Maine Marathon: What to know for Sunday’s event in Portland
Maine Marathon 2026 Draws Record Crowd, New Amenities, and Big‑Name Runners
Portland, Maine — The 35th annual Maine Community Bank Maine Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay will begin on Sunday at 7:45 a.m. on the streets of Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland and Yarmouth. The race, the largest marathon in the state, is expected to feature almost 5,500 finishers—surpassing last year’s record of 5,144 entries.
Volunteer race director Bob Dunfey told reporters that the event’s growth will be capped at roughly 400 new runners each year to keep the race manageable. “I’m limiting the growth to about 400 runners per year,” he said.
Course and Timing
Both the full marathon (26.2 miles) and the half marathon (13.1 miles) begin and finish together on Baxter Boulevard in Portland. The route takes runners out and back along Portland’s Back Cove, past Route 1 North and Route 88. The full marathon passes through Falmouth, Cumberland and Yarmouth, turning right onto Gilman Road and then Princes Point Road for a roughly three‑mile loop before returning to Route 88 for the finish. The half marathon follows the same path until a turnaround just past Mussel Cove in Falmouth.
The event will signal the start of the chip‑timed races with a series of musical notes instead of the usual starter’s gun or boat horn.
Prize Money and Records
The top male, female and non‑binary finishers earn $1,000 for the marathon and $500 for the half marathon, with cash awards for each top five finish if the runner meets the elite standard. Additional prizes are available for new event records: $500 for the marathon and $250 for the half marathon.
Men’s and women’s marathon records stand at 2:19:19 (Ryan Eiler, 2022) and 2:39:38 (Abby Hamilton, 2021). The current men’s and women’s half marathon records are 1:04:39 (Colin Cernik, 2025) and 1:15:06 (Cliodhna O’Malley, 2025).
Who’s In
The 2025 marathon champions—Sammy Mills of Portland and Emma Howe of Cambridge, Massachusetts—are not defending their titles. Many of the top local athletes are instead targeting the half marathon, including record holders Colin Cernik and Cliodhna O’Malley. About ten runners are expected to challenge Cernik’s time. The women’s half marathon will feature four consecutive champions: O’Malley, Phoebe Oehmig (2024), Veronica Graziano (2023) and Alyson Ursiny (2022). Megan O’Neil of Rochester, Michigan—a Boston Marathon 2024 finisher in 20th place with a time of 2:31—has entered as a serious contender.
New Amenities
For the first time, lactation tents will be set up for nursing mothers at the start/finish area and near the 12‑mile and 15‑mile marks on the marathon course. The race’s expo, held Saturday at Innovation Hall on the University of New England Portland campus, will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., where runners can pick up their bibs, T‑shirts and a range of vendor offerings.
Charity Impact
The Maine Marathon has raised over $8.9 million for charities since its inception. About 40 % of event revenue goes directly to a variety of charities; last year’s donations totaled $793,285. This year’s designated beneficiaries include Nanna’s House, Day One, Camp No Limits and the Pine Tree Society, with additional fundraising benefiting many other groups.
Registration and Participation
Entries have come from 49 U.S. states—North Dakota being the only state not represented—as well as Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and 15 foreign countries. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, registration was still open, but the 5,500‑person cap was quickly approaching.
The 2026 Maine Marathon promises a crowded field, new runner‑friendly features, and the chance to support a long‑standing charitable legacy while tackling a challenging course that winds through some of Maine’s most scenic coastal towns.
