Races

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Mount Desert Island Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Bar Harbor
US

James St. John · CC BY 2.0James St. John · CC BY 2.0James St. John · CC BY 2.0James St. John · CC BY 2.0James St. John · CC BY 2.0

Race date in 336 days: Oct 17, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Bar Harbor · 42.195km · 21.0975km
Entry fee: $170From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Oct 17, 2027 · Entry ~ Oct 1, 2027

2026

2026Date Oct 18, 2026 · Entry ~ Aug 11, 2026

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Nov 15, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

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

A point-to-point marathon through the Acadia National Park area in Maine.

It starts in Bar Harbor, runs along Somes Sound, and finishes in Southwest Harbor.

It is held in October, during the fall foliage season.

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.

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 3

RebeccaRan in 2013

“It is seriously 26.2 miles of this. Totally incredible.”

A review that rates the scenery through Acadia, along the Maine coast and past the fall foliage very highly. The race was well run too, but the shuttle line after the finish was long, so don't rely too much on the shuttle times.

Read the original on My Eager Feet

TrevorRan in 2010 · Finish time 3:50:39

“the course was picture-perfect.”

This runner finished more than 5 minutes faster than the previous marathon and said the weather, the atmosphere and the course were all excellent. The hills from mile 20 to 25 and the wind near Somes Sound were the notable stretches.

Read the original on Garden Variety Maritime Runner

highonrunningRan in 2010

“I could see the finish; I could hear my name over the intercom.”

A record from a runner whose first marathon was this race. They went out fast to the midpoint, slowed on the hills in the second half, and ended up in the medical tent with dehydration after the finish.

Read the original on RunningAHEAD

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.

Mount Desert Island Marathon Course, Bar Harbor, ME
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 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.

From the 2026 edition

First come, first served

Entry cost $145

This is general registration, capped at 2,000 entries first come, first served across the marathon and half marathon.

There is no waitlist, and once it closes it does not reopen.

It can close as early as June.

Organizer's page

Charity

Entry cost TBD

Even after general registration closes, charity bib spots may still be available.

A minimum of $250 in fundraising is required, and the entry fee is paid separately.

Apply by October 1.

$250 or more in fundraising (excluding entry fee)

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

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

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 8:00

Time limit6 hours 30 minutes

6 hours 30 minutes (about 15 min/mile average), course closes at 2:30 p.m.

Event	Start	Time limit	Entry fee	Field size	Bib pickup
Marathon42.195km	08:00	14:30	$145	2,000	Sat 17:00
Mount Desert Island Half Marathon21.0975km	08:30	12:30	—	2,000	Sat 17:00

START

200 Main Street, Bar Harbor, Maine

Main Street, Bar Harbor

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

In front of Pemetic School, 327 Main Street, Southwest Harbor

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
No intermediate time limit times have been announced. The course closes at 2:30 p.m.

Runners start · local time — Marathon and team relay at 8:00 a.m., half marathon at 8:30 a.m.; buses for half marathon runners leave the Village Green between 6:15 and 7:15 a.m.

The Mount Desert Island Marathon is held every year on the Sunday of the weekend after Indigenous Peoples' Day.

The marathon and team relay start on Main Street in Bar Harbor, and the half marathon starts in Northeast Harbor;

every event crosses the finish in Southwest Harbor.

The course passes lakes, mountains, small villages, and ocean views in turn, and as a USATF-certified course it is a Boston Marathon qualifier.

Miles 1 to 3 are uphill, the lowest point is near mile 16 beside Somes Sound, the highest point is at mile 25, and the last 1.2 miles are downhill.

Runner reports consistently say the scenery is picture-perfect but the hills between miles 20 and 25 are tough.

General entries are capped at 2,000 and have sold out as early as June, so the field is small and cozy.

The host is a local running club, Crow Athletics.

The 2027 race is announced for October 17. Entries fill quickly on a first-come basis, so sign up for registration alerts on the official site ahead of time.

It is also popular with travel runners who want fall foliage and Acadia National Park scenery in one trip,

and reports say many runners collecting marathons in all 50 U.S. states come for the Maine race.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Bag drop 2026

Aid stations 2026

Start shuttle 2026

Event T-shirt 2026

Race expo 2026

This may change for the next edition.

Hotels589m from the start · ★9.6

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2026 edition

Bib pickup

Shirts are handed out first come, first served in the size you registered for, and size exchange opens Saturday at 15:00.
The YMCA parking lot is members-only, so you'll need to use paid parking downtown
Friday 3:00–7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (as of the 2026 edition)

MDI YMCA gym

21 Park Street, Bar Harbor

Google Maps Directions

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startBar Harbor Village Green
Getting to the finishPemetic School, Southwest Harbor

Source · checked Nov 11, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Bar Harbor Village Green / Main Street

Marathon starts at 200 Main Street, Bar Harbor; bag drop and bib-day pickup are at the Village Green. Point-to-point course: start in Bar Harbor, finish in Southwest Harbor.

Nearest airport is Bar Harbor-Hancock County (BHB, about 20 min) with Boston service; Bangor (BGR) is about 1h20 away. Downtown Bar Harbor parking is paid.

Map

Getting to the finish

Pemetic School, Southwest Harbor

Free finish-line shuttles run from the Bar Harbor Bank lot beside the finish back to the Bar Harbor Village Green from about noon to 3 PM.

Map

Source · checked Nov 11, 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.

The start line is in Bar Harbor and the finish is in a different town, Southwest Harbor, so plan your logistics first.

If you leave a rental car at the finish, a shuttle is your only way back to the start.

Marathon bag drop is at the Bar Harbor Village Green until 7:30 a.m., and bags are transported to the finish area.

From the start line you can walk to downtown Bar Harbor, so staying downtown is convenient.

After the race, a free shuttle runs from Southwest Harbor to the Bar Harbor Village Green from around noon to 3:00 p.m. Reports say lines can be long,

so don't rely too heavily on shuttle times.

The bib cannot be picked up by someone else;

you must collect it yourself with ID at the Bar Harbor YMCA gym on Friday 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. or Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Picking up on race morning means giving up the bag and shirt.

Race-day temperatures are usually 4 to 14°C (39 to 57°F, average about 8°C), so check a warm layer in your bag for the wait at the start.

You'll find a aid station about every 2 miles, with gels from mile 16 on.

The time limit is 6 hours 30 minutes, and the course closes at 2:30 p.m. (some FAQ entries say 3:00 p.m., so confirm with the organizers).

Lodging fills up early in foliage season, so book it when you register.

Registration is open only until October 1. If you might cancel, buy insurance ($24.50) at registration,

or request a one-year deferral (a $20 fee) by September 1. A deferred bib must be claimed by May 1. The finish-area festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is open to runners from any event.

Times are local to Bar Harbor. 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.

Island Place

Hotel · 589m · 9-minute walk

9.6/10(159)

View on Booking.com

Acadia: Cadillac Mountain Half-Day Sunrise Tour with Hike

$732

Mount Desert Island Marathon

About Mount Desert Island Marathon — what makes it special

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

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run