Lincoln's marathon is a city loop that begins on the University of Nebraska campus and ends with the thing every Husker fan dreams about: crossing the 50-yard line inside Memorial Stadium, your footsteps suddenly quiet on the turf after 26 miles of pavement. The course rolls gently, about 520 feet of gain, and it is friendly both to a first marathon and to a Boston attempt; 16 percent of finishers qualified in 2025. The half marathon shares the morning, and together they draw several thousand runners, though only about 1,100 finished the full in 2026, so the late miles are uncrowded. The 50th annual race is Sunday, May 2, 2027. Registration opens at midnight on December 5, 2026, and the race has a reputation for filling fast, so set an alarm and register that night.
Mostly-loop city course with rolling hills that starts on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and finishes on the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium.
Registration opens 2026-12-05. Sells out; closing date not published. Registration opens December 5, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. Organized by the Lincoln Track Club (volunteer club since 1975). Cap not published on the pages read. Register ↗
- Registration for the 50th annual race opens December 5, 2026 at 12:00 a.m. ↗
- Marathoners finish on the 50-yard line of the Huskers' stadium; elevation gain is 520 ft. ↗
- 1,106 runners finished the marathon in 2026; 16.2% ran Boston-qualifying times in 2025. ↗
- The Lincoln Track Club, a volunteer organization, has promoted running in Lincoln since 1975. ↗
- Qualifying net times are forwarded automatically to the Boston Marathon. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.