Races Marathon · Cleveland, USA
Cleveland Marathon
Cleveland Marathon is a rolling marathon in Cleveland, USA, held each May. The 2026 redesign starts downtown, climbs into Tremont, crosses the Hope Memorial Bridge, loops through Lakewood and runs about 3 km on the Shoreway before a downhill finish. Race mornings in mid-May are usually cool to mild, around 8 to 19°C, with a breeze off Lake Erie. With Cleveland Marathon's constant undulation, pace by effort rather than the watch: even effort beats even splits here.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
May
next: Sunday 16 May 2027
Course
rolling
Marathon
Conditions
Race mornings in mid-May are usually cool to mild, around 8 to 19°C, with a breeze off Lake Erie.
Racing this course well
The 2026 redesign starts downtown, climbs into Tremont, crosses the Hope Memorial Bridge, loops through Lakewood and runs about 3 km on the Shoreway before a downhill finish.
With Cleveland Marathon's constant undulation, pace by effort rather than the watch: even effort beats even splits here.
Getting a place
- How you get in
- Open entry: first come, first served
- Price
- $120 until 14 November 2026, then $130 (processing fees extra) (2027 race)
Official Cleveland Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Next race
- Sunday 16 May 2027
- Start time
- 07:00
- Time limit
- 7 hours
- Pacers
- Official pace teams for the marathon and half marathon
- Also on the day
- half-marathon, 10k, 5k
The course in numbers
The first big hill is the climb into Tremont. The Shoreway stretch near Edgewater Park is exposed to wind off the lake, and the finish runs downhill on Detroit Avenue.
- Surface
- Paved city streets
- Total climb
- 190 m (620 ft)
- Men's course record
- 2:10:29 (Pavel Kokin, 2000)
- Women's course record
- 2:30:15 (Tatiana Pozdniakova, 1998)
- Course status
- USATF certified
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
Worth knowing
- First run in 1978.
- In 1988 it was the first US race to offer large cash prizes, with $150,000 for the 10K and marathon winners.
- The race invited elite runners from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Pick your goal for Cleveland
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common marathon goals:
The date shown is the one the organiser has announced. Change it if yours differs.
Build your training around Cleveland Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the Cleveland Marathon?
- The next Cleveland Marathon is on Sunday 16 May 2027 in Cleveland, USA. It is held each May.
- Is the Cleveland Marathon course flat?
- The 2026 redesign starts downtown, climbs into Tremont, crosses the Hope Memorial Bridge, loops through Lakewood and runs about 3 km on the Shoreway before a downhill finish.
- How do I enter the Cleveland Marathon?
- Open entry: first come, first served. Price: $120 until 14 November 2026, then $130 (processing fees extra) (2027 race).
- Is the Cleveland Marathon a Boston qualifier?
- Yes. The Cleveland Marathon is run on a certified course, so a time set here can be used to apply for the Boston Marathon.
- How should I train for the Cleveland Marathon?
- Train specifically for Cleveland — terrain, conditions, goal pace — and let the plan flex around real life. With RunV Premium you can adapt your plan to fit your week.
Not sure what to target? Predict your marathon time from a recent race →
More marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Cleveland — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in May — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
