Saturday, November 16, 2019 • Columbus, GA • Course Map
The streets of both Fort Benning and the peaceful, serene setting of the Columbus Riverwalk form the backdrop for the Soldier Marathon & Half Marathon, which makes its 10th annual running through this southwest Georgia city in the fall of 2019, along an out-and-back course that starts and finishes at the Army installation’s new National Infantry Museum, which opened to the public in 2009.
Dedicated to the life, service and heroism of the infantrymen who have served the U.S. in war over the past two centuries, the 190,000-sq.-ft. museum hosts an interactive tour with galleries detailing the contributions of infantries in wars all the way back to the Revolutionary War, leading up to the wars today in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The museum is located just outside the gates of the Fort Benning Army installation in the park known as Patriot Park, and this is where the marathon and half marathons start and finish.
From the museum, those running the 13.1-mile half marathon can expect a course that’s largely fast and flat and run on paved surfaces nearly the entire route.
The race takes runners through two “halves,” in a way, in that the first nearly 6 miles of the race are run along the streets of Fort Benning, starting at the Infantry museum and then proceeding on a loop that takes runners along 10th Division Road, Sigerfoos Road and Lumpkin Road before bringing the field back nearly all the way to the museum.
The second half of the race takes runners out onto the Columbus Riverwalk, a paved pathway for walkers, runners, bicyclists and inline skaters that stretches more than 20 miles along the winding banks of the Chattahoochee River.
This nearly all-flat section of the half marathon route takes runners along the river for the entire second half of the race, where they can look across the river into Alabama as they make their way through a series of linear parks and bridges before hitting the turnaround point and heading back toward the museum for the race finish.
Both the half marathon and the full marathon share an 8:00 AM starting time, and runners in both races have seven hours to complete the course.
More than 1,600 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes crossed the finish line in both races combined at the event’s 2016 running, including just over 1,000 finishers in the half marathon alone.
Race Weather &Â Climate
Nestled along the banks of Georgia’s Chattahoochee River, right along the state line that divides Georgia and Alabama and lying just over 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, Columbus typically sees mild to moderately warm and occasionally wet weather in the mid-fall.
On race day (Nov. 16), the average low is 45ºF and the average high is 67ºF.
Past Results
- 2018 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2017 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2016 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2015 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2014 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2013 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2012 Soldier Half Marathon Results
- 2011 Soldier Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the race route map for the Soldier Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
- 8:00 AM – marathon, half marathon
- 8:10 AM – 5K
Fees
- $80 and up for the half marathon
- $95 and up for the full marathon
- $25 and up for the 5K
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2019 running of the Soldier Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K, register online at Active.com here.
Official Race Website
Facebook Conversations
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