The Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon course elevation is very flat. It is basically sea level for the entire race. A few small bridges are the only rises on the course.
Although the course is flat and fast, the warm weather in Ft. Lauderdale this time of year may slow most runners down considerably - especially those not well acclimated to the weather. However, if the race day weather is cool or runners are acclimated to the weather, it is definitely a PR course.
The Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon was the 130th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 110th largest in 2022.
This year 5.6% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 5.4% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon the 329th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 254th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 99.75 ranks it as the 56th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest course in Florida.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon a PR Score of 97.34. This PR Score ranks it as the 310th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 14th fastest in Florida.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 13 feet (3m) Min Elevation: 2 feet (0m)
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How Fast Can You Go?
If you ran the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon in 4:42:00, what would your time in other marathons be?
See how your race times would compare on other marathon courses with our time conversion tool.
Have run this marathon three times and it's never well organized. The multiple loops and different turns for half marathoners creates so much confusion even the course volunteers don't know which way to direct runners. This has happened every time I've run this race. 2024 was by far the worst where the entire course was longer for both half and full marathons! They measured the course wrong! The organization admitted the mistake but there is no fix. Every runner had extra distance/time added to their results. This is absolutely not a race to run if you have any desire to use the results for Boston Qualifying.
Keisha J's review of 2022 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon.
1 /
5 Stars
Review
This race is catered to the 13.1 half marathoners and it's a lot a fun but for a full it's just to hot and miserable! It's not even that flat, I had like a 400 elevation gane! It was a miserable run, oh and it's always windy. Left so disappointed
Great tourist area and very organized when it comes to parking, drop off shuttles, etc.
kl's review of 2017 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
A beautiful flat scenic course. 2017 was quite hot and humid for my first marathon in Florida! Overall well organized and lots of support along the way. I did find that the first aid tents were not spread evenly, and the food at the end was not all in one spot, they encouraged you to walk around after you came through the finish to go to the different vendors for your recovery food; I had trouble navigating it as i was in a dehydrated state.
Race Tips
Bring toilet paper...they ran out. Bring a change of clothes, and a bit of food.
Get there early for parking. I parked by the start line, which means you have to get a shuttle back to your car from the finish. You can choose to park at the finish it just means you'll have to get there even earlier to get back to the start.
EMR's review of 2013 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon.
4 /
5 Stars
Review
A nice, super flat race. It is essentially an out and back race. It starts @ 6:00am I'm guessing to avoid the heat but it creates a memorable first hour as the sun rises over the ocean. The port-a-potties at the race start ran out of toilet paper an hour before the race. No excuse for that. There are plenty of water stops which most years will be critical. They do consistantly have a great medal.
Race Tips
The course is as flat as advertised w/ only one hill, an overpass. Its usually warm (altho 2013 was nice and cool) so hydrate. After the Halfers split off (mile 9) it can get a little lonely and miles 7-23 we don't get ocean views only the backs of beachfront hotels, ugh.
I stayed close to the airport to save money but was still only 15 minutes from the race. I parked at the finish and took the shuttle to the start which worked great. I did arrive for the shuttle by 4:30. The expo was moved to the convention center. More room for the expo but bad traffic getting in and must pay for parking.
3.2 Stars from 5 Reviews
