Scenic score
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 79/100 Favoured
The Bismarck Marathon vs Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
A data-led head-to-head using sourced race facts and available derived figures under one published methodology.
Data current as ofThe Bismarck Marathon or Essentia Health Fargo Marathon — which comes out ahead?
The Bismarck Marathon and Essentia Health Fargo Marathon split the available advantages, so the better choice depends on which metric matters most to the runner.
Route comparison snapshot
The Bismarck Marathon
- Mapped route
- Not held
- Elevation profile
- Not held
Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Mapped route
- Held Favoured
- Elevation profile
- Not held
| Metric | The Bismarck Marathon | Essentia Health Fargo Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Scenic score | 79/100 ✓ | 71/100 |
| Conditions | 66/100 | 67/100 ✓ |
Conditions
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 66/100
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- 67/100 Favoured
Only metrics available for at least one side are shown. A ✓ marks the better value for each metric (higher-is-better aware). Scores are out of 100 when available. Ascent, climbing density, max absolute grade and median finish describe course or field context and are not marked as better or worse.
Race facts that change the decision
| Fact | The Bismarck Marathon | Essentia Health Fargo Marathon |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2026-09-19 (legacy event-level date). | Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2027-05-21 (legacy event-level date). |
| Location | Bismarck, North Dakota | Fargo, North Dakota |
| Actual distance | 42.2 km | 42.2 km |
| raceindex.org mapped route held | Not held | Held |
| raceindex.org elevation profile held | Not held | Not held |
| Course type | Out And Back | Loop |
| Surface | Fully paved roads and bike paths; not a closed course, with limited traffic control provided along the route. | Paved roads and paths |
| Elevation character | Flat | Flat |
| Terrain | Unavailable | Road |
| Scenery | Riverside, Waterfront, City, Historic, Parkland | Riverside, City, Moorland, Historic |
| Atmosphere | Unavailable | Community, Festival |
| Technicality | Non Technical | Non Technical |
| Total ascent | 146 m | Unavailable |
| Total descent | 146 m | Unavailable |
| Net elevation | 0 m | Unavailable |
| Cutoff | 6:30:00 | 7:00:00 |
| Field cap | Unavailable | 2,000 |
| Entry model | Open | Open |
| Qualifying status | Boston_equivalent | Boston_equivalent |
Schedule
- The Bismarck Marathon
Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2026-09-19 (legacy event-level date).
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2027-05-21 (legacy event-level date).
Location
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Bismarck, North Dakota
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Fargo, North Dakota
Actual distance
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 42.2 km
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- 42.2 km
raceindex.org mapped route held
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Not held
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Held
raceindex.org elevation profile held
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Not held
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Not held
Course type
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Out And Back
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Loop
Surface
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Fully paved roads and bike paths; not a closed course, with limited traffic control provided along the route.
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Paved roads and paths
Elevation character
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Flat
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Flat
Terrain
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Unavailable
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Road
Scenery
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Riverside, Waterfront, City, Historic, Parkland
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Riverside, City, Moorland, Historic
Atmosphere
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Unavailable
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Community, Festival
Technicality
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Non Technical
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Non Technical
Total ascent
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 146 m
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Unavailable
Total descent
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 146 m
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Unavailable
Net elevation
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 0 m
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Unavailable
Cutoff
- The Bismarck Marathon
- 6:30:00
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- 7:00:00
Field cap
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Unavailable
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- 2,000
Entry model
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Open
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Open
Qualifying status
- The Bismarck Marathon
- Boston_equivalent
- Essentia Health Fargo Marathon
- Boston_equivalent
Facts are shown only when they exist in the sourced race record; Not held means no sourced value is held for that race.