difficulty)
-The race starts at 9 am, which means the temp may rise too much (the temp was perfect earlier in the morning, but it rose to the upper 70s by the time I finished)
Now, the good:
-The course is quite flat
-Except for a short paved stretch at the start, it's mostly crushed stone, which is soft but unlikely to slow you down very much
-The trail is eight-feet wide and mostly straight, so you don't have to worry about running tangents (at the end of the Philadelphia marathon, my watch said I ran 26.9; at the end of Bucks, my watch said I ran 26.27)
-The course is historic (on an towpath where beasts of burden pulled boats up the canal, near where Washington crossed the Delaware) and beautiful (a canal on one side, a river on the other, fields, fall leaves, etc.)
-The later start time means you don't have to wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning
-Because it's a small race, you have the chance to place well, better than you would at a bigger race (I was 6th overall and 1st in my age group)
-Pat, the race director, will put on his events if at all possible and will make changes as needed (due to covid-19, he limited the number of runners/staff on site, had runners wear masks before starting/after finishing, employed a wave start, didn’t allow spectators, etc.)
-The logistics of packet-pick-up, parking, etc. are simple (think small-town 5K)
Race Tips
You can find the start line by searching for it on Google Maps.
I have no complaints about the host hotel where we stayed, the Hampton Inn Newton, PA, which is only 6 miles from the start line.
Nemo's review of 2020 Bucks County Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
First things first the Race Crew was amazing! Super nice, helpful and really wanted everyone to have a great time. Even with all the Covid restrictions the race was super smooth, this was in no small part due to the Race Directors "The Show Must Go On" attitude.
In my opinion this race for the 2 types of runners.
A) If you are looking for a fast course it doesn't get much better than this, its flat as a pancake and super straight which is very important if you are trying to get a fast time.
B) if you enjoy a breath taking scenery. There is no place more beautiful that the path between the Canal and the Delaware River at the peak of fall foliage.
Race Tips
While this is a trail marathon the dirt is packed super tight and I would compare it more to pavement that to trail. Had no issues with the width of the course and the volunteers were very helpful in making sure the coast was clear in areas that the trail crosses the road.
I drove in from NYC and the drive was a little more than an hour with plenty of parking when i arrived.
GM's review of 2015 Bucks County Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
This a great, flat low-key marathon. Perfect temps, scenic course. Very few spectators but overall an organized and well-run marathon.
Race Tips
Groomed trails. Not very many rocks or roots. There are a few rocky patches but they're only for a few very brief periods. This is a PR course for sure!
