Rocket City Marathon
The Lowdown
The Rocket City Marathon is Huntsville, Alabama's flagship marathon, organized by the Huntsville Track Club (an RRCA club founded in 1971) and run annually since 1977. The course is flat and fast, with a reputation as one of the top Boston-Qualifying courses in the Southeast (about 8.6% of 2025 finishers ran a BQ time), passing landmarks including the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Huntsville Botanical Gardens. The marathon and half marathon start Sunday morning from downtown Huntsville, with the 10K, 5K, and 1-Mile Family Fun Run held the preceding Saturday as part of the same race weekend. An Early Start Marathon option lets runners needing 6-7 hours start an hour ahead of the main field. Registration requires Huntsville Track Club membership (available to add during checkout).
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Moderate rolling hills
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Crowd data unavailable
Boston Qualifier
This race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying event. Achieve your qualifying standard here on a verified course.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville Botanical Gardens
Von Braun Center (start/finish)
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Von Braun Center, Downtown Huntsville
US
Eligibility
- Runners under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian register them and sign the waiver
- Huntsville Track Club membership required to register (can be added during checkout)
Required Documents
- Photo ID for packet pickup
- Signed waiver (parent/guardian signature required for runners under 18)
Entry Methods
- Online registration via RunSignup
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Entry fees are non-refundable and non-deferrable, including for weather or other circumstances outside organizer control
Exception for active-duty military with deployment documentation
Gift transfer to another runner allowed before September 1, 2026
Race weekend is headquartered at the Von Braun Center, which hosts the expo, packet pickup, and start/finish for all events.
The December 13, 2026 marathon qualifies finishers for the 2027 Boston Marathon.
First run in 1977; organized continuously since by the Huntsville Track Club except for a 2020-2021 COVID pause.
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Community
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