You start on the lawn in front of the gold-domed State Capitol on a crisp October Saturday, the maples in Bushnell Park already turning. The early miles climb gently into West Hartford, where neighbors line the sidewalks and the course cuts briefly through the rose beds of Elizabeth Park. Then the half marathoners peel off and you cross the Founders Bridge, the Connecticut River wide and gray beneath you, onto the East Hartford riverside path. South Windsor is the quiet middle: farm stands, stone walls, Old Main Street with its white clapboard houses. The hills are modest but they keep coming, so hold something back for the return over the river. The last turn brings you under the brownstone Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch and across the line in Bushnell Park, six hours on the clock and the city's skyline behind you.
Starts in front of the State Capitol, loops through West Hartford and Elizabeth Park, crosses the Founders Bridge to East Hartford's riverside and South Windsor's rural roads, and finishes just past the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch in Bushnell Park; rolling, with max elevation 182 ft. Course map ↗
A 2027 registration link is already posted on the HMF site (haku.ly/39483dceb0) as of 2026-10-14; prices and deadlines could not be retrieved. HMF offers a free 'HMF Milestone' membership with participant perks. Register ↗
- The course limit is 6 hours (about 13:44 per mile); the course is USATF certified (#CT23022JHP) and finishers may use net time to qualify for Boston. ↗
- Marathoners start in front of the Capitol, cross the Founders Bridge along the Connecticut River, run the rural roads of South Windsor and finish just past the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Arch in Bushnell Park. ↗
- Marathon finishers grew from 1,174 (2022) to 1,466 (2023), 1,647 (2024) and 1,915 (2025); 9.4% of 2025 finishers ran Boston-qualifying times. ↗
- The 2026 race on October 10 was won by Conor Lundy (2:17:39) and Rachel Schilkowsky (2:33:54); more than 50 Hartford students ran via HMF's new Run Your City initiative. ↗
- The Hartford Marathon Foundation was incorporated in 1994 and now produces more than 30 races a year across Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, engaging more than 59,300 people in 2025. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.