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Marathon Details - Marathon Bahamas

International Marathons > Bahamas > Nassau > Marathon Bahamas

Marathon Bahamas

Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas & Half Marathon, Relay, 5K

Nassau, Bahamas

January 14, 2024

http://www.marathonbahamas.com

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2024 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

Held on the idyllic island of the capital of The Bahamas, Nassau, which is immersed in history, natural charm, beauty, white-sand beaches, aquamarine waters and hospitable and welcoming residents, Marathon Bahamas has become the pre-eminent endurance event of the country.

The course is mostly flat, running through history, over to Paradise Island and hugging the northern shoreline of the island with wide open miles of ocean vistas. Start/finish oceanfront.

Contact Information

Name:	Marathon Bahamas
Address:	MARATHON BAHAMAS Sunshine House East Shirley Street at Highland Terrace
Phone Number:	242-394-3101
Fax Number:	242-394-3101
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (11)

Course 4.3

Organization 3.5

Spectators 3.7

Write a review

Number of comments: 11 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

A. B. from Chicago, IL area (1/24/2018) "Some good stuff, some not so good stuff" (about: 2018) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the full marathon. There was also a half and a relay. Pros: scenic race course with ocean and beach views; beautiful finishers medals and awards; small race, so the course is not crowded; enthusiastic, if sparse, spectators; numerous hotels close to race; plenty of water, Gatorade, gels, and porta-potties on course. Cons: weather can be sketchy in the Bahamas in January, we had very high winds for the race, which made the last 6 miles fairly brutal, lots of thunderstorms the previous week had flooded some areas, it rained every day we were there, weather is a potential serious problem for this race; course has two large, steep bridges at mile 1, tough way to start 26.2; course goes through downtown Nassau, let's just say that wasn't as glamorous as I thought it might be; packet pickup is a long way from Atlantis, where we were staying, the line for a bus ticket to and from the race took 45 minutes, then we couldn't find the bus after the race and had to pay for a taxi. Conclusion: it was worth doing once. I would not go back.
r. b. from NY (1/19/2016) "sunny and hot" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 When I arrived on race day, the workers had no idea where the bag drop was and that we needed to walk further from arawak cay. They weren't knowledgeable at the expo either. The bathroom at the beach was not open and the one at the police station broke soon because of overuse - there has to be a bathroom at the start. Also, there should've been a toilet at every other mile and at the turnaround point - I had to go into a hotel to use one.
G. D. from Washington, DC (1/19/2015) "A fun race in a beautiful location" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It was a beautiful day, a little warm, and a scenic course, with 2 hills around Mile 2 as you run over the bridge to Paradise Island and back but otherwise flat. The water stations were plentiful. There was a fun finish party at the beach. There were only 500-600 half-marathoners,a small race by US standards but enough so that I was never worried about getting lost. My only complaint is that the shuttles to and from the race weren't well-publicized as to time and stops. We stayed at the Atlantis, and didn't realize the shuttles to the race start and finish were $6 each way until we found the bus at the Coral Towers. The expo the day before was at another hotel, the Melia, and we ended up taking a taxi there. We otherwise spent Saturday at the Atlantis waterpark, which was great. And of course the beach was beautiful.
A. D. from Pound Ridge, NY (1/24/2012) "A Solid Race" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I have mixed feelings about this race, but on the whole I would recommend it. The pros are pretty straight forward: - Beautiful course, especially after the first 10k. - Very enthusiastic and supportive kids manning the water/gatorade stations. They were great. - Nice excuse to get away for MLK weekend. - Generally fast course, except that this year the headwinds were out of control. I read in the paper that the dude that won the race ran 12min slower than he expected. The negatives are: - Host hotel (British Colonial Hilton) is a dump. I would recommend staying at the Atlantis. There's a Carmines there so you can a) enjoy a wonderful property, and b) carbo-load on some fine Italian pasta. - Organization is not optimal...different packet pickups for for Komen 5k and Marathon was a bit annoying. Other: - Only about 115 people ran the marathon, so if you are looking for crowds in the last half of the race, don't count on it. I actually loved the solitude...It was absolutely beautiful running along the Bahamian coast, all alone, wind in the face, thinking...I am finding my inner chi... Overall, though, I would say this is a race that is worth doing. It's got a ton of potential to keep getting better.
J. L. from Quebec, Canada (1/22/2012) "A truly wonderful experience" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was our first trip to the Bahamas and what a wonderful introduction to it we had! The marathon really made it even more special. Everything about it was perfect, from the packet pickup to the party on the beach at the finish line. I loved every minute of it. The course was beautiful and always varied enough to keep the legs strong. The wind was pleasant, except for a couple miles when it was a bit of a challenge, but every race has its challenges. The weather was perfect, in truth. One of the aspects of this marathon which I really enjoyed was definitely the volunteers and the Bahamian spectators. Everyone was so friendly, cheerful and helpful. We felt very welcomed during our entire stay, and the marathon was no exception. Good aid stations, well supplied like any of the big races. Great goody bag. Great award ceremony at the end (I won my AG!) with cute conch shells given as trophies. What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas for making my race such a great event. And thank you Bahamas for the wonderful vacation my husband and I had! We will be back!
Judeen Gray from Nassau, The Bahamas (1/20/2012) "Fantastic, fantastic, it gets better every time." (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Marathon Bahamass COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love what Marathon Bahamas displaces at every marathon since 2010, to which i have been apart of. The 2010 marathon was my first one every, i did that in 7hr, in 2011 my time was 6hr and now 2012 my time is 5hr. I think i'm moving ahead. 2013, mmmm, what would it be. Can't wait to see, but i'll see you'll there again at the finishing line. Keep it up Marathon Bahamas, i'm your number # fan.
E. R. from Toronto, Canada (1/16/2012) "A fantastic, well-organised, smooth race!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran Barbados Marathon last year which was very poorly organized and I was expecting something slightly better here in Bahamas. However, I was very amazed on how well this race was organized. From the expo to the race itself, it was wonderful. Of course the course itself was absolutely breathtaking. Thank you race officials for such a great experience!!
J. L. from Sioux City Iowa (3/27/2011) "Nice Marathon Getaway" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 My wife planned a warm weather vacation for us. She was nice enough to schedule it around a marathon for me. It turned out to be a great race! I have done big-city marathons, small marathons, and many in between. The Bahamas had great weather the whole race. Nice, early start. Where there were people, they were cheering and fun. Water stops were good and spaced well. The finish area was good. My only complaint would be packet pickup. It was disorganized and not good. Hopefully they can figure it out in future years. We met some great people from all over the world. I would definitely go back and do this race again.
C. S. from Pennsylvania USA (2/18/2011) "Easy way to bag a new country" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was a great experience to run the Bahamas Marathon. The start/finish was just a short walk from our hotel in downtown Nassau, the Colonial Hilton. The expo in Cable Beach was easy to get to by bus for $1.50. The weather was cool enough to run in, and almost ideal. The breeze helped. One critical error: not having a lead bike caused the leader to turn around too soon (never trust the relay runners!). I guess some of the signage blew down or whatever. The tech shirt could have had a nicer design; I know sponsor logos need to go on the back, but they were on the front too. Good job with the course marshaling and hospitality.
S. M. from NJ, USA (3/9/2010) "Great event, despite some shortcomings" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Although there is much room for improvement, it was generally a positive experience for me. Some shortcomings could probably be attributed to the fact that it was an inaugural event. The course was not completely closed to the traffic, but cars were very infrequent and the police did their job well by making sure that runners had priority. I generally liked the course because it was scenic and mostly flat. The biggest hills were the two bridges between mile 1 and 2, but they were at the point when there is still a lot of glycogen in the muscles. Due to small number of participants I ran alone in the second part, wondering at times whether I was lost. Mile markers were not very well visible and did not have clocks. There were no age group awards, a disappointment for some, I am sure. On the other hand, it felt very private and personal from the expo to the finish line. The pasta dinner at the opening ceremony was excellent. The expo staff was very friendly and helpful. Spectators, although sporadic, were awesome. There was no shortage of water and Gatorade at the fluid stations. Finishers were greeted with festive music and a constant drum beat. It felt like a true celebration.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]



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A. B. from Chicago, IL area (1/24/2018) "Some good stuff, some not so good stuff" (about: 2018) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the full marathon. There was also a half and a relay. Pros: scenic race course with ocean and beach views; beautiful finishers medals and awards; small race, so the course is not crowded; enthusiastic, if sparse, spectators; numerous hotels close to race; plenty of water, Gatorade, gels, and porta-potties on course. Cons: weather can be sketchy in the Bahamas in January, we had very high winds for the race, which made the last 6 miles fairly brutal, lots of thunderstorms the previous week had flooded some areas, it rained every day we were there, weather is a potential serious problem for this race; course has two large, steep bridges at mile 1, tough way to start 26.2; course goes through downtown Nassau, let's just say that wasn't as glamorous as I thought it might be; packet pickup is a long way from Atlantis, where we were staying, the line for a bus ticket to and from the race took 45 minutes, then we couldn't find the bus after the race and had to pay for a taxi. Conclusion: it was worth doing once. I would not go back.
r. b. from NY (1/19/2016) "sunny and hot" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 When I arrived on race day, the workers had no idea where the bag drop was and that we needed to walk further from arawak cay. They weren't knowledgeable at the expo either. The bathroom at the beach was not open and the one at the police station broke soon because of overuse - there has to be a bathroom at the start. Also, there should've been a toilet at every other mile and at the turnaround point - I had to go into a hotel to use one.
G. D. from Washington, DC (1/19/2015) "A fun race in a beautiful location" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It was a beautiful day, a little warm, and a scenic course, with 2 hills around Mile 2 as you run over the bridge to Paradise Island and back but otherwise flat. The water stations were plentiful. There was a fun finish party at the beach. There were only 500-600 half-marathoners,a small race by US standards but enough so that I was never worried about getting lost. My only complaint is that the shuttles to and from the race weren't well-publicized as to time and stops. We stayed at the Atlantis, and didn't realize the shuttles to the race start and finish were $6 each way until we found the bus at the Coral Towers. The expo the day before was at another hotel, the Melia, and we ended up taking a taxi there. We otherwise spent Saturday at the Atlantis waterpark, which was great. And of course the beach was beautiful.
A. D. from Pound Ridge, NY (1/24/2012) "A Solid Race" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I have mixed feelings about this race, but on the whole I would recommend it. The pros are pretty straight forward: - Beautiful course, especially after the first 10k. - Very enthusiastic and supportive kids manning the water/gatorade stations. They were great. - Nice excuse to get away for MLK weekend. - Generally fast course, except that this year the headwinds were out of control. I read in the paper that the dude that won the race ran 12min slower than he expected. The negatives are: - Host hotel (British Colonial Hilton) is a dump. I would recommend staying at the Atlantis. There's a Carmines there so you can a) enjoy a wonderful property, and b) carbo-load on some fine Italian pasta. - Organization is not optimal...different packet pickups for for Komen 5k and Marathon was a bit annoying. Other: - Only about 115 people ran the marathon, so if you are looking for crowds in the last half of the race, don't count on it. I actually loved the solitude...It was absolutely beautiful running along the Bahamian coast, all alone, wind in the face, thinking...I am finding my inner chi... Overall, though, I would say this is a race that is worth doing. It's got a ton of potential to keep getting better.
J. L. from Quebec, Canada (1/22/2012) "A truly wonderful experience" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was our first trip to the Bahamas and what a wonderful introduction to it we had! The marathon really made it even more special. Everything about it was perfect, from the packet pickup to the party on the beach at the finish line. I loved every minute of it. The course was beautiful and always varied enough to keep the legs strong. The wind was pleasant, except for a couple miles when it was a bit of a challenge, but every race has its challenges. The weather was perfect, in truth. One of the aspects of this marathon which I really enjoyed was definitely the volunteers and the Bahamian spectators. Everyone was so friendly, cheerful and helpful. We felt very welcomed during our entire stay, and the marathon was no exception. Good aid stations, well supplied like any of the big races. Great goody bag. Great award ceremony at the end (I won my AG!) with cute conch shells given as trophies. What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas for making my race such a great event. And thank you Bahamas for the wonderful vacation my husband and I had! We will be back!
Judeen Gray from Nassau, The Bahamas (1/20/2012) "Fantastic, fantastic, it gets better every time." (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Marathon Bahamass COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love what Marathon Bahamas displaces at every marathon since 2010, to which i have been apart of. The 2010 marathon was my first one every, i did that in 7hr, in 2011 my time was 6hr and now 2012 my time is 5hr. I think i'm moving ahead. 2013, mmmm, what would it be. Can't wait to see, but i'll see you'll there again at the finishing line. Keep it up Marathon Bahamas, i'm your number # fan.
E. R. from Toronto, Canada (1/16/2012) "A fantastic, well-organised, smooth race!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran Barbados Marathon last year which was very poorly organized and I was expecting something slightly better here in Bahamas. However, I was very amazed on how well this race was organized. From the expo to the race itself, it was wonderful. Of course the course itself was absolutely breathtaking. Thank you race officials for such a great experience!!
J. L. from Sioux City Iowa (3/27/2011) "Nice Marathon Getaway" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 My wife planned a warm weather vacation for us. She was nice enough to schedule it around a marathon for me. It turned out to be a great race! I have done big-city marathons, small marathons, and many in between. The Bahamas had great weather the whole race. Nice, early start. Where there were people, they were cheering and fun. Water stops were good and spaced well. The finish area was good. My only complaint would be packet pickup. It was disorganized and not good. Hopefully they can figure it out in future years. We met some great people from all over the world. I would definitely go back and do this race again.
C. S. from Pennsylvania USA (2/18/2011) "Easy way to bag a new country" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was a great experience to run the Bahamas Marathon. The start/finish was just a short walk from our hotel in downtown Nassau, the Colonial Hilton. The expo in Cable Beach was easy to get to by bus for $1.50. The weather was cool enough to run in, and almost ideal. The breeze helped. One critical error: not having a lead bike caused the leader to turn around too soon (never trust the relay runners!). I guess some of the signage blew down or whatever. The tech shirt could have had a nicer design; I know sponsor logos need to go on the back, but they were on the front too. Good job with the course marshaling and hospitality.
S. M. from NJ, USA (3/9/2010) "Great event, despite some shortcomings" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon Bahamas COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Although there is much room for improvement, it was generally a positive experience for me. Some shortcomings could probably be attributed to the fact that it was an inaugural event. The course was not completely closed to the traffic, but cars were very infrequent and the police did their job well by making sure that runners had priority. I generally liked the course because it was scenic and mostly flat. The biggest hills were the two bridges between mile 1 and 2, but they were at the point when there is still a lot of glycogen in the muscles. Due to small number of participants I ran alone in the second part, wondering at times whether I was lost. Mile markers were not very well visible and did not have clocks. There were no age group awards, a disappointment for some, I am sure. On the other hand, it felt very private and personal from the expo to the finish line. The pasta dinner at the opening ceremony was excellent. The expo staff was very friendly and helpful. Spectators, although sporadic, were awesome. There was no shortage of water and Gatorade at the fluid stations. Finishers were greeted with festive music and a constant drum beat. It felt like a true celebration.

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Marathon Details - Marathon Bahamas