Rochester Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay

Sunday, September 26, 2021 • Rochester, NY • Course Map

Note: A virtual option is available for this event, to be run anytime from September 26 to October 3. Registration details are included below.

The Rochester Marathon, Half-Marathon & 4-Person Relay takes runners on a course that crosses the Genesee River and unfolds through the downtown areas and residential neighborhoods of this scenic city in western upstate New York.

This point-to-point race offers runners many of the same sights as the full 26.2-mile marathon, with the starting line along the banks of the Genesee River in Maplewood Park and the finish line near downtown, next to Rochester’s Frontier Field.

From the start, runners head north away from downtown and into the neighborhoods of nearby Irondequoit, past Riverside Cemetery and into Turning Point Park. Through these first few miles, the race features mostly flat terrain with a few small changes in elevation.

Runners can expect four bridge crossings over the Genesee River during the half marathon, and some long stretches along the Genesee River Trail that runs alongside the river.

The final bridge crossing occurs at Pont du Rennes near downtown, a stretch that leads onto Platt Street and then heads toward the finish at Frontier Field, home of Rochester’s AAA farm team of Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins.

Photo courtesy Rochester Marathon & Half Marathon.

Race Weather & Climate

Located along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in western New York state, about 85 miles west of Syracuse and roughly 74 miles northeast of Buffalo, Rochester typically sees some of its mildest weather of the year in September, which has brought record temperatures here as low as 28°F (in 1947) and as high as 99°F (in 1953).

On race day (Sept. 26), the average low is 51ºF and the average high is 71ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the MVP Health Care Rochester Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

7:30 AM – half marathon
7:40 AM – 5K

Fees

$85 – $95 for the half marathon
$30 – $40 for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the early fall 2021 running of the Rochester Half Marathon or 5K, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

www.rochestermarathon.com

Comments

Ever run in the Rochester Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.