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Alabama · Huntsville · Dec

Rocket City Marathon

Dec 13, 2026
Next edition
1,413
Finishers
in 2025
loop
near-flat · +667 ft / −671 ft

Huntsville in December is cool, usually dry, and built for a steady effort. You start outside the Von Braun Center beside Big Spring Park, loop through the old courthouse square and the medical district, then run past the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, where actual rockets and the space shuttle stand over the road. The Botanical Gardens are lit for the holidays. The organizer calls the course gently rolling and fast; independent measurement puts it near 670 feet of gain, enough to notice around miles 17 to 20 but not enough to break you. Pace groups go all the way to 6:00, the clock is six hours, and an early start buys a seventh. You finish indoors in the VBC South Hall, warm, with food and music. Register before October 18 for the lowest price, and remember the marathon is on Sunday.

Next edition
2026-12-13
Distances
Marathon · Early Start Marathon · Half Marathon · 10K · 5K · 1 Mile
Field
1,413 marathon finishers (2025)
Course
loop
Gain / loss
667 ft / 671 ft
Time limit
6 hours (early-start option allows 7 hours)
Lottery
No
The course

Starts at the Von Braun Center/Big Spring Park, tours downtown and the courthouse square, the medical district, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Botanical Gardens, and finishes indoors in the VBC South Hall; organizer calls it 'gently rolling & fast' with roughly 700 ft of gain (FindMyMarathon measures 667 ft gain / 671 ft loss). Course map ↗

Getting in

Final deadlines vary by event, Dec 6-11, 2026; early pricing ends Oct 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM CDT. Registration is open on RunSignUp. Marathon $125 + $8.50 fee at the early tier (increases after Oct 18, 2026); Early Start Marathon same price; half $100 + $7. No cap found. Huntsville Track Club members get 10% off. Register ↗

Worth knowing
  • USATF Certified Course AL25038JE; the organizer states 'The Rocket City Marathon is a Boston Qualifier'. ↗
  • The organizer says that 'for over 49 years' the Huntsville Track Club-run race has been one of the premier marathon events in the South. ↗
  • Marathon pace groups run from 2:50 through 6:00 (including 3:00, 3:05, 3:10, 3:20 ... 5:30, 6:00); there are no official pacers for the half, 10K or 5K. ↗
  • FindMyMarathon reports 1,413 finishers in 2025 (up from 1,184 in 2024 and 915 in 2023) with 8.6% of 2025 finishers hitting a Boston qualifying time. ↗
  • The half marathon starts at 9:00 AM at the Von Braun Center and merges with the marathon course near mile 15 to share the finish. ↗
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www.rocketcitymarathon.run/

Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.