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About RaceIndexOur methodologyData coverageCyclingTriathlon
  • Marathon
  • 42.2 km
  • Bar Harbor
  • Event weekend starts
  • Open entry

Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay Marathon

This race edition

Race date
Date not confirmed for this distance
Race timezone
Timezone not confirmed
Edition status
Status not confirmed

Entry options

2026 edition

Entry options are not yet confirmed for this edition. Check the organiser before making plans.

Modelled energy-cost change 1.5% versus flat · net elevation -1 m

View verified GPS mapOfficial event website & entry ↗
Plan my trainingPlan my paceData current as of

Decision summary

Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay Marathon at a glance

Route ascent
526 m

Lower than 33% of comparable mapped races

Cut-off average pace
9:15/km

6:30:00 total limit divided by distance. Check gun/chip timing and intermediate limits; allow time for stops.

Typical conditions
79/100

Historical race-date favourability, not a forecast

Evidence depth
51 verified facts

Stored GPS route

Quick answers

What runners ask first

Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay route map

raceindex.org has a GPS course file for Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay, so runners can inspect the route line on the map. Elevation charts and ascent figures appear only when that file includes usable elevation data.

How hilly is the Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay?

The Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay route has 526 m of ascent, 527 m of descent and an estimated 1.5% grade-adjusted pace penalty versus a flat route.

Where does the Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay route go?

The Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay route starts at Marathon and Team Relay start in downtown Bar Harbor (200 Main Street) at 8:00AM; Half Marathon starts in Northeast Harbor (5 Manchester Road) at 8:30AM and finishes at All races finish in front of Pemetic School in Southwest Harbor (327 Main Street). Underfoot, expect paved roads. It passes Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain, Hulls Cove and Somes Sound fjord. continuous shuttle buses from the Southwest Harbor finish back to the Bar Harbor start run from roughly noon until 3:00PM.

What should runners know on race day for the Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay?

Bag drop provided using the nylon drawstring race bag received at the Pre-Race Expo. Finish Line Festival in Southwest Harbor with a live band and food vendors; an island-wide 'Music Harbor' festival offers 100+ hours of live music across MDI venues on race weekend. Official pacing is not offered; unregistered runners and unauthorized pacers ('bandits') are prohibited and result in disqualification.

Race character

Scenery

  • Coastal
  • Mountain
  • Parkland
  • Desert
  • Island
  • Waterfront
  • Forest
  • Lakeside

Atmosphere

  • Scenic Tour
  • Destination
  • Community

Terrain

  • Road
Elevation character
Hilly
Technicality
Non Technical
Net elevation
0 m

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Men's course record
2:20:59 (Alex Russeau)
Women's course record
2:49:06 (Leah Nook Frost)

Entry requirements

Entry status
Open entry: The held registration model is open entry and this edition is not marked sold out.
Cut-off
6.5-hour (6:30) course limit from the 8:00AM start; finish line closes at 2:30PM
Qualification status
USATF Certified course (#ME23002JG) sanctioned as a direct Boston Marathon qualifier

Race day logistics

Pacers
Official pacing is not offered; unregistered runners and unauthorized pacers ('bandits') are prohibited and result in disqualification
Bag drop
Bag drop provided using the nylon drawstring race bag received at the Pre-Race Expo
Headphones allowed
No
Expo / packet pickup
Pre-Race Expo and packet pickup at the MDI YMCA Gymnasium, 21 Park Street, Bar Harbor: Friday 3:00PM-7:00PM and Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM; participants must collect their own bib in person with photo ID
Race village
No
Medal
Every marathon, half-marathon and relay finisher receives the event's signature 'Crusher Claw' lobster-claw finisher medallion
Finisher tee
Commemorative technical race shirt available in Men's/Unisex and Women's-specific sizes
On-course music
Finish Line Festival in Southwest Harbor with a live band and food vendors; an island-wide 'Music Harbor' festival offers 100+ hours of live music across MDI venues on race weekend

Access and course status

Start
Marathon and Team Relay start in downtown Bar Harbor (200 Main Street) at 8:00AM; Half Marathon starts in Northeast Harbor (5 Manchester Road) at 8:30AM
Finish
All races finish in front of Pemetic School in Southwest Harbor (327 Main Street)

Course facts

Course type
Point To Point
Surface
Paved roads
Landmarks
Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain, Hulls Cove, Somes Sound fjord, Somesville, Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor Beach, Hunters Beach Trail, Southwest Harbor
Notable features
  • Aid/fluid stations approximately every 2 miles offering water and lemon-lime Gatorade
  • continuous shuttle buses from the Southwest Harbor finish back to the Bar Harbor start run from roughly noon until 3:00PM

How hilly is the Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay Marathon?

16%55%21%
  • Steep descent 5%
  • Descent 16%
  • Flat 55%
  • Climb 21%
  • Steep climb 3%
Total ascent
526 m
Net elevation
−1 m
GAP factor
1.5%
Longest climb
1,840 m at 2.6%
Gradient mix and ascent are derived from the course geometry under our published normalisation, not taken from organiser marketing.

What are typical race-day conditions?

  • 11°CTypical temperature
  • 21 kphTypical wind
  • 4 mmTypical rainfall
  • 79Favourability /100
Typical conditions for the race date and locality, within the endurance-optimal window. These are climatological norms, not a forecast, and are shared across every distance at this event.

More race details

Is the Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay flat?

Its normalised GAP factor is 1.5% slower than a flat course, with about 526 m of total ascent.

How we calculated this

Published facts and derived model outputs on this page are tied to stored sources or a published, version-locked methodology. We show the provenance so runners, coaches and organisers can check it. Data on this page is current as of .

Derived numbers use scoring-methodology-v1.0.

Sources used on this page (2)

Read the full methodology →