The Combos (formerly Snickers) Marathon is a fast and flat marathon course through some industrial areas, but mainly on residential streets. If the weather cooperates then it is a PR and course and an excellent race to qualify for Boston (BQ).
The Combos Marathon was the 184th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 122nd largest in 2022.
This year 24.2% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 12.5% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Combos Marathon the 134th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 12th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 98.89 ranks it as the 215th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 4th fastest course in Georgia.
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 Combos Marathon a PR Score of 98.89. This PR Score ranks it as the 161st fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest in Georgia.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Combos Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 249 feet (75m) Min Elevation: 173 feet (52m)
I have done this race before and in general I would say it's a great, small town community event. 2023 was a significant disappointment. The hotel which I typically stay at was totally nasty to the runners, and the course went out the wrong way causing runners trying to qualify for Boston to have make a tough decision to push it on a hot day, run a slower race, or stop and save their legs. I would do this race again because the past few races were so special, but I'm sad about what happened this year.
Race Tips
The neighborhoods are so pretty. Just settle in and enjoy the middle of the race and the supportive community.
Don't stay at the Radison Park Inn. It was truly terrible. They canceled my reservation without notifying me and I ended up four hours from home the night before a race with no place to stay.
Danny Cole's review of 2022 Combos Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
I would recommend this marathon to any runner. One small glitch to fix is about mile 6 water station. Both 1/2 Marathon and Marathon go by this station and it ran out of water and gator aid, Only this station. Other wise the best volunteer support ever and support!!!
Stay at Hilton Garden Inn for restrooms prior to race and location before/after; not enough bathrooms at start line.
CH's review of 2019 Combos Marathon.
4 /
5 Stars
Review
Pros: Small race, good pace teams, plenty of water and aid stations, and friendly race supporters.
Cons: There are lots of turns, and the course measured long for every single runner I talked to. My watch said 26.47, and I cut every tangent. I saw others who posted 26.6 and higher. There were not enough porta-johns before the race. The line was insanely long, so I joined a group of runners in the woods behind the start line. The course was advertised as flat, but there were rolling hills throughout. The hills weren't unbearable, but it certainly wasn't flat.
Overall, I enjoyed the race. I would consider doing it again, but the course length is what concerns me the most. When I'm trying to qualify for Boston, I don’t have extra minutes to spare for extra mileage.
Race Tips
- Get to the start area earlier than Norma because of limited bathrooms.
- Be prepared for rolling hills.
The location was very user-friendly for racers and spectators. The Hilton Garden Inn, the race hotel, was across the street from the start and finish.
Daniel's review of 2019 Combos Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Pros: fantastic weather (cloudy, 60, just a bit on the humid side), spectators and aid stations were incredible - about every 2 miles and full of energy. First time I ran without a water bottle and i was fine.
I personally liked the "slopes". I come from a place with HILLS, so this was definitely flat for me. Enough variation to keep things interesting and kept me engaged.
Cons: like everyone has said, the course was about 0.25 longer than my watch. Thankfully got under 3 as I wanted, but it added a little over a minute to my time and I cut it close.
Also, I'm a big foodie. The food and drink options were pretty poor at the end, yet I wasn't expecting much
Overall: TOTALLY recommend this race, especially to those who are right on the verge of a BQ time. While the turns did add some "distance", I was never bored or struggling because of a long section. I loved this race for sure
Race Tips
RUN THE CORNERS. The traffic cones are exactly for that reason: traffic. It doesn't mean you have to run around the cones. Cut the corners as much as possible.
4.4 Stars from 14 Reviews
