Fort Smith Marathon

Event details

The Fort Smith Marathon, Half Marathon and 5 Leg Marathon Relay take place in Fort Smith, Arkansas on March 29, 2026. The start and finish for the half and full marathon are at the River Front Pavilion / Glass Pavilion, 100 N B St, Fort Smith, AR 72901. The event includes these distances:

• Marathon - cap 150 participants, entry fee $90.
• Half Marathon - cap 350 participants, entry fee $80, open to ages 12-99.
• 5 Leg Marathon Relay - cap 150 teams, entry fee $160.

Awards for the half marathon and full marathon are scheduled on race day. Packet pickup is at True Grit Running Co with pickup windows on Friday, March 27 (afternoon) and Saturday, March 28 (daytime). A race day packet pickup option is available for a $5 fee.

Course, aid stations and logistics

The marathon course goes through historic downtown, residential neighborhoods and paved trails, and includes rolling terrain with several climbs and descents. The half marathon follows the marathon route and turns off around mile 7.5, rejoining near mile 9 for the return to the finish. The marathon uses a rolling course closure and is designed to close on an eight-hour pace; hard cutoffs are enforced at checkpoints and runners beyond cutoffs will be shuttled back to the start.

Relay legs are approximately:

• Leg 1: 5.4 miles, 260' elevation gain.
• Leg 2: 4.8 miles, 114' elevation gain.
• Leg 3: 4.5 miles, 262' elevation gain.
• Leg 4: 6.3 miles, 237' elevation gain.
• Leg 5: 5.5 miles, 237' elevation gain.

Aid stations provide water, Gatorade, basic first-aid supplies, and portable toilets at some locations. Marathon nutrition is available at several stations and includes items such as GU packets, pretzels, gummy bears and cookies. Relay exchange points are listed along the course at approximately miles 5.3, 10, 15 and 20.5. Pacers are listed for both marathon and half marathon target times. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

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