With 59,226 finishers in 2025, the New York City Marathon is the biggest in the world. Starting on the iconic Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn, the marathon passes through all five of New York City’s boroughs before steering toward the famed Central Park finish line. The cheering crowds are legendary, the shiny finisher medal is highly coveted, and the racing experience is forever memorable.
Unfortunately, all the things that make the New York City Marathon wonderful, also make it very popular. So popular that of the thousands of runners who enter the lottery this year trying to earn a spot, only about one percent actually secured a bib. And while there are other ways to get in beyond the lottery, it still leaves thousands of runners without a place on the starting line in November.
But we have good news! While you’re waiting to get into NYC next year, there are plenty of other marathons you could run this year that keep you involved in the hype of fall marathon season.
Here, a dozen worthy expeditions held within a week of the 2026 New York City Marathon. Even if you lost the NYC lottery, fear not, because this fall could still hold your new favorite 26.2.
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Niagara Falls International Marathon
Courtesy MarathonPhotos.com
Date: October 25, 2026
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Although you won’t actually run in New York, you will be able to see the state from Canada across the Niagara River. This out-and-back race starts and ends near the famed falls, and follows the scenic river for 13 miles in both directions. Like the NYC Marathon, you can easily fit in tourist activities if you’re looking to turn your marathon into a long weekend. You can visit the falls, check out the shops and restaurants in downtown, or hit up the casino. Just remember: Because this race is in Canada, American runners need a passport to run it.
Marine Corps Marathon
Date: October 25, 2026
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
If you’re looking for another massive city marathon (but one that’s quite a bit easier to snag a bib for), then Washington D.C.’s Marine Corps Marathon may be your best bet. In 2025, the Marine Corps Marathon ranked as the third largest in the U.S. behind only New York and Chicago. Dubbed the “People’s Marathon,” it doesn’t offer prize money and isn’t included in the Abbott World Majors, but it drew more than 30,000 runners last fall.
While there is no lottery for the Marine Corps Marathon, which boasts a scenic course that runs past the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Capitol Building, it does sell out quickly. General registration opens on April 6, 2026, and you’ll want to sign up fast.
Dublin Marathon
Date: October 25, 2026
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Provided you’re up for a hop across the pond, sign up for the Dublin Marathon. Similar to New York, Dublin’s marquee race provides runners with an all-encompassing scenic tour of a magnificent, historical city. Starting near St. Stephen’s Green, the loop course sends runners across the River Liffey, through Phoenix Park, southeast to the University College Dublin campus, and then back to a finish in the heart of the city.
Ocean State Rhode Races Marathon
Courtesy Ocean State Rhode Races
Date: October 25, 2026
Location: Narragansett, Rhode Island
Geographically, one of the closest major marathons to NYC during the adjacent weekends is the Ocean State Marathon in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The coastal New England enclave is easily accessible from New York or Boston by train, and offers plenty of cute bed-and-breakfasts and beachside hotels to help turn the marathon into an autumnal getaway. The course has rolling hills that add a challenge, but with beautiful seaside views and coastal breezes, the 26.2 miles will fly by. The race also ends with a postrun festival at the iconic Narragansett Town Beach, with food, drinks, and live music to send you out on a high note.
Las Vegas Marathon
Ken Howard Images
Date: October 25, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
When you think about Las Vegas, you probably conjure images of the city’s neon-lit strip lined with casinos, restaurants, and shops. What people often overlook is the stunning natural landscape that surrounds “Sin City.” The Las Vegas Marathon, however, aims to showcase the natural splendor of the area outside the city, with a course that starts in Mount Charleston to the northwest and sends runners on a point-to-point course down into the metropolis. While the race doesn’t touch the Vegas Strip, it provides runners with some stunning views of the city and a different type of Las Vegas experience. You can always head back to the pool for a postrace pina colada.
City of Oaks Marathon
Courtesy of Capstone Event Group
Date: November 1, 2026
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Held every year on the same day as the New York City Marathon, Raleigh’s City of Oaks Marathon offers the perfect counter-programming, especially if you’re looking for something a bit lowkey. Raleigh is nicknamed the “City of Oaks” due to the city’s dedication to preserving the area’s gorgeous oak trees, and those will certainly be on display as runners cruise through the inner city and the surrounding neighborhoods. The first half of the course weaves through Raleigh’s charming downtown, before runners head out on a lengthy out-and-back segment in the second half. Well organized, but with plenty of small-town charm and Southern hospitality, this is one to add to your must-do list.
Louisville Marathon
Date: November 1, 2026
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Like the Las Vegas Marathon, the Louisville Marathon is a nature-focused race that takes place outside of the city’s downtown. It features a scenic, out-and-back course through Floyds Fork, a stunning tributary that sits to the city’s southeast. While running through nature is certainly a draw, the marathon’s website also boasts, “Derby Pie and beer waiting for you at the finish line!” What is Derby Pie? Glad you asked. The Kentucky Derby staple is a luxurious pie made of walnuts and chocolate, and while traditionally served to spectators at the city’s iconic horse race, it’s also served to finishers of the city’s iconic human race.
Albuquerque Running Fiesta Marathon
Courtesy Albuquerque Running Fiesta
Date: November 1, 2026
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Another race option held on the same day as the NYC Marathon is the Albuquerque Running Fiesta Marathon, which premiered in 2025 and is back for its second year. The extremely flat course is great for first-time marathoners or those chasing a PR, and the route steers runners through downtown, the North Valley, and Old Town, as well as along the famed Route 66. If you live out west and you don’t want to trek all the way to the East Coast, this is a great option.
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Courtesy Jake Rytlewski / Beyond Monumental
Date: November 7, 2026
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Of the many reasons to run the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, the race’s website is quick to highlight its convenient location as a key factor, saying the city is within a day’s drive of over half the U.S. population and the airport is only 15 minutes from downtown. New York certainly can’t boast either of those stats.
Indy’s marathon starts and ends downtown with its loop course circling the city and sending runners through many of its historic neighborhoods. As you can probably guess, the Indy course is also extremely flat, making it a lot easier to PR here than on those NYC bridges.
Moab Trail Marathon
Courtesy Aktiva Photo
Date: November 7, 2026
Location: Moab, Utah
Nearly the polar opposite of the NYC Marathon, you’ll run the Moab Trail Marathon on a dirt path through nature. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful natural landscape in America than what exists in Moab, Utah, though, a town adjacent to two different National Parks (Arches and Canyonlands). This course, while remote and more difficult than many marathons, sends runners into a breathtaking wilderness, providing a truly one-of-a-kind running experience—without a skyscraper in sight.
Athens Marathon
Courtesy of Eurokinissi
Date: November 8, 2026
Location: Athens, Greece
While the New York City Marathon may be the world’s largest, the Athens Marathon is easily the most iconic. The name “marathon,” after all, is based on the journey of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger who ran from Marathon towards Athens to proclaim Greek victory over the Persian army in 490 BC, only to collapse and die upon delivering his message. The modern Athens Marathon traces that route, sending runners from Marathon to Athens in a 26.2-mile point-to-point course. Unlike in Ancient Greece, the course is now lined with aid stations to prevent anyone else befalling Pheidippides’s fate.
Saddleback Marathon
When: November 7, 2026
Location: Silverado, California
California boasts one of the most diverse natural landscapes of any state, and nowhere is that more evident than at Saddleback Marathon in Southern California. While the race has been cancelled throughout its nearly three-decade history due to wildfires (and COVID), the 2026 iteration will hopefully run in November on a 26.2-mile out-and-back route through the Cleveland National Forest. This trail marathon provides runners an excellent opportunity to connect with nature and provides the perfect runcation.
Matthew Huff is a freelance writer and runner, and he is the author of MARATHONER: What to Expect When Training for and Running a Marathon, published by Rizzoli Publications. His writing has appeared in Runner’s World and BuzzFeed among others, and he is the co-host of “P.S. You’re Wrong: A Pop Culture Podcast.” Originally from Michigan, he now lives and runs in New York City, where he is pursuing a career as an expert chicken tender taster.