The Atlantic City Marathon course is a very flat road course, with more than 10 miles of it taking place on the boardwalk. There are a few turns, a loop, and there are a few ramps to exit or enter the boardwalk.
The Atlantic City Marathon was the 69th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 74th largest in 2022.
This year 5.3% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 7.8% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Atlantic City Marathon the 242nd highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 272nd highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 99.74 ranks it as the 59th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 1st fastest course in New Jersey.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are slightly above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Atlantic City Marathon a PR Score of 99.59. This PR Score ranks it as the 60th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 1st fastest in New Jersey.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Atlantic City Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 28 feet (8m) Min Elevation: -15 feet (-4m)
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Overall my least favorite marathon of the five that I've run. Starting corral was pretty small, 2024 finisher field was under 1,000. Heat was pretty rough, plan for a slow down if it's not chilly at the start. Crowd support isn't all that great, although the groups that are there are good.
The last portion of the course through the neighborhoods are pretty monotonous, took a ton of mental effort to keep pushing through that area. The finish was very anticlimactic. Course support could use some work. Volunteers had both gatorade and water at times which made it difficult to get what you needed at some stops.
Race Tips
This course is very flat. The boardwalk can be dangerous, there are screws sticking out that can catch shoes. I didn't have to worry about anything else on course, parts of it are live and regular people are just wandering around the boardwalk. By the finish on the full the actual racers are so thinned out that it's a non issue. Start to maybe mile 2 was only a little crowded and then it thinned out rapidly. Easy to catch tangents.
The Claridge Hotel is atrocious. Elevators did not work for the majority of my stay so I had to climb 17 flights the evening prior to the race and then descend those prior to the start, not a huge deal but for 250 bucks a night I expect things to work. Also the city is filthy, absolutely lives up to its reputation of being a scummy place. Parking at Bally's or Claridge garage was super convenient and only cost about $20.
LD's review of 2024 Atlantic City Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
We had perfect weather in 2024 which always helps but I think this race would have been great even if the weather was less than ideal. With all the hotels right on the boardwalk it is easy to find accommodations, packet pickup was easy the day before in a ballroom in the casino. Before the race runners stood inside the casino to keep warm and use REAL bathrooms. Less of the course was on the boardwalk than I expected looking at the map (the boardwalk ends and we ran one block in on a street parallel to the ocean. This was a good thing since the boardwalk was a bit uncertain in places. There were lots of water stops and great volunteers. Less crowd support than you would expect given the area but a very pleasant run along the seashore. The only "hills" were overpasses and underpasses/tunnels in the first section before the boardwalk and were easy especially with fresh legs. I'm too old for PRs, but if you are not, this would be a great place to get it done. Only issue i could foresee another year is wind which is always a risk for these coastal runs, the good news there is you go both directions so if you had a headwind, you would also get a tailwind.
I didn't see post race food - not sure how I missed it, I saw others with bagels and bananas in the elevator later so it was there. I got medal, water and powerade at finish but then I was just out on the boardwalk with the public. Not a problem as there are many food choices on the boardwalk and in the casino.
Race Tips
There are no surprises in this race. Even pacing seemed to work fine as there were no big hills or weather impediments. Do watch the boards closely while you are running on the boardwalk. There were areas that were new and great, others had loose boards. I caught my toe once and nearly fell but it was around a water stop so I looked up from my feet to grab a cup and must have missed one poking up. I saw a few other runners stumble but no falls. I am not particularly sensitive to cant, but if you are there are places where it is pretty sharp. Usually there is some portion of the boardwalk that is pretty flat, however, you just might have to share it with the general public and do a bit more swerving.
No need to come extra early. Plenty of parking in hotels parking structures close by. If you stay in the hotel you can literally come down 15 minutes before it starts and be fine.
DD's review of 2024 Atlantic City Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
The finish line was okay, bagels and bananas, gatorade and water. The medals were very nice, one of my favorite in the 54 marathons I've run. Volunteers were very nice and tried to encourage us. Finisher shirts were nice 1/4 zip and different for half and full which was nice. Unlike many races, they didn't seem to just cater to the half marathoners--a welcome change.
Race Tips
There are quite a few miles on the boardwalk. Most people didn't seem to mind but I tripped twice while walking it the day before the race, due to screws poking up. I had to be very careful running it. Unlike other years, it was not windy, which was nice. It did get a bit warm though.
Resorts hotel looked nice and the restaurant 'Breadsticks' was good. I stayed at Ballys and I don't recommend! The only bonus was the close proximity but any other hotel on the boardwalk would probably be better. It was just old and all the people that worked there were cranky.
GC's review of 2018 Atlantic City Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
I ran in the AC Marathon for the first time in 2018. It was only my second marathon overall, so I can't compare it to any big/major events. I found the ACM to be well organized, easy to get to, and fairly enjoyable. That it's not a huge hassle to get to the starting line (just walk up), and that you can stay warm in the casino next door made it stress free on race day.
Race Tips
It's very flat. The biggest hills are the highway overpass ramps that you cross. Early on, the route goes along the highway and behind a couple of marina district casinos, which is pretty boring ("ohh, an employee parking lot! yay..."). But at this point the pack hasn't separated out too much, so at least you're with other runners. After that, it's mostly residential areas plus the boardwalk. Sadly, a lot of the time you can't see the ocean from the boardwalk, thanks to the protective sand dunes blocking the view.
Half marathoners start at the same time as the full marathoners. After the halfers split off, it gets a little lonely, as by then the marathon runners have spread out, and it's past the casino areas so there aren't even any tourists. After this point, I mostly saw people walking their dogs, and few very (but enthusiastic) people specifically cheering runners. Crowd support is sparse but the aid volunteers were great.
Many of the streets on the marathon course are not fully closed to traffic but have the shoulders blocked off for runners and intersections controlled by police to allow runners through.
Be mindful the coastal winds could be strong.
The race start/finish line and finishing area is right next to Bally's and casinos on the boardwalk. It's very easy to get to, so you could stay at most any hotel in the area (though within walking distance would be advisable). I stayed at Resorts which is further up the boardwalk, and it only took about 10 minutes to walk there.
Because it's a smallish race, there's just one starting corral and you don't have to arrive super early. The bag check was a small area nearby -- I had absolutely no delays. There aren't any special security perimeters go to through. A big plus is that you can hang out and prep inside of Bally's, staying warm and using the restrooms, while you wait for the starting event.
4.2 Stars from 5 Reviews
