Baltimore Marathon

The Baltimore Marathon is the flagship race of several races held in Baltimore, Maryland known collectively as the Baltimore Running Festival.

Baltimore Marathon
Runners at the 2015 Baltimore Marathon
Date	Mid-October
Location	Baltimore, Maryland
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon
Established	2001
Course records	2:11:56(M) 2:29:11 (F)
Official site	www.thebaltimoremarathon.com

The event was once one of the fastest-growing marathons in the United States,[1] but the number of finishers in the marathon has declined each year since 2013. Additionally, the number of elite runners attending has almost disappeared since the elimination of prize money for winners following the 2012 running of the marathon.

For the 2022 marathon, Under Armour created a 26-member team to run in the festival. Its 17 men and 9 women are local residents with full-time jobs, unlike elite professional runners who compete for a living. The sport apparel company’s goal was to give them “the most premium experience possible. Providing them with footwear, training, and access to Under Armour coaches and staff." It also stated that the runners could win cash prizes if they “hit certain benchmarks of performance.” After the first-place male and female runners crossed the finish line at Baltimore’s marathon this past weekend, they left with trophies. When the third-place male runner and second-place female runner finished the marathon, they left with $2,000 apiece.[2]

Currently Julius Kipyego Keter holds the men's record at 2:11:56 and Olena Shurkhno holds the women's record at 2:29:11.[3]

The marathon begins at the Camden Yards sports complex and travels through many diverse neighborhoods of Baltimore, including the scenic Inner Harbor waterfront area, historic Federal Hill, Fells Point, and Canton, Baltimore. The race then proceeds to other important focal points of the city such as Patterson Park, Clifton Park, Lake Montebello, the Charles Village neighborhood and the western edge of downtown. After winding through 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi) of Baltimore, the race ends in the Inner Harbor.

The competition was first held in 2001, but the city has featured marathon races prior to the current incarnation: the Maryland Marathon was held from 1973 to 1980 and this evolved into the Baltimore City Marathon, which was held from 1981 to 1989.[4]