You start at 8:00 am beside Oriole Park at Camden Yards with the brick warehouse at your back, and the first miles take you past the Inner Harbor and up through Federal Hill, where the whole city opens up behind you. Then it is Fells Point and Canton along the water, rowhouse stoops full of people with coffee and, by mile 10, Natty Boh. The hard part is honest and well known: from mile 16 the course climbs steadily past Clifton Park to Lake Montebello, and the organizers themselves compare it to Heartbreak Hill. Hold back on Federal Hill so you have something left. The field is small for a city this size, capped at 2,500, which means the aid stations never clog and the finish at the Inner Harbor feels personal. Bring quads and a sense of humor.
Mostly-loop course from Camden Yards through the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fells Point and Canton, then north past Patterson Park, Clifton Park and Lake Montebello before returning downtown; the organizers compare miles 16-20 to Boston's Heartbreak Hill.
Registration opens 2025-12-01. Closes 2026-10-15. 2026 marathon pricing: $130 (Dec 1-Feb 28), $140 (Mar 1-May 31), $145 (Jun 1-Aug 31), $150 (Sep 1-Oct 11), $160 race week. Online registration closes October 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET per the pricing page (the marathon page says October 16 at 6:00 pm); in-person registration at packet pickup if space remains. Marathon capped at 2,500 runners, 15,000 across all events. Register ↗
- The marathon field is limited to 2,500 runners within a festival of 15,000. ↗
- The organizers compare the climb through miles 16-20 to Boston's Heartbreak Hill; the course has nearly 1,000 ft of gain. ↗
- The modern race was first held in 2001; Baltimore previously hosted the Maryland Marathon (1973-80) and Baltimore City Marathon (1981-89). ↗
- 1,961 marathoners finished in 2025, up from 1,633 in 2024. ↗
- It is a Boston-qualifying event with a 7-hour limit, and results are shared automatically with the B.A.A. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.