El Paso Marathon
The Lowdown
The El Paso Marathon is a Boston Qualifier held every February in West Texas, run and finished in Downtown El Paso around San Jacinto Plaza. Founded in 2007 by the non-profit El Paso Marathon Foundation, the race originally ran point-to-point from the top of Transmountain Road down to Union Plaza; a 2018 redesign moved the marathon to a downtown loop course, which now starts and finishes near San Jacinto Plaza for a faster, more spectator-friendly finish. The paved city-streets course mixes some rolling hills through the middle miles with flat terrain at the start and finish, and organizers promote a net-downhill finish that favors qualifying times for both the Boston Marathon and the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championship. Race weekend also includes a half marathon and 5K run/walk on Sunday alongside the marathon, plus a Saturday Kids Dash, with packet pickup and the Sarah Farms Health & Fitness Expo held at the El Paso Convention Center the day before. All marathon finishers receive a medal, and runners must reach the 20-mile mark by 11:30 AM to stay within the 6-hour course time limit. The event currently carries Michelob ULTRA title sponsorship.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Moderate rolling hills
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
Boston Qualifier
This race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying event. Achieve your qualifying standard here on a verified course.
San Jacinto Plaza
Downtown El Paso
El Paso Convention Center
Other distances available during the event weekend:
El Paso, TX, USA
US
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Marathon runners must be 18-100 years old per the official age chart.
Required Documents
- Photo ID for packet pickup
Entry Methods
- Online registration via the official RunSignUp-powered race site
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Review the official registration page for the current transfer, deferral, and refund policy before registering.
Founded in 2007 by the non-profit El Paso Marathon Foundation; original course ran point-to-point from Transmountain Road to Union Plaza before a 2018 redesign moved to a downtown loop.
Official qualifier for both the Boston Marathon and the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championship.
No strollers, baby joggers, or pets allowed on course.
Recent full-marathon finisher counts have ranged roughly 238-657 (2023-2026 editions); total race-weekend participation across all events has exceeded 3,000 in past years.
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Community
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