Marquette Marathon

The Marquette Marathon is a point-to-point race held on Labor Day weekend in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, now in its 26th year. The course starts in the historic mining town of Ishpeming and follows the Iron Ore Heritage Trail -- alternating between asphalt and crushed limestone -- into the city of Marquette, hugging the shore of Lake Superior for much of the second half before finishing inside Northern Michigan University's Superior Dome. It is a fast, downhill route, dropping 814 feet net from start to finish and certified as an official Boston Marathon qualifier: 21% of 2025 finishers ran a BQ time. Race weekend also includes a Half Marathon starting nearby in Negaunee, a 3-person Marathon Relay, the Wildcat 5K, and the kid-friendly Pebble Fun Run, together drawing roughly 1,200 participants in 2025. Proceeds support Northern Michigan University athletics. Marathon and Half Marathon finishers receive a shirt and medal, and pace groups are offered across a wide range of goal times, from a 1:30 group in the Half Marathon to a 6:00 sweeper group in the Marathon.