Runners are welcomed to a packed finish area at the Superior Dome

General 9/4/2026 8:54:00 AM Braden Golisek - Assistant Director of Sports Information

Marquette Marathon Primed for Record-Breaking Results this Weekend

MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The 2026 Marquette Marathon, powered by Northern Michigan University, is ready to go, with festivities starting Friday night.

This year's races will be one of the best in race history, which spans back to 1977, as the field will feature record-breaking race participants across all events, currently sitting at over 1,600 combined runners, with those numbers expected to rise a bit at Friday night's Expo.

"We're really excited to announce our record-breaking numbers of participants for all of our races this year," adds marathon race director Kevin Thomsen. "We're super happy to have the NMU Athletics Department giving their support once again, with all the hard work done behind the scenes to make our race run smoothly and successfully, along with Wildcat student-athletes from every sport working aid stations and road crossings to help our runners cross the line safely."

Thanks to a blazing fast course, the Marquette Marathon is one of the nation's prime races to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and the Half Marathon course is one of the top races to set your new PR. With the weather outlook sunny with a high of 73 degrees, runners couldn't be set up for a better chance of success in achieving whatever goal it is they are chasing.

"The weather looks perfect, and we're going to have one of the fastest races in the country. Come on down to the Superior Dome for the finish line, with prime-time viewing to watch finishers happening around 10 a.m. to noon. See everyone soon!"

The world's largest wooden dome, the Superior Dome, located in the heart of beautiful Marquette, Michigan, acts as the hub for race weekend, providing space for the Expo/packet pick-up, the finish line and finish area, as well as the award ceremony post-race.

The best weekend of the year opens with the Race Expo on Friday, September 4, running from 3-8 p.m. ET in the Superior Dome, the location of the finish line for 2026. At the Expo, runners will pick up their race packet, interact with local companies who registered for booth space, and cheer on their kids as they run in the Pebble Fun Run. The one-mile kids race, sponsored by Frosty Treats, begins at 6 p.m. from the East end of the Superior Dome.

Registered racers should have already received their 2026 Race Day Email. If you have not, please follow this link to view and download the PDF that has all the information you need for the weekend.

If you could not make it to the Expo on Friday night, that is okay! We offer packet pickup from 5:30-7:15 a.m. from the Superior Dome on race morning, allowing you to get your gear before being shuttled to the starting line. The bus shuttle schedule can be found here.

The Marquette Marathon, sponsored by Eagle Mine, and the Marquette Marathon Relay, sponsored by Queen City Running, will start at 7:30 a.m. from the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum in Ishpeming. The Marquette Half Marathon, sponsored by the Radio Results Network, takes off at 9:00 a.m. from the Michigan Iron Museum in Negaunee, Michigan, and the Wildcat 5k, sponsored by Double Trouble Entertainment, begins at 9:00 a.m., starting and ending at the Superior Dome.

There are plenty of viewing areas on the course, which are highlighted on the course map, found here.

For fans looking to track their favorite runner, head to MyRaceResult or Superior Timing in the morning. The race will populate just before runners are sent off.

After making their way through historic Ishpeming and Negaunee, our fastest runners will begin crossing the line at the Superior Dome around 10:00 a.m., with athletes filing in until around 12 p.m. ET. The top winners will be honored at an award ceremony in the Superior Dome, starting at 1 p.m.

If you ran the Marquette Marathon, Marquette Marathon Relay, or Marquette Half Marathon, plan on sticking around for the evening, as your race package includes two free tickets to the NMU football 2026 home opener against Tiffin. Kickoff from the Superior Dome is 6:00 p.m.

NEW FOR THIS YEAR, the Marquette Marathon will be opening early-bird registration for our 2027 slate of races, allowing runners to take advantage of 2026 pricing and beat the 2027 pricing calendar. Registration for 2027 will open at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 5.

For more information and to stay up to date with all things Marquette Marathon, make sure you head to marquettemarathon.com and follow the official Marquette Marathon social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the start and finish lines. Good luck to all who are participating, and go get that PR!

For questions or media inquiries, please contact Assistant Sports Information Director Braden Golisek at brgolise@nmu.edu. Alternatively, you can reach out to the Marquette Marathon inbox itself at nmumarquettemarathon@gmail.com.

Print Friendly Version