Spring marathons in the USA and Canada: dates, weather and courses

Spring is a busy marathon season across North America, from the Gulf Coast in early March to Canada at the end of May. Below are the marathons in the USA and Canada in that window with at least 1,000 finishers, with how you get in and the figures that matter most when choosing one.

“Climb” is the total elevation gain of the course. “Usual start temp.” is the average temperature at the start time over the last 10 years on race day. Races are listed in season order; those that have already run this season show next year’s date. Dates marked “est.” follow the race’s usual slot and are not yet confirmed.

How to choose between them

Check the entry rules first

Most of these races are first-come, first-served: register early and you are in. A few famous ones need a qualifying time or a lottery win, so if one of those is your goal, have an open-entry race as a backup in the same window.

Climb varies a lot

North American spring courses range from almost pancake-flat to several hundred metres of climbing. For a personal best, look at the lower end of the climb column and at the flattest marathons in the USA; for scenery, a hillier course can be worth the slower time.

Watch the temperature in May

March and April races mostly start cool. By May, races in the South and the Midwest can start in the teens °C and warm up fast, while the northern US, the mountains and Canada stay cooler. Early starts help, so check the start time on each race page.

Train through winter

A 16–20 week plan for an April marathon starts in December, so many long runs fall in the coldest weeks of the year. Layer up, plan routes with somewhere warm to stop, and move a long run if ice makes it unsafe: one missed run won’t decide your race.

Compare any of these side by side, or filter by month, climb and temperature in the race finder. Racing in Europe instead? See spring marathons in Europe.