You start at 8:00 am on Main Street in Bar Harbor with the shops still shuttered and the smell of woodsmoke and salt in the air, and within a mile you are climbing between Champlain and Dorr mountains with Acadia's granite glowing orange in the October light. The course is point-to-point and honest about its hills: you drop to the shore of Somes Sound around mile 16, where the water is black and still, then climb again to the high point at mile 25 before a last downhill into the fishing village of Southwest Harbor. Nobody runs this for time. You run it for the lakes, the villages, and the lobster boats, and you plan your nutrition around the long grades. The field is capped at two thousand across both distances and sells out, so register in spring.
Hilly point-to-point from Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor past Acadia's mountains and lakes, with a 150-ft climb in the first three miles, a low point at mile 16 on the shore of Somes Sound, the high point at mile 25 and a downhill final 1.2 miles. Course map ↗
Closes 2026-10-01. General registration for 2026 is closed (capped at the first 2,000 entrants across marathon and half, with an October 1 deadline or earlier if full); limited charity bibs remain. 2026 marathon fees were $145 through June 30, $155 July 1-Aug 31, $170 from September 1. Registration via reg.runmdi.org. Register ↗
- The course passes Somes Sound, described by the organizers as the only true fjord on the Atlantic Coast, at its low point around mile 16. ↗
- General registration is capped at the first 2,000 participants across the marathon and half. ↗
- 811 marathoners finished in 2025 and 840 in 2024. ↗
- The marathon and relay start in Bar Harbor, the half starts in Northeast Harbor, and all finish in Southwest Harbor. ↗
- The course is certified as a direct Boston Marathon qualifier despite its hills. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.