The race staging area will be located at the utility area on Alden Road/Upper College Pond Road, NOT at College Pond. The utility area is 1.5 miles from the Long Pond Road entrance to the State Forest and setup area is on the right. Relay cars should park on Snake Hill Road and will be given instructions by the volunteers when they arrive.
START TIMES
Full Marathon Early Start begins at 7:00 am – this start time is only for individuals participating in the full marathon that feel they will need more than 5 hours to finish the course – see details below.
Full Marathon Regular Start begins at 8:00 am – the course is open for 6 hours (until 2:00 pm).
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NUMBER PICKUP
Pre-race pickup will be held on: Saturday, November 14th from 2pm – 6pm at Marathon Sports – 38 Long Pond Road, Plymouth
Race day number pickup and on site registration will begin at 6:15 am at the utility area on Alden/Upper College Pond Road.
Photo ID is not required for pickup and you may pickup numbers for other participants.
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TRANSPORTATION TO THE START & PARKING
All participants in the full marathon will be shuttled from the parking area at Plymouth North High School, 41 Obery Street to the starting area on Alden Road or dropped at the start by a non-participant.
There is no race day parking for the Marathon in the State Forest and no shuttle service available back to the State Forest after the race.
* Shuttles will begin running at 5:30 am. If you were not able to pickup your number and bag pre-race, we recommend that you take an early shuttle to leave time for check-in.
* The last shuttle will leave Plymouth North High School at 7:30 am – the race begins at 8:00 am, early start at 7:00 am.
* Shuttles are for runners only as they do stop running at 7:30 am. If non-runners choose to take the shuttle to the start we will not have transportation available for them back to Plymouth North.
* There is limited parking at the start for any spectators that would like to watch the start. You are also welcome to watch and cheer on the runners from any other location along the course but please see the recommended viewing areas located in the FAQ section under the Additional Information tab. The lot at College Pond will not be open for race parking.
* Spectators should follow all driving and parking directions provided for the relay vehicles.
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DIRECTIONS TO PARKING & SHUTTLES
From the North: Route 3 South to Exit 5. Left off the exit. Right onto Obery Street, follow to Plymouth North on the left.
From the South: Route 3 North to Exit 5. Right off the exit. Right onto Obery Street, follow to Plymouth North on the left.
From the West: Route 44 East to Route 3 South. Route 3 South to Exit 5. Left off the Exit. Right onto Obery Street, follow to Plymouth North on the left.
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EARLY START
We will be offering an early start for those marathon runners that feel that they will need more than 5 hours to finish the course. The early start will be at 7:00 am but a couple of items to keep in mind if you are going to opt for this:
1. You must pre-register
2. Water tables will be setup by 7:00 am but we will not have full volunteer support in place until 8:00 am so there may not be anyone there to hand you a cup of water but please help yourself if you need some (or you can carry water for the early miles); Please run on the left side of the road, close to the shoulder. Traffic in the State Forest is typically light this time of year but there may be relay participants accessing the start along this road;
3. Your timing for the event will be on clock time, not chip time, as the timing mats and clocks will not be started until 8:00 am. The timing company will add one hour to your finish time for results. Please do not choose this option if you will be able to finish the course in under 5 hours. Any early start participants that finish in under the 5 hour time frame will not receive an official finish time.
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On Course Refueling Areas
There will be 13 Waterstops along the course, placed approximately every 2 miles. Gatorade can be found around miles 5, 10, 14, 18, 22 and 24 and there will be a gel stop at mile 16.
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Porta-potties
Porta-potties are available at the start. On course they can be found at approximately miles 5, 10, 15, 19 & 23.
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Gear Check
There will be gear/bag check available at the start. We would like you to use the bags we provide, however, if you choose to use your own bag, please make sure it is labelled with your contact information and bib #. Please do not place any valuables in your gear check bags as we cannot be responsible for any damage or loss.
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Course Map
The marathon course is a USATF certified, measured Boston Marathon qualifier. Please keep in mind that if you are using a GPS it is not the same thing as a course measurement. Additionally, GPS service is extremely limited in some areas of the State Forest. Why are we telling you this??? Pretty good chance you’re GPS isn’t going to give you a 26.2 mile reading at the finish line.
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Printable Course Map
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Spectator Information
Have family and friends that want to watch you along the course??? There are plenty of spectating options available from start to finish. There are some areas of the course that will be closed to vehicles so we ask that all spectators follow the directions provided for the relay vehicles on the relay tab while in the State Forest then follow the directions for #3 and #4 below.
Great places to watch from:
1. Transition 1 (see map on relay page). Your supporters can see you twice from this location – once at the 4+ mile mark and again just shy of mile 10. All cars must arrive at this location no later than 8:15 am or you will have to park at the intersection of Upper College Pond and Halfway Pond Roads and walk the 1/2 mile+ up to the transition area.
2. From there they can drive straight out of the State Forest and catch you at Mile 16 along Alden Road just before you head out onto the public roads.
3. While the runners take a right out of the State Forest to go South on Long Pond Road, spectators can take a left. Drive approximately 3/4 of a mile and take a right onto Jordan Road. Follow Jordan Road to the intersection of Sandwich and Clifford Roads where they can see you again as you’re passing around the Mile 22 mark. Please be careful where you park in this area as it is mostly private property. (If this area is too crowded to find parking, take a left on Sandwich Road and follow to Bramhalls Corner where you can see them after they pass the 24 mile mark).
4. Runners will take a right onto Clifford but spectators should continue on Sandwich Road, past Jordan Hospital. Go past the police officer directing runners left onto Obery Street up to the traffic light. Turn left at the light and left onto Nook Road. Follow Nook Road approximately 1/2 mile to the baseball field parking on the right side of the road and walk up to the finish.