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Marathon Details - Mount Desert Island marathon

North America Marathons > USA > ME > Bar Harbor > Mount Desert Island marathon

Mount Desert Island marathon

Mount Desert Island marathon & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay

Bar Harbor, ME USA

October 20, 2024

http://www.runmdi.org

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Race Details

The Mount Desert Island Marathon, hosted by Crow Athletics, has been voted the "Most Scenic & Runner-up Best Overall Marathon" by Runner's World, and "Best Marathon in the Northeast" by Competitor Magazine, and is quickly gaining world-wide attention.

Contact Information

Name:	Crow Athletics
Address:	1369 State Highway 102 Suite #1 Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Phone Number:	207-288-9828
Email:	Email the organizers

Race Organizer

Tough but fair. Scenery beyond imagination! (10/26/05)

Gary Allen, race director

Our Mount Desert Island Marathon features a hilly, scenic route. We run past ocean vistas, lakes, forests and quaint villages. We have found that many runners more than welcome the challenge, as well as the stunningly beautiful backdrop of Acadia National Park during peak fall foliage season.
We advertised our course as hilly and tough from day one, of the philosophy behind this amazing marathon. We believe our course is a true test and a breathtaking journey, as opposed to the 'come hither and qualify', mentality of many race directors who frankly seem more obsessed about digits on a clock than the necessary details needed to put on a quality race -- first priority should be a great course. The times posted here seem to prove the point that difficult courses can also be fast courses. We hosted the fasted winning marathon times run in the state of Maine in 2003 for both men and women, and fastest mens time in 2005. We feel that 'marathon' and 'easy' don't belong in the same sentence. Come run with us and you'll feel and see how marathon running was meant to be.

Runner Reviews (155)

Course 4.8

Organization 4.8

Spectators 4.1

Write a review

Number of comments: 155 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 16 > ]

P. C. from Florida (10/18/2023) "Very beautiful, very difficult" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my 28th marathon. This is by far the most beautiful and most difficult course I've ever run. The 1st 18 or so miles are magnificent and VERY hilly. The last 8 miles, at times, felt almost dangerous because I was running on a busy road with traffic and no running lane. Other than that I give it a big thumbs up!
J. A. from NC (10/19/2022) "Challenging but scenic course for a well run race." (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race should be on the list of anyone who enjoys destination races. Very well organized, good community support, and great scenery. Probably not the race to do if you are chasing a BQ, but it is possible to run well there. Give it a shot!
Aaron Riddle from Winchester, VA, USA (10/18/2018) "Stunningly Beautiful Coastal Marathon" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was looking forward to this marathon all year long after reading incredible reviews of how it is one of the most beautiful races on all of the east coast. It did not disappoint! The course itself runs from Bar Harbor, ME along the coast through Acadia National Park, finishing at Southwest Harbor..another coastal town on Mount Desert Island. I was blessed with incredible marathon running weather on race day (temps in the upper 30s / low 40s with clear skies) and the trees were at peak fall foliage. The view of the water, mountains, and trees was incredible. Regarding elevation, the course is not an easy one. With a total elevation gain of around 1700 ft., there are several large, drawn out inclines that you will need to run. However each incline is followed by a nice decline...and the last two miles of the course are mostly downhill too. Be sure to include some hills in your training plan. The race organization was top-notch. Constant updates were sent out via email and posted on the Run MDI website full of pre-race information along with a very detailed race packet PDF that was helpful not only to runners, but spectators as well. Packet pick up is a breeze in the town of Bar Harbor, which also features many things to do including shopping, boat / trolley tours, or visiting Acadia National Park. Course support was very nice as well. There were few points on the course were there were not any spectators. The highlight of the course support to me was a large fishing boat of some type blowing its horn to cheer on and encourage the runners. Due to proper training, amazing views, and great weather I was able to run my first-ever sub-4 hour marathon...so my experience was a fantastic one! One final tip...I would register for this race early and book lodging ASAP. Bar Harbor has many bed and breakfasts with a few other hotels, and they fill up quick due to the tourists visiting to see the autumn colors of Maine. We were fortunate to stay in a hotel that was only a 10 minute walk from the starting line, and made our booking 9-10 months in advance.
Scott Campbell from CA (10/17/2018) "Exceeded my high expectations" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Since there are so many other comments, I'm going to focus on things that I didn't read in my scan of other posts (I read about 6 or 8 of them). Organization - the drop off is really easy. I was told I needed to arrive early, but it wasn't necessary. So if you're getting dropped off and don't want to shiver for 45 minutes, you can get dropped off at 7:45 and you should be fine (I ran the full and it started at 8 am. the 'Halfers' started at 8:30, but I don't think this will matter in terms of a later drop off time). Course - Yes, yes, yes, it's amazing! Scenery did not disappoint. Oh, and if you do a drive in the park - as I did with the family the day before - don't assume your driving on the same route. I made the mistake of thinking that the route we drove was the same as the course. Luckily it wasn't (the driving route was much hillier). I didn't notice the slope issues others mentioned. Yes, it was sloped, but it's a road. All roads are like this. However, I agree with the comment about the narrow lane towards the end. I had a nice kick in the last miles and wanted to pass a guy and a car was approaching us. It's not safe to pass when a car is passing by too (I think I did it anyway.....bad idea!). Spectators - they were great! It's not an R n' R, Boston, Chicago or NYC, so one shouldn't expect much in terms of numbers. I base it more on enthusiasm, and they were great! I've run some smaller races where the water support was going through the motions only. No sympathy there... My family was able to easily meet me at the designated spectator spots, including having time to get to the finish line....which is pretty much impossible for the larger races. This was the best part of the spectator experience for me. I would highly recommend it as 'an experience' marathon, not a PR. So if you want to run an amazing course and have a true experience, this should be on everyone's short list. It's also a great excuse for the family to do a weekend trip and also spend some quality time in the Nat'l Park and the city (Bar Harbor, which is awesome!) Happy running!
A. L. from North Georgia (10/20/2017) "MDI: this race rocks!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The only negative about this marathon is that the race is only held once a year, so I have to wait 12 months before I can run it again. Just these basic observations: of the 51 full marathons I've run, MDI is hands-down the most scenic. It's just unreal. I loved every single mile. The race people were superb. Race director Gary Allen was at the starting line, walking around, greeting runners and introducing himself. The volunteers- to a person- were happy and helpful. The race expo was small, but that was expected: this isn't a Boston or an NYC mega-event. Registration/check-in was simple and smooth. The course is exceptionally hilly, as advertised. No surprises there. If you train on hills, you'll be fine. As bad as I wanted to, I only stopped during the race for one photo: 'The Tree' at mile 15 on Sargeant Drive. It's essentially the race's logo, and its profile adorns everything. No way was I passing that thing without a pic. Spectators are few and far between. This is a remote, rural race, largely through a national park. Humans are not plentiful. What spectators there were were enthusiastic and supportive. I gave them 5 stars for quality, not quantity. The bottom line is simple: Bar Harbor is not exactly easy to get to. I mean, it's close to Greenland. But if you're a marathoner, you have GOT to get there and run this race sometime during your running career. It's just too good an event to pass-up. I absolutely loved it, and I will certainly be back!
C. A. from Texas (5/17/2017) "Most beautiful marathon by far" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was the most beautiful marathon by far of the almost 50 I've done. I would do it every year, if I didn't live in Texas. It was also the hilliest, but the gorgeous views almost made me forget about the hills. Don't expect lots of spectators, just enjoy the scenery. Race director cares about his community and it shows. Don't miss the pasta dinner at the school. Lots of food at the end of the race including fudge. If I had one criticism it would be the wait time for the BBQ and beer at the end. Maybe have two trucks serving. They ran out of both just as my turn came. Oh well, I was still smiling from the beauty around me.
M. B. from Hudsonville MI (10/26/2016) "Beautiful Course" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have been wanting to run this race for five years and we finally made the plans and just did it. I am slowly working on running a marathon in all 50 states but the requirement is that each marathon is an event not just something that is a checkmark to say I ran that state. This race did not disappoint, point to point during peak colors with views of the water. We came early and stayed a couple days after the race, we stayed right in Bar harbor, lots plenty of restaurants to choose from as well as arcadia national park right outside the back door there is plenty of hiking. The race - The good: Aid stations spaced every two miles well stocked, beautiful views, awesome shirts and cool claw medal, awesome finish line with BBQ and beer. I cant say much bad, the course is hilly but who wants to run a flat race every time (winner was 2:22 so it must not have been that bad) not a ton of spectators but do you need people to line the course? The course is not closed to traffic in all areas so it is a little tight in spots.
K. W. from Oklahoma (10/19/2016) "Beautiful" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Just as advertised. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. If you are all about your finish time, then you are not going to appreciate the best part of the race...fall changing of leaves. For the first race ever, the shuttle buses were timely and there was not a long wait. Since the race is held at the end of the season, the town was not overly crowded both before and after the race. My only recommendation to the director is there was only enough room for one runner inside the cones the last 6 miles or so. The only way that you could pass on pavement was to run on the outside of the cone and into oncoming traffic. If this race gets any bigger, I would highly recommend shutting one lane and ask drivers to take an alternate route.
B. S. from Chicago (10/18/2016) "Stunning course." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The course serves up plenty of long rolling, though not steep, hills. The gorgeous fall colors and countryside helped the hills and miles pass by quickly. Great organization and volunteer support. This is a 5 star marathon.
B. O. from Boston, MA (10/24/2015) "Very good race but could be better" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Ignore my stars for spectators because I prefer no spectators. Organization was very good but long line for post-race bbq and beer caused me and my friend to skip it. The course is what it's all about in any marathon. Some very scenic parts and the hills were very runnable - made for interesting terrain with no real steepness if you're used to training on rolling terrain. My biggest knock - and this is big - is the camber, cant, angle - whatever you want to call it - of much of the course once you pass the halfway point. It's like running with one leg shorter than the other, and you're running on the inside of highway cones while a steady stream of cars approach inches away on the other side. I thought Bar Harbor in the fall was more quiet. The tilt of the shoulder reeked havoc on my right calf and there was no way to avoid it. Short of shutting down roads I don't know how this could be fixed and I don't see shutting down roads for a small marathon as a possibility. During the first half of the race, I thought I would definitely run this one again but now I'm not so sure. Maybe an out-and-back and not a point-to-point?

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 16 > ]



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P. C. from Florida (10/18/2023) "Very beautiful, very difficult" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my 28th marathon. This is by far the most beautiful and most difficult course I've ever run. The 1st 18 or so miles are magnificent and VERY hilly. The last 8 miles, at times, felt almost dangerous because I was running on a busy road with traffic and no running lane. Other than that I give it a big thumbs up!
J. A. from NC (10/19/2022) "Challenging but scenic course for a well run race." (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race should be on the list of anyone who enjoys destination races. Very well organized, good community support, and great scenery. Probably not the race to do if you are chasing a BQ, but it is possible to run well there. Give it a shot!
Aaron Riddle from Winchester, VA, USA (10/18/2018) "Stunningly Beautiful Coastal Marathon" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was looking forward to this marathon all year long after reading incredible reviews of how it is one of the most beautiful races on all of the east coast. It did not disappoint! The course itself runs from Bar Harbor, ME along the coast through Acadia National Park, finishing at Southwest Harbor..another coastal town on Mount Desert Island. I was blessed with incredible marathon running weather on race day (temps in the upper 30s / low 40s with clear skies) and the trees were at peak fall foliage. The view of the water, mountains, and trees was incredible. Regarding elevation, the course is not an easy one. With a total elevation gain of around 1700 ft., there are several large, drawn out inclines that you will need to run. However each incline is followed by a nice decline...and the last two miles of the course are mostly downhill too. Be sure to include some hills in your training plan. The race organization was top-notch. Constant updates were sent out via email and posted on the Run MDI website full of pre-race information along with a very detailed race packet PDF that was helpful not only to runners, but spectators as well. Packet pick up is a breeze in the town of Bar Harbor, which also features many things to do including shopping, boat / trolley tours, or visiting Acadia National Park. Course support was very nice as well. There were few points on the course were there were not any spectators. The highlight of the course support to me was a large fishing boat of some type blowing its horn to cheer on and encourage the runners. Due to proper training, amazing views, and great weather I was able to run my first-ever sub-4 hour marathon...so my experience was a fantastic one! One final tip...I would register for this race early and book lodging ASAP. Bar Harbor has many bed and breakfasts with a few other hotels, and they fill up quick due to the tourists visiting to see the autumn colors of Maine. We were fortunate to stay in a hotel that was only a 10 minute walk from the starting line, and made our booking 9-10 months in advance.
Scott Campbell from CA (10/17/2018) "Exceeded my high expectations" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Since there are so many other comments, I'm going to focus on things that I didn't read in my scan of other posts (I read about 6 or 8 of them). Organization - the drop off is really easy. I was told I needed to arrive early, but it wasn't necessary. So if you're getting dropped off and don't want to shiver for 45 minutes, you can get dropped off at 7:45 and you should be fine (I ran the full and it started at 8 am. the 'Halfers' started at 8:30, but I don't think this will matter in terms of a later drop off time). Course - Yes, yes, yes, it's amazing! Scenery did not disappoint. Oh, and if you do a drive in the park - as I did with the family the day before - don't assume your driving on the same route. I made the mistake of thinking that the route we drove was the same as the course. Luckily it wasn't (the driving route was much hillier). I didn't notice the slope issues others mentioned. Yes, it was sloped, but it's a road. All roads are like this. However, I agree with the comment about the narrow lane towards the end. I had a nice kick in the last miles and wanted to pass a guy and a car was approaching us. It's not safe to pass when a car is passing by too (I think I did it anyway.....bad idea!). Spectators - they were great! It's not an R n' R, Boston, Chicago or NYC, so one shouldn't expect much in terms of numbers. I base it more on enthusiasm, and they were great! I've run some smaller races where the water support was going through the motions only. No sympathy there... My family was able to easily meet me at the designated spectator spots, including having time to get to the finish line....which is pretty much impossible for the larger races. This was the best part of the spectator experience for me. I would highly recommend it as 'an experience' marathon, not a PR. So if you want to run an amazing course and have a true experience, this should be on everyone's short list. It's also a great excuse for the family to do a weekend trip and also spend some quality time in the Nat'l Park and the city (Bar Harbor, which is awesome!) Happy running!
A. L. from North Georgia (10/20/2017) "MDI: this race rocks!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The only negative about this marathon is that the race is only held once a year, so I have to wait 12 months before I can run it again. Just these basic observations: of the 51 full marathons I've run, MDI is hands-down the most scenic. It's just unreal. I loved every single mile. The race people were superb. Race director Gary Allen was at the starting line, walking around, greeting runners and introducing himself. The volunteers- to a person- were happy and helpful. The race expo was small, but that was expected: this isn't a Boston or an NYC mega-event. Registration/check-in was simple and smooth. The course is exceptionally hilly, as advertised. No surprises there. If you train on hills, you'll be fine. As bad as I wanted to, I only stopped during the race for one photo: 'The Tree' at mile 15 on Sargeant Drive. It's essentially the race's logo, and its profile adorns everything. No way was I passing that thing without a pic. Spectators are few and far between. This is a remote, rural race, largely through a national park. Humans are not plentiful. What spectators there were were enthusiastic and supportive. I gave them 5 stars for quality, not quantity. The bottom line is simple: Bar Harbor is not exactly easy to get to. I mean, it's close to Greenland. But if you're a marathoner, you have GOT to get there and run this race sometime during your running career. It's just too good an event to pass-up. I absolutely loved it, and I will certainly be back!
C. A. from Texas (5/17/2017) "Most beautiful marathon by far" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was the most beautiful marathon by far of the almost 50 I've done. I would do it every year, if I didn't live in Texas. It was also the hilliest, but the gorgeous views almost made me forget about the hills. Don't expect lots of spectators, just enjoy the scenery. Race director cares about his community and it shows. Don't miss the pasta dinner at the school. Lots of food at the end of the race including fudge. If I had one criticism it would be the wait time for the BBQ and beer at the end. Maybe have two trucks serving. They ran out of both just as my turn came. Oh well, I was still smiling from the beauty around me.
M. B. from Hudsonville MI (10/26/2016) "Beautiful Course" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have been wanting to run this race for five years and we finally made the plans and just did it. I am slowly working on running a marathon in all 50 states but the requirement is that each marathon is an event not just something that is a checkmark to say I ran that state. This race did not disappoint, point to point during peak colors with views of the water. We came early and stayed a couple days after the race, we stayed right in Bar harbor, lots plenty of restaurants to choose from as well as arcadia national park right outside the back door there is plenty of hiking. The race - The good: Aid stations spaced every two miles well stocked, beautiful views, awesome shirts and cool claw medal, awesome finish line with BBQ and beer. I cant say much bad, the course is hilly but who wants to run a flat race every time (winner was 2:22 so it must not have been that bad) not a ton of spectators but do you need people to line the course? The course is not closed to traffic in all areas so it is a little tight in spots.
K. W. from Oklahoma (10/19/2016) "Beautiful" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Just as advertised. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. If you are all about your finish time, then you are not going to appreciate the best part of the race...fall changing of leaves. For the first race ever, the shuttle buses were timely and there was not a long wait. Since the race is held at the end of the season, the town was not overly crowded both before and after the race. My only recommendation to the director is there was only enough room for one runner inside the cones the last 6 miles or so. The only way that you could pass on pavement was to run on the outside of the cone and into oncoming traffic. If this race gets any bigger, I would highly recommend shutting one lane and ask drivers to take an alternate route.
B. S. from Chicago (10/18/2016) "Stunning course." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The course serves up plenty of long rolling, though not steep, hills. The gorgeous fall colors and countryside helped the hills and miles pass by quickly. Great organization and volunteer support. This is a 5 star marathon.
B. O. from Boston, MA (10/24/2015) "Very good race but could be better" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Ignore my stars for spectators because I prefer no spectators. Organization was very good but long line for post-race bbq and beer caused me and my friend to skip it. The course is what it's all about in any marathon. Some very scenic parts and the hills were very runnable - made for interesting terrain with no real steepness if you're used to training on rolling terrain. My biggest knock - and this is big - is the camber, cant, angle - whatever you want to call it - of much of the course once you pass the halfway point. It's like running with one leg shorter than the other, and you're running on the inside of highway cones while a steady stream of cars approach inches away on the other side. I thought Bar Harbor in the fall was more quiet. The tilt of the shoulder reeked havoc on my right calf and there was no way to avoid it. Short of shutting down roads I don't know how this could be fixed and I don't see shutting down roads for a small marathon as a possibility. During the first half of the race, I thought I would definitely run this one again but now I'm not so sure. Maybe an out-and-back and not a point-to-point?

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Marathon Details - Mount Desert Island marathon