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Carmel Marathon

Start 08:108:10 AM Carmel

The Carmel Marathon is a course of 42.2 km (26.2 miles) with 80.9 m (265 ft) of climbing. Its lowest point is 226 m (741 ft) and its highest 266 m (873 ft) above sea level. Next race: Saturday 17 April 2027, starting at 8:10 AM.

Carmel
Carmel. Photograph by TheSongbook, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons . Course line © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Race day
The 2027 race
Start
08:108:10 AM
Distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
Marathon · Half marathon · 10K · 5K
Total climb
80.9 m265 ft
Highest point 40 m131 ft above lowest
Time limit
6 h 30 min

The course

Drag along the profile

The course starts and finishes north of the Palladium on City Center Drive and passes the start and finish line at the halfway point.

Start, finish

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Height drawn many times taller than life · GEDTM30

Course elevation profile, 8× vertical exaggeration Elevation along the course from km 0 to km 42. The trace runs between 226 and 266 metres, a range of 40 metres, drawn at 8 times vertical exaggeration so the shape is legible. Smoothed over 1 km before this profile was derived. An unsmoothed urban surface carries the buildings and would assert a climb that is not there. The dashed stretches are bridge decks: Monon Trail, km 21.9 to 22.2; Monon Trail, km 25.2 to 25.3; East 111th Street, km 29.7 to 29.8. A bare-earth model reads the ground or the water beneath a bridge, not the deck the runner is on, so those runs are interpolated between the ground either side rather than measured, and they under-report the real climb across a span.
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi

Dashed: bridge

Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes

  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

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  • Past the start and finish at halfwayRunners pass the start and finish line at halfway, then run the second half.
  • Flat to rolling, 40 metres of reliefLowest at 6.6 km (226.0 m), highest at 34.9 km (266.3 m); 80.9 m of climbing.
  • A Boston qualifier with a 6.5 hour limitOver 21% of the 2024 finishers ran a Boston qualifying time; 8:10 start.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GeometryPast the start and finish at halfwayRunners pass the start and finish line at halfway, then run the second half.

The organiser describes the course as starting and finishing north of the Palladium on City Center Drive, taking in Hamilton County, the Carmel parks and the Arts and Design District before returning to the Center for the Performing Arts. Runners go past the start and finish line at the halfway point, where spectators give them a boost before the second half. There is a cut-off of 11:25 a.m. for the second loop.

Sourced

km 0 to 42.2GradientFlat to rolling, 40 metres of reliefLowest at 6.6 km (226.0 m), highest at 34.9 km (266.3 m); 80.9 m of climbing.

The organiser calls the course flat to rolling with a few hills. The road runs between 226.0 m at 6.6 km and 266.3 m at 34.9 km, 40.3 m from the lowest point to the highest. The start and the finish sit at almost the same height, about 256.6 m.

The marathon climbs 80.9 m in total. The high point comes late, at 34.9 km.

Measured

km 0 to 42.2TacticsA Boston qualifier with a 6.5 hour limitOver 21% of the 2024 finishers ran a Boston qualifying time; 8:10 start.

The organiser says the Carmel Marathon has been in the top 10 of Boston qualifying events, with over 21% of the 2024 finishers running a qualifying time. The marathon and half marathon start together at 8:10 a.m. on Saturday 17 April 2027, and the marathon time limit is 6.5 hours, a 15:00 per mile pace, which puts the cut-off at 2:40 p.m. Pacers run from 3:05 to 6:00 and need no extra registration.

Sourced

Race weekend

Friday 16 April Expo

  1. 11:0011:00 AM–21:009:00 PM

    Expo and packet pickup All runners pick up their packet at the expo. Race day pickup is available for an additional fee added during registration.

Saturday 17 April Race day

  1. 07:307:30 AM

    Runners to their corrals City Center Dr and 3rd Ave

  2. 07:457:45 AM

    Opening ceremonies City Center Dr and 3rd Ave
Cut-offs and other races (3)

  1. 08:108:10 AM

    Marathon and half marathon start City Center Dr and 3rd Ave

  2. 11:2511:25 AM

    Cut-off for the second loop

  3. 14:402:40 PM

    Marathon cut-off The time limit is 6.5 hours, a 15:00 per mile pace.

Times as published by the organiser, in Carmel time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Carmel time

Entry

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Carmel, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile, 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.

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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
A small balm stick
Illustration · drag to turn

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

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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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
A pack of blister plasters
Illustration · drag to turn

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

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.

Questions about the Carmel Marathon

Is the Carmel Marathon course flat?
Not entirely. It has 80.9 m (265 ft) of climbing over 42.2 km (26.2 miles). The highest point is 40 m (131 ft) above the lowest.
When is the Carmel Marathon 2027?
Saturday 17 April 2027. The start is at 8:10 AM.
What is the time limit at the Carmel Marathon?
Runners have 6 h 30 min to finish.
Runner talk Questions, tips and race reports from other runners about the course and the city.

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