The Grand Rapids Marathon was the 77th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 81st largest in 2022.
This year 5.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 11.6% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Grand Rapids Marathon the 153rd highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 248th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 98.29 ranks it as the 296th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 12th fastest course in Michigan.
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 Grand Rapids Marathon a PR Score of 98.29. This PR Score ranks it as the 235th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 6th fastest in Michigan.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Grand Rapids Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 675 feet (205m) Min Elevation: 591 feet (180m)
Absolutely fantastic race, the best I've ever been a part of. The race director is amazing at communicating and pushes daily emails during the last week to make sure runners are up to date on everything for race day. Expo was great with lots of vendors.
Race Tips
The first few miles are a loop around Grand Rapids and very flat. Easy to settle into a groove and lock in your race pace. Not a lot of tall buildings around to throw off your GPS.
The 'hilly' stretch is from mile 7 to 9.5 and is very gently rolling. Get a friend to chat with during this section and it'll be passed before you know it. Heading into the lake section can be tricky if you're trying to keep a quick pace. Lots of sharp-ish turns and short hills.
Once you pass 14 miles it's pretty much nothing but long straight roads. The mental game comes in here since there's not a lot of crowd support in the woods.
The last couple miles to the finish are great. Heading back into town has a few more gentle turns and minimal elevation changes. A slight downhill during the final stretch.
There's plenty of parking at the start/finish area for $4 or walk from your hotel. There's also some street parking for free on Sundays in Grand Rapids. There's an optional early start for folks who are going to take more than 6 hours so it helps to get to the starting area and parked prior to them stepping off (7am).
Start/Finish area is fantastic.
-Gear check was quick and well staffed.
-Tons of portable toilets so no lines anywhere.
-Great snacks and drinks after the finish.
-Beer tent was well stocked and they had a grill going with brats.
The YMCA next to the start/finish is open to the public on race day so you can pop in for a quick shower (bring your own towel). Very useful if you're driving home immediately after or waiting on slower friends to finish their run.
JJW's review of 2019 Grand Rapids Marathon.
4 /
5 Stars
Review
It's a great local marathon- easy to get to, good weather, and fairly flat. There was not a whole lot of spectators, but other than that it was nice.
Very well organized race and a beautiful course! I would have loved a bit more of a bigger beer tent at the finish, given it's Beer City :) Beautiful course, just the right amount of crowd support. I was expecting a few minor hills but the course felt very flat, to me, which was great. Pickle juice on the course was nice. The volunteers were AMAZING!!!
Race Tips
There's a small stretch around mile 24 that isn't very scenic and there is no crowd support (due to location) - just remember you're almost done - the pacers got vocal here (in a good way) - shouting encouragement and counting down to the finish. The pacers were phenomenal.
The best thing about this race is the RD, Don Kern. He is very communicative and understands a runner's mind. This race is definitely built to make everything as convenient for the runners as possible...everything from the expo, to tons of close parking, to the beer tent. The course is beautiful and mostly flat. A great overall experience!
Race Tips
The pacers for this race are excellent, so you can rely on them. After 8.5 miles the half breaks off and the course is much less crowded. In the out and back section the out is a very slight uphill, and the back is perfect timing for a slight downhill. That entire section is shaded. The last 5.5 miles or so have no shade. If you've dressed for cooler starting temps you will want to be able to shed layers in those last few miles.
Read Don's emails! He sends a ton of them and they cover this information extensively. I arrived 45 min before race time and was able to park right across the street from the start line. Don had done his due diligence to make logistics as easy as humanly possible.
