My marathons

Cape Cod Marathon

Run on 11 October 2026. Next race: date not out yet. Massachusetts
Nobska Light
Nobska Light. Photograph by Ktr101, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The course is flat to about mile 3, then rolls along the reverse of the Falmouth Road Race course for miles 3 to 6, passing Nobska Lighthouse.

The course in short 3 lines
  • Flat start, then the Nobska LightFlat to mile 3, then rolling past Nobska Lighthouse.
  • The mile 12 hill, twiceThe short mile 12 hill comes again at mile 23.4.
  • A 1,200-runner field and a 2 pm closing1,200 marathoners; course closes at 2:00 pm.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometryFlat start, then the Nobska LightFlat to mile 3, then rolling past Nobska Lighthouse.

The organiser says the high point of the course, 49 feet, comes on that rolling section, and that the rest is flat apart from a short hill at mile 12 that rises to about 30 feet. The start and finish are at the Mullen Hall School in Falmouth, about 7 feet above sea level. The 2026 race ran on Sunday 11 October with an 8:00 gun.

Sourced

Whole courseTacticsThe mile 12 hill, twiceThe short mile 12 hill comes again at mile 23.4.

The organiser describes the rise as about 30 feet high. Aid stations stand about every 2 miles with water and Gatorade, GU gel at mile 16 and GU chews at mile 19.5.

Sourced

Whole courseConditionsA 1,200-runner field and a 2 pm closing1,200 marathoners; course closes at 2:00 pm.

The cut-off follows the event permit for the roads, and a sweeper van holds the six-hour pace. The marathon is a Boston Qualifier on a certified course, and the 2026 race sold out.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Massachusetts, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

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We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

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Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

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Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
cut-off
6:00 h

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