Course, Rules, & Awards

Course Certification/Boston Qualifying

The Tallahassee Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay are run on USATF-certified courses. The full marathon is a qualifying course for the Boston Marathon.

Course Description

The Tallahassee Marathon and Half Marathon begins on Monroe Street across the street from the Florida Capitol. Runners begin travelling north through Downtown before turning onto the rolling hills of the Glenview Drive residential area, through trendy Midtown, and on the tree-lined Calhoun Street and Franklin Boulevard.

After passing the Smoky Hollow Commemoration, runners loop around Cascades Park beside ponds and open green spaces, then climb the Lafayette Street hill to pass through the beautiful Myers Park neighborhood.

The runners next enjoy a long downhill as they cross the Capital Cascades Crossing pedestrian bridge and run along FAMU Way, getting into the Rattler spirit with Florida A&M University to the left and the funky Railroad Square Art Park to the right. The half marathon runners head toward Florida State University, and the full marathon runners turn onto the pancake-flat St. Marks Trail, a paved footpath in a former railroad bed with sections of tree canopy to enjoy. In the middle of the St. Marks Trail section, the course runs alongside Lake Henrietta and through the Jake Gaither neighborhood, so-named for the legendary Florida A&M University football coach.

The full marathon runners then re-join the half marathon course and make their way to Florida State University, passing through the Stadium Drive pedestrian tunnel leading past Doak Campbell Stadium and Dick Howser Stadium. The course then crosses through the southwestern end of campus and through the CollegeTown district’s Madison Mile to the finish line.

The course is on completely paved surfaces except for a 0.1 mile dirt access path on the full marathon route only.

Course Maps

Full and Half Marathon maps are in production to optimize for safety and run. Both courses will be certified by USA Track & Field.

Half Marathon - Draft Course

More scenic with 8 feet of additional elevation gain!

Starts at Leon County Courthouse, turns east on Tennessee Street, and winds through Betton Hills, Myers Park, and Cascades before heading south on FAMU Way and finishing in style in College Town near Doak Campbell Stadium.

View map
View turn by turn directions here.

Full Marathon

All the half marathon highlights, a scenic second loop and a fast and flat out-and-back on the St. Marks Trail.

Yes, there is a bit more elevation than last year, but crafted to keep it fun and fast. This course will also be certified next month and we anticipate there may be changes.

View map
View turn by turn directions here.

Marathon Relay

Four legs. Easy to support. Easy to drive. More fun to cheer!

  • Exchange zone 1: Madison St. just after split with half marathoners
  • Exchange zone 2: Cascades Park (after 2nd loop)
  • Exchange zone 3: Four Points Drive and St. Marks Trail

Exchange zone 1 and 2 are a few steps away from each other in a FUN location. At Exchange zone 3, your relay team will cheer your runner twice in the first mile before your team travels to the finish line. Here are maps for each relay segment:

View full map
View turn by turn directions here.

Relay

Teams of 4 may participate in the race relay-style, with each team member covering a different section of the course. The relay is held on the full marathon course only. There is a 6-hour cutoff, which means all relay members must be able to run 13:44 per mile or faster.

There will be 3 divisions: men, women, and coed. Men’s and women’s teams must include members of a single gender only. Coed teams must include at least 1 member of each gender. Team members must register separately.

  • Leg 1 – About 6 miles.
  • Leg 2 – About 6 miles.
  • Leg 3 – About 9 miles.
  • Leg 4 – About 5 miles.

Team members will tag off at Exchange Zones on the course. Download full relay rules and instructions here.

Course Cut-off Time and Event Timing

All races start together at 7:30 a.m. Eastern time. Half marathoners must maintain a minimum pace of 15 minutes per mile. Full marathoners and relay runners must maintain a minimum pace of 13:44 minutes per mile. All participants must complete the course in six hours or less. At each mile checkpoint, runners who cannot maintain the needed pace will be encouraged to stop, as traffic control and aid stations will not be guaranteed after that time. While runners will not be forced to stop, any who continue must do so unsupported, at their own risk and on the sidewalk, and will not be permitted to run on the road. “Unsupported” means that police will not be available to stop traffic at intersections, and runners will be responsible for their own safety. Runners must complete the course in six hours or less to receive a finish time and be listed in the race results.

The race will be scored with an electronic timing system. Timing mats will be located at the start/finish area and at other locations along the course. All participants who complete the course within the cutoff time will receive both gun and chip time. Full marathoners will also receive a 13.1-mile split time.

Awards

The Bank of America Tallahassee Marathon & Half Marathon awards prize money to top 3 marathon and half marathon finishers male and female, and top masters male and female.

Overall, masters, and grandmasters winners in both races will be awarded based on gun time. All other awards will be based on net time.

  • Full Marathon Cash Awards for top 3 males & females:
    • First Place: $1,000
    • Second Place: $750
    • Third Place: $500
    • Masters: $250
  • Half Marathon Cash Awards for top 3 males & females:
    • First Place: $500
    • Second Place: $300
    • Third Place: $200
    • Masters: $150
  • Other Awards:

    • Grandmasters and top 3 age group awards for half marathon race beginning with 14-19, and continuing to 80+. Grandmasters and top 3 age group awards for marathon race beginning with 16-19, and continuing to 75+. Top 1 award to each relay team in mens, womens, and coed categories.

    Minimum Age Requirements

    Any participant under the age of 18 must have the waiver signed by a parent. The Race Directors reserve the right to speak with a parent of a participant under 18 years of age and to disallow participation by a minor if we feel the minor is not adequately prepared to participate.

    Registration

    Registration is online only and will close at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025.

    Footwear Rule

    All runners are responsible for ensuring that their race-day shoes appear on the official World Athletics List of Approved Athletic Shoes. Shoes not appearing on the approved list may result in disqualification. Check your shoes in advance using the World Athletics Shoe Checker.