Little Rock Marathon

Named as one of Runner’s World “Bucket List: 10 Great Marathons for First-Timers” in January 2017, come fill your bucket at the Annual Little Rock Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Little Rockers Kids Marathon early March. A race with personality, loads of southern hospitality, tons of caring volunteers, a running or walking tour through the scenic streets of Arkansas' capital city and an impressive finisher’s medal. We are a race for every pace. We love walkers, 8-hour time limit for Marathon race.More than 14,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair competitors are set to trek through the downtown city streets and neighborhoods of Arkansas’ capital city at the annual running of the Little Rock Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K, which also features a 5K. With its large field, occasionally hilly course that takes runners across the Arkansas River and runs through both the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock and more than 30,000 spectators lining the streets to cheer the runners on, the race has become perhaps the state’s most popular road race running event. The Little Rock Marathon, started in 2003, is an annual marathon held in Little Rock, Arkansas. The event is intended to encourage better health and fitness and to raise funds for Little Rock Parks & Recreation. The goal of the event is to hold a community supported and nationally recognized marathon that promotes tourism in Arkansas and showcases the superior organizational efforts of its staff, sponsors and volunteers, while attracting athletes of all ages and abilities. Participants come from all 50 states and 33 different countries (Canada, Mexico, Argentina, United Kingdom, Kenya, Brazil, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Germany, Morocco). The course is scenic and includes many of Little Rock’s landmarks, it is the first race in the state to be transponder chip timed, and also a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. Also The Little Rock Marathon is a USATF certified course (certification pending).The Little Rock Marathon is a project of and benefits Little Rock Parks & Recreation.

From the starting line on Capitol Avenue, the course winds along mostly flat and all paved city streets including 6th, 7th, Pulaski and Markham Streets before turning onto Broadway, which brings the field back through downtown along 4th Street and over to Frontage Road, where the course turns right. The course features longer straightaway sections of several blocks each, along 3rd & Scott Streets, Capitol Avenue and Center Street, before heading past the campuses of Arkansas Baptist College and Philander Smith College.

Once the course makes its way past Philander, runners are hitting the last couple of miles of the race, which takes them along Chester Street and La Harpe Boulevard for the finish on the riverfront.

The course, which starts and finished in Downtown Little Rock and also crosses over the Arkansas River, is scenic and includes many of Little Rock’s famous and historic landmarks. The very spectator-friendly course features plenty of entertainment and crowd support along the course. The race is filled with loads of southern hospitality and several unique features, such as the couch potato mile and the Lipstick Stop (So you can look good for your finish photo!).Landmarks along the course include the Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock River Market District, the Clinton Presidential Center, Governor's Mansion, MacArthur Birthplace/Military Museum, and Historic Little Rock Central High School.The Little Rock Marathon and companion races are a running and walking tour of Arkansas’ capitol city.  When asked if there are hills in Little Rock, we love to affectionately say “What Hills? It depends on your perspective.”  There are some bumps in the road, but life is full of bumps in the road.