the Bismarck Marathon route features breathtaking scenery along the out-and-back course that parallels the Missouri River. The route incorporates a start and finish line at the North Dakota Capitol, including sections that take runners through historic neighborhoods in Bismarck.
The Bismarck Marathon was the 247th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 233rd largest in 2022.
This year 7% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 8.4% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Bismarck Marathon the 228th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 214th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 99.02 ranks it as the 194th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest course in North Dakota.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Bismarck Marathon a PR Score of 99.02. This PR Score ranks it as the 142nd fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest in North Dakota.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Bismarck Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 1793 feet (546m) Min Elevation: 1628 feet (496m)
Small aid stations almost every mile. They were staffed with cheerful volunteers that really made my day. Nice swag, too- black hoodie and knit cap- I feel like a longshoreman.
Potential for perfect weather given the date- we got 40s to start and maybe high 60s at the end.
The course itself is pretty narrow, often on sidewalks or paved trails, especially until the half runners split off at mile 7 or so. Some very pretty running over the river and back- but alot kind of monotonous in residential neighborhoods.
There is lots of parking at the start, and access was very easy.
Race Tips
The last three miles are uphill and were pretty tough, first up from a park on a steep grade to a highway- then along side the highway for a while into downtown. This was the least pleasant part of the race and was really hard after 23 miles. Save some energy for the finish.
Park at the capitol. Lots of parking. Flying in and out of Bismarck is a snap, but you really need a car once you're there. I'd planned to Uber but couldn't get one from the airport to the packet pickup. Luckily there were lots of affordable rental cars.
Billy Goat's review of 2018 Bismarck Marathon.
4 /
5 Stars
Review
The marathon is well organized and supported by the community. The course is well marked. There was plenty of support and aid stations along the course. The out and back portions did not have a way to track if everyone did the out and back. In fact, this years women's winner should be in question for the following reasons - A couple of runners witnessed her jumping into a bush and later coming out in the first out and back section. One runner passed her while she was walking. Then later, the same runner passed her again. Several runners don't recall seeing her in the out and back sections of the course. But there wasn't any hard evidence to disqualify the winner who got away with a win and a course record with a bonus. The directors initially turned everyone away that complained. But, later they did some more investigation and stood by their recollection of the results, even though a number of runner were certain the winner had cheated.
4.5 Stars from 2 Reviews
