Long Island Marathon -- as dreadful as it looks?

Your post made me look into it. I ran it more than 20 years ago, but the course looks essentially the same.

On the plus side, I ran my second-fastest time there. I consider it probably worth more than my fastest time.

Why? If you look at the course map, you'll see that you spend about 2/3 of the marathon on the Wantagh Parkway. While it might seem cool to be running down an expressway, there are at least two things wrong with it.

First, you go down to the beach and then turn around, at which point you face 6 or so miles uphill. It might be a gentle uphill, but at roughly Mile 16 or 17 to 23, it has some effect.

Second, at least 20 years ago, few people ran the full marathon. Once you make the split from the half, you're running alone for about 15 miles. That is, if you're fast, you're literally running alone.

Those two things work against its being a fast course, despite what it might seem like at a glance.

Wherever you go--good luck to you!

I never really ever had a problem with boring courses. I understand that means something to people and I respect that it just never mattered to me.

Maybe a mud run would suit you better? Not that I ran any blazing marathons, but other than NY and Boston, I don’t recall much sightseeing going on when I was racing. Even Marine Corps might as well been held in Podunk, Ark. for all I noticed. Just put your head down and run. And other than about a 3/4 mile length rise around the 7 mile mark, I’d consider it very flat. Jump on a train and be there in 40 minutes vs. driving all the way to Rhode Island.

The course has changed over the years.

The half marathon has a great route with only a little more then a mile on the Wantagh Parkway.

Both the full and half marathon courses are the same through 10 miles. The marathon continues down the Wantagh to Sunrise Highway and turns back north again connecting back into the last 3+ miles of the half marathon course. We stopped going all the way down to Jones Beach many years ago.

Yes, the second half us pretty much all open highway, until you get back into the park. So from about mile 10.5-25 i s just th e wantagh parkway. O nlynsypoortnis high school team cheering yo u on at th e water stops. If its hot, you have no shade at all.

full marathon

Start -> 8. 8 miles local streets.

8.8--> 23.2 miles Wantagh Parkway

23.2 --> 25 miles local streets

25 miles --> finish pathways in Eisenhower Park (about 1 mile on golf course path)