Marathon
42.2 km
Scranton
2026-10-11
Open entry

Steamtown Marathon

View verified GPS map Official event website & entry ↗Plan my paceData current as of 2026-07-06

Decision summary

Steamtown Marathon at a glance

Cut-off pace: 8:32/km
Typical conditions: 85/100
Evidence depth: 52 verified facts

Quick answers

What runners ask first

Steamtown Marathon route map

RaceIndex has a GPS course file for Steamtown Marathon, 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 Steamtown Marathon?

The Steamtown Marathon is described as net downhill. The course listing puts the climb at 158 m.

Where does the Steamtown Marathon route go?

The Steamtown Marathon route starts at Forest City High School, Forest City, PA and finishes at Courthouse Square / Federal Courthouse, downtown Scranton, PA (26.20 miles). Underfoot, expect a road course. It passes Forest City, Vandling, Mayfield, Carbondale and Jermyn. Cooper's Hill at mile 25.41 before the finish.

What should runners know on race day for the Steamtown Marathon?

Clear bag provided to runners at packet pickup for gear/bag drop. 14.

Race character

Scenery

City
Countryside
Waterfront
Forest
Historic
Riverside

Atmosphere

Community
Competitive
Charity

Terrain

Road
Trail
Towpath

Elevation character: Net Downhill
Technicality: Non Technical
Source-stated ascent: 158 m
Net elevation: -291 m

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Men's course record: 2:16:41 (Luke Watson)
Women's course record: 2:39:47 (Jen Rock)

Entry requirements

Entry status: Open entry: The held registration model is open entry and this edition is not marked sold out.
Cut-off: 6-hour time limit; participants finishing after 7 hours may not receive a finisher medal or appear in official results.
Qualification status: Official Boston Marathon qualifier; USATF Certified course. On average about 28% of Steamtown finishers qualify for Boston.

Race day logistics

Aid stations: 14
Bag drop: Clear bag provided to runners at packet pickup for gear/bag drop.
Expo / packet pickup: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Byron Recreation Complex, University of Scranton; photo ID required for packet pickup; course presentation at 2 p.m. in Moskowitz Auditorium.
Medal: Finisher medals awarded; runners finishing after 7 hours may not receive a medal.
Finisher tee: Commemorative marathon shirt included with registration, distributed at packet pickup.

Access and course status

Start: Forest City High School, Forest City, PA
Finish: Courthouse Square / Federal Courthouse, downtown Scranton, PA (26.20 miles)

Course facts

Course type: Point To Point
Landmarks: Forest City, Vandling, Mayfield, Carbondale, Jermyn, Archbald, Winton, Jessup, Blakely, Olyphant, Dickson City, Scranton
Notable features: Supported by more than 2,000 volunteers and close to 100 event sponsors
ranked by Runner's World among the nation's best marathons and one of the 10 best for first-time marathoners
Very steep downhill on Dundaff Street at mile 0.95
rolling sections through the Lackawanna Valley with Rails-to-Trails segments between miles 12-20
Cooper's Hill at mile 25.41 before the finish
I-81 underpass at mile 22.80
Passes through 14 communities of Northeast Pennsylvania's anthracite coal country
includes bridge and footbridge crossings and multiple Rails-to-Trails sections
14 official aid stations with port-a-lavs throughout
GU energy gel station at mile 10.85
designated spectator viewpoints at mile 8.00 (Carbondale) and mile 17.00 (Jessup)

What are typical race-day conditions?

14°CTypical temperature
16 kphTypical wind
3 mmTypical rainfall
85Favourability /100

Typical conditions for the race date and locality, warmer than the endurance-optimal window. These are climatological norms, not a forecast, and are shared across every distance at this event.

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What runners ask first

Steamtown Marathon route map

How hilly is the Steamtown Marathon?

The Steamtown Marathon is described as net downhill. The course listing puts the climb at 158 m.

Where does the Steamtown Marathon route go?

What should runners know on race day for the Steamtown Marathon?

Clear bag provided to runners at packet pickup for gear/bag drop. 14.

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Men's course record: 2:16:41 (Luke Watson)
Women's course record: 2:39:47 (Jen Rock)

Entry requirements

Entry status: Open entry: The held registration model is open entry and this edition is not marked sold out.
Cut-off: 6-hour time limit; participants finishing after 7 hours may not receive a finisher medal or appear in official results.
Qualification status: Official Boston Marathon qualifier; USATF Certified course. On average about 28% of Steamtown finishers qualify for Boston.

Race day logistics

Aid stations: 14
Bag drop: Clear bag provided to runners at packet pickup for gear/bag drop.
Expo / packet pickup: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Byron Recreation Complex, University of Scranton; photo ID required for packet pickup; course presentation at 2 p.m. in Moskowitz Auditorium.
Medal: Finisher medals awarded; runners finishing after 7 hours may not receive a medal.
Finisher tee: Commemorative marathon shirt included with registration, distributed at packet pickup.

Access and course status

Start: Forest City High School, Forest City, PA
Finish: Courthouse Square / Federal Courthouse, downtown Scranton, PA (26.20 miles)

Course facts

Course type: Point To Point
Landmarks: Forest City, Vandling, Mayfield, Carbondale, Jermyn, Archbald, Winton, Jessup, Blakely, Olyphant, Dickson City, Scranton
Notable features: Supported by more than 2,000 volunteers and close to 100 event sponsors
ranked by Runner's World among the nation's best marathons and one of the 10 best for first-time marathoners
Very steep downhill on Dundaff Street at mile 0.95
rolling sections through the Lackawanna Valley with Rails-to-Trails segments between miles 12-20
Cooper's Hill at mile 25.41 before the finish
I-81 underpass at mile 22.80
Passes through 14 communities of Northeast Pennsylvania's anthracite coal country
includes bridge and footbridge crossings and multiple Rails-to-Trails sections
14 official aid stations with port-a-lavs throughout
GU energy gel station at mile 10.85
designated spectator viewpoints at mile 8.00 (Carbondale) and mile 17.00 (Jessup)

Steamtown Marathon

Steamtown Marathon at a glance

What runners ask first

Steamtown Marathon route map

How hilly is the Steamtown Marathon?

Where does the Steamtown Marathon route go?

What should runners know on race day for the Steamtown Marathon?

Race character

Scenery

Atmosphere

Terrain

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Entry requirements

Race day logistics

Access and course status

Course facts

What are typical race-day conditions?

How we calculated this

Steamtown Marathon

Steamtown Marathon at a glance

What runners ask first

Steamtown Marathon route map

How hilly is the Steamtown Marathon?

Where does the Steamtown Marathon route go?

What should runners know on race day for the Steamtown Marathon?

Race character

Scenery

Atmosphere

Terrain

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Entry requirements

Race day logistics

Access and course status

Course facts

What are typical race-day conditions?

How we calculated this

Steamtown Marathon at a glance

What runners ask first

Steamtown Marathon route map

How hilly is the Steamtown Marathon?

Where does the Steamtown Marathon route go?

What should runners know on race day for the Steamtown Marathon?

Race character

Scenery

Atmosphere

Terrain

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Entry requirements

Race day logistics

Access and course status

Course facts

What are typical race-day conditions?

How we calculated this

Related mapped-route collections

Marathon route maps

Road marathon route maps

Trail marathon route maps

City marathon route maps

Steamtown Marathon at a glance

What runners ask first

Steamtown Marathon route map

How hilly is the Steamtown Marathon?

Where does the Steamtown Marathon route go?

What should runners know on race day for the Steamtown Marathon?

Race character

Scenery

Atmosphere

Terrain

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Entry requirements

Race day logistics

Access and course status

Course facts

What are typical race-day conditions?

How we calculated this

Related mapped-route collections

Marathon route maps

Road marathon route maps

Trail marathon route maps

City marathon route maps