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FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race photo

FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race photo
FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race photo
Akron
US
Mark Turnauckas · flickr (CC BY)Dillguy9 · CC0Dillguy9 · CC0
Race date in 351 days
Sep 25, 2027 Sat
City · Distance
Akron · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee
$136.73Varies by event and entry period
2027Date Sep 25, 2027 · Soon
2026
2026Date Sep 26, 2026 · Entry Jan 7, 2026 ~ Sep 20, 2026
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 9, 2026
FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race photo
Mark Turnauckas · flickr (CC BY)
FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race photo
Dillguy9 · CC0
FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race photo
Dillguy9 · CC0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is the flagship race of the Akron Marathon Series.

The events are full marathon, half marathon, and a team relay.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 1
LesleyFinish time 3:25:03
“It was a perfect day, great course, exciting race, and almost an 8 minute PR.”

At the Akron Marathon, the runner started with a pace group, then picked up speed late in the race. The finish into Canal Park brought a better time than expected.

Read the original on The Breakfast Runner

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

FirstEnergy Akron Marathon 2022

FirstEnergy

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Marathon

Entry cost $136.73

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Relay Team Captain - Create Your Team

Entry cost $61.83

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Relay Team Member - Join Your Team

Entry cost $61.83

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Registration platform Race Roster

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay course map and elevation

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00
City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Akron Art Museum, South High Street, Akron, OH

FINISH

Akron Art Museum

Show more

The events are Marathon and Half Marathon.

The start is in Akron, OH, at 7:00 a.m. local time.

The finish is at the Akron Art Museum.

Typical race-season temperature: around 18°C (65°F)
Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Event T-shirt 2026

Marathon · Half · Team Relay

Pacers 2026

Marathon · Half

Timing chip 2026

Marathon · Half · Team Relay

Finisher medal 2026

Marathon · Half · Team Relay

This may change for the next edition.

Where and when to collect your FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Pick up your bib at the expo

John S. Knight Center (77 E Mill St, Akron), 11:00am~8:00pm, no race-day pickup available

John S. Knight Center

Google Maps

Stations & transport near the venue

  • Getting to the startNo rail service in Akron.
  • Getting to the finishFinish is at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron (the 'Blue Line' finish), close to downtown bus stops.
  • Transit cardAkron uses METRO RTA buses; buy fares via the free EZfare mobile app (also on Transit/Moovit/Uber) rather…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No rail service in Akron. Start is on High Street in downtown Akron, next to the Akron Art Museum, within the downtown METRO RTA local bus service area.

Organizers encourage parking downtown (e.g., near St. Paul Church, 1580 Brown St, Akron) and taking the race's own shuttle to the start rather than driving to the start directly; the start time was moved from 7:00am to 7:30am partly to allow more shuttle time.

Akron has no passenger rail; downtown is walkable and served by local METRO RTA buses, but the race's own park-and-shuttle system is the primary way runners reach the start.

Map

Getting to the finish

Finish is at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron (the 'Blue Line' finish), close to downtown bus stops.

Finish area is in the heart of downtown Akron near parking and shuttle drop-off points.

Map

Start shuttle

Organizer-run free shuttle buses carry runners from downtown parking (e.g., St. Paul Church lot) to the start line on race morning.

Transit card

Akron uses METRO RTA buses; buy fares via the free EZfare mobile app (also on Transit/Moovit/Uber) rather than a physical card, or pay cash on board. A standard one-way ride is $1.25, with fare capping at $15 for 7 days if you ride repeatedly.

No contactless bank card tap-to-pay is available yet.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Bib numbers and participant Packet Pickup are available only at the Health & Fitness Expo held before the race at the John S. Knight Center (77 E Mill St, Akron),

open from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Race-day pickup is not available.

Times are local to Akron. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Cleveland｜Private airport pickup/drop-off service from Hopkins International Airport

$244

View on Klook

Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball Game at Rocket Arena

$31

View on Klook

Hotels near the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay start line in

Hotels that make race morning easy

View all →

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

Trip.comClosest to the start lineView on Trip.com

Time for you, before and after the finish

View all →

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Cleveland｜Private airport pickup/drop-off service from Hopkins International Airport

$244

View on Klook

Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball Game at Rocket Arena

$31

View on Klook

Pittsburgh Penguins Ice Hockey Game at PPG Paints Arena

$79

View on Klook

Where runners eat in Akron

Eating well is part of the trip

View all →

A meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.

What to see in Akron after the race

Seeing Akron with the medal on

View all →

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Experiences, food and sights are travel products in Akron.

Total cost and budget for FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Akron runners' room

Frequently asked questions about FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay

FAQ
When does registration for FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 open?

Not announced yet. Entries for the 2026 race opened on Wed, January 7, 2026.

When does FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 take place?

It takes place on Sat, September 25, 2027 in Akron, OH, United States.

How much is the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 entry fee?

The main event costs $136.73.

What distances does FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 offer?

Marathon · Half.

What time does FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 start?

The race starts at 07:00.

Where does FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 start?

Akron Art Museum, South High Street, Akron, OH.

Where does FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, & Team Relay 2027 finish?

Akron Art Museum.

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