You start at 7:00 am beneath the Louisiana State Capitol tower, with the Mississippi River levee a few blocks to your left and the January air cool enough for arm sleeves that you will shed by mile 10. The course heads downtown and then south to the University Lakes, where Spanish moss hangs over the water and the road circles the shoreline for miles of easy running. You cross the LSU campus, loop through the Garden District's bungalows, and return to the Capitol lawn. There is almost nothing to climb, and more than a thousand finishers a year now use it as a winter Boston attempt. What keeps people coming back is the finish festival: a Louisiana food village with gumbo and jambalaya, live music, and a beer in your hand within minutes.
Mostly-loop course that starts and finishes at the Louisiana State Capitol, runs through downtown, around the University Lakes, across the LSU campus and back through historic neighborhoods on flat roads.
Registration is open on RunSignUp. Current fees: $150 marathon (regular $190), $135 half (regular $170), $60 quarter, $40 5K, $20 kids; prices increase after November 16, 2026 at 11:59 pm CST. Packet pickup Jan 15-16 at the Raising Cane's River Center. Register ↗
- The marathon has a 6-hour time limit and the half a 4-hour limit. ↗
- 1,477 marathoners finished in 2026, more than double the 2022 total of 586. ↗
- The race was established in 2012 and starts at the Louisiana State Capitol. ↗
- The course takes runners from downtown through the University Lakes, the LSU campus and historic neighborhoods on flat, fast roads. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.