bg26.2 Marathon
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
bg26.2 & half marathon and bg6000
The bg26.2 & half marathon and bg6000 takes place October 31 - November 1, 2026 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The event features on-course and virtual options and multiple race categories including the marathon, half marathon, bg6000, bgKIDS, pushrim and assisted wheelchair duo team entries.
The certified course is Boston Marathon qualifying and starts and finishes at Bowling Green Ballpark. The route uses a 13.1 mile loop that passes through historic downtown Bowling Green and the Western Kentucky University campus; marathon participants complete the loop twice. There are five checkpoints for marathon runners and two checkpoints for half marathon runners. Marathon entrants who complete only one loop (13.1 miles) will be recorded as DNF.
The race enforces a six hour time limit. Marathon participants must maintain a 14:00 minute per mile pace or reach the halfway point (13.1 miles) within three hours. The event is an open course with coned lanes on University Blvd, Fairview Avenue, Kentucky Street and Adams Street; side streets remain accessible to traffic. Strollers and dogs are not permitted on the course.
Packet pick-up, the expo, and the pasta dinner are held at Bowling Green Ballpark on Saturday, with race-day packet pickup available at the ballpark concession window. The pasta dinner is free to paid participants; guest tickets are available for purchase. All finishers receive a finisher medal and post-race refreshments; post-race stretching and massages are provided. Free parking is available at the Stadium Park Plaza parking garage adjacent to the ballpark.
Awards are given by overall placing and by age group for the marathon, half marathon, and bg6000. Minimum age requirements are 16 for the marathon and 12 for the half marathon. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
