Cleveland Marathon Half Marathon & 10K

It’s easy to see why it’s such a popular race — the race draws more than 20,000 runners and walkers for all races combined each year — when you get a look at the elevation profile for the course, which is marked by long, steady stretches of flat terrain, and an overall elevation change of just under 100 feet.

The 13.1-mile half marathon course shares the same starting line and time as the full marathon, with the race for both starting in downtown Cleveland, next to the public square on West Superior Avenue.

From there, the course takes both runners and walkers — both the half and full marathons welcome both running and walking participants — through downtown Cleveland and around the Cuyahoga River, with several bridge crossings on the course.

Along the way, participants will be able to catch views of many of the city’s most well-known attractions and sights, including Browns Stadium (home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Jacobs Field, where the city’s age-old Major League Baseball team the Cleveland Guardians play.

While the course is mostly flat and steady, it does feature a few hills here and there, most notably at the 6th mile and the last two miles.

Those running the half-marathon split off from their 26.2-mile counterparts after a long “home stretch” straightaway along the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and Lake Avenue. There they’ll turn around and head back to the finish line, while full marathoners will continue the out-and-back section for several more miles.

Sunday’s races include the full marathon and half marathon; the 5K and 10K race will be run on Saturday.