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Marathon Details - The Woodlands Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > TX > The Woodlands > The Woodlands Marathon

The Woodlands Marathon

The Woodlands Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

The Woodlands, TX USA

March 1, 2025

http://www.thewoodlandsmarathon.com

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Race Details

The Woodlands Marathon is a must-run event for those looking for a well-organized, scenic, and supportive marathon experience. Its combination of natural beauty, excellent logistics, and community spirit makes it a standout choice for marathon enthusiasts.

Held in the beautiful community of The Woodlands, Texas, this marathon offers a flat and fast course that winds through scenic neighborhoods, lush green spaces, and around sparkling lakes.

Starting early in the morning, participants are greeted with crisp air and the anticipation of the race ahead. The course is predominantly flat, with just a few gentle inclines, making it ideal for setting personal bests and qualifying for the Boston Marathon. The clear and well-marked route ensures that runners can focus on their pace without worrying about navigation.

The race is renowned for its excellent support. Aid stations are strategically placed throughout the course, stocked with water, sports drinks, and energy gels. Enthusiastic volunteers and local residents line the streets, offering encouragement and cheering on the runners, creating a supportive and festive atmosphere.

At the finish line, runners are welcomed with cheers and a sense of accomplishment. The post-race area features a lively celebration with refreshments, music, and plenty of space for participants to relax and enjoy their achievement. Each finisher receives a unique medal and a high-quality race shirt, serving as a proud reminder of their accomplishment.

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Runner Reviews (21)

Course 3.9

Organization 3.7

Spectators 3.6

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Number of comments: 21 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

M. K. from Chicago (3/9/2020) "Easy logistics" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Ran this for a spring race with moderate weather. about 48 at the start and mid 50s by finish. Stayed at hotel in woodlands - Uber from the airport and no need for car. Walked to expo, dinner, race in the am. Able to walk up to course 20 minutes before, no line for mens bathroom in pavilion. Some hills up to mile 10 but then flattens out. Nice gentle curves. Tree lined the whole way - really just houses and trees but was peaceful and fans along the way were friendly. Water stops every 1.5miles not crowded. Ends 1 block from the start so again easy to get back to hotel without a long walk. No real course entertainment but all else was so smooth would definitely recommend.
J. S. from Houston, TX (12/15/2018) "Boring course" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Boring course and overpriced event.
E. B. from St. Louis (6/23/2016) "Excellent mid-sized event" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 The Woodlands Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I've run this the past two years and enjoyed it both times. 2015 was quite cold, but I don't mind that. 2016 was pretty near ideal. Having run Chicago and Illinois, I'll concede that it's not FLAT, but it is very close to flat. My time was very close to my PR. Expo is good. Post-race is excellent. Not many spectators, but the course itself is quite nice. Only downside (and this, unfortunately, is becoming all too common) is that it's mixed with a half so, if you finish under 3 hours, you will be picking your way through a lot of very slow moving folks near the end. Overall, a very fun race, especially if you want to avoid the crush of the big-city events.
S. B. from Austin, Texas (3/5/2016) "Pleasant Surprise!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Had not heard anything about this race and signed-up about a month in advance. Wow! What a well organized event. The race staff/volunteers were terrific and everything ran like clockwork. The only negative is the streets in Houston/Woodlands are concrete so it was a little harder on the legs than asphalt. Awesome medal and post race activities. Plenty of food and a nice setting to relax after the run. I cannot recommend this gem of a race more!
H. v. from Houston, TX (3/2/2015) "It keeps getting better!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 The Woodlands Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is the 4th consecutive year I have run this race and it keeps getting better! This year, the weather was chilly (temps in upper 30s-low 40s and breezy - the weather is hit and miss here this time of year) and the course was pretty much the same as last year, except for a couple of small tweaks in the short 'out and back' and the last mile to the finish. Not a pancake flat course, but it's not hilly either. A few rolling bumps, and one larger bump at mile 13 - but courses like Big Sur and Boston make this one feel flat. Due to the cold, it felt that there were fewer spectators out this year - a couple dead spots where it was difficult to get to the course, but the ones that were out there were awesome! Portapotties were sparse (glad I didn't need one!). The Half Marathon ran a different course, and we merged from mile 19 to the finish. No problems dodging Half Marathoners this year. Finisher shirt year was a singlet; glad they are mixing it up a bit, even thought I'm sad that I can't wear it yet as it's too chilly. However, I am able to wear the cotton participant's shirt I got at packet pickup. Love the medal with the running shoe logo! Overall a great race, and well organized. Looking forward to 2016!
L. K. from DFW, USA (3/17/2014) "Hot day, good course" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Good crowd support. Surprised to read the comments complaining about hills on the course. Yes there were a few rollers, but it's one of the flattest courses I've ever run. I would have preferred fewer turns, but the heat/humidity killed PR attempts not the course. One major gripe: they need separate the course for marathoners and half marathoners the last 6 miles; I was fighting with and losing to them as they meandered and clogged the road at the water stops and towards the finish line. Running through and dodging hoards of walking half marathoners taking selfies is exhausting and dangerous for a marathoner not thinking clearly.
J. B. from Katy, TX (3/8/2014) "Warm but BQ and PR for me.." (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first time running The Woodlands and my experience was very good. The organization was near perfect - easy packet pickup, no fuss parking, toilets right by the start line with no lines 30 min to go, good corral management. No issue with water and gatorade on the course either but I was glad I wore a fuel belt given the warm muggy conditions. The course was not flat but not very hilly either, at least by my standards - lots of small rolling hills. The food after the race was a little ho-hum and I never did find the beer tent. Generous door prizes (26x$260) were worth sticking around for and the AG awards, folding beach chairs, unusual. This was a good race for me, a BQ, my fastest in 6 years and a PR but I'll put a lot of that down to my training rather than the weather or the course. Given it's so close to Houston, I'd certainly do this one again. Very nice tech T-shirt and chunky medal. Volunteers were all great.
B. S. from Texas (3/7/2014) "nice people, course and organization needs work" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The Good: -Friendly helpful volunteers -Plenty of water and Gatorade at the rest stops -Loved having a Saturday run, please don't change it to Sunday The Bad: -Parking: Parking was a disaster in that a) it was very limited, and b) most importantly, there were no volunteers directing people to where to park. I got lucky and finally took a back road to an open lot. However, by the time I found a place to park and walk to the starting line the race had already started. Not an issue with a timing chip, but it would have been nice to enjoy some of the pre-race activities. Also, I arrived at 5:45 for a 7:00 AM start, so it wasn't like I was late arriving. -Course: The course was billed as flat, and from reading earlier posts, apparently it was in prior years. This was my first time to run Woodlands, and I would not describe the course as flat. This was my tenth marathon so I have some context of hills vs. flat. This had enough hills to qualify as something other than flat. It wasn't Austin, but it wasn't flat. -Weather: The weather was an issue. Having a marathon near Houston in early March is a questionable choice. While the weather could be cold that time of year, on this occasion it was 75 at the start, 100% humidity, and over 80 at the finish. Might want to think about moving it up a couple of weeks.
R. W. from Houston, Texas (3/3/2014) "Disappointing" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 The Woodlands Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Ran 2013 and BQ at this race. I've ran 14 marathons.This year (2014) the weather was hot and humid for running. Not really a P.R. day. I loved the course in 2013, but the new course was poor! Way too many hills and turns. Many of the runners I talked to agreed. There was a lot of road construction. I hope that was the reason.
G. S. from Bedford, TX (3/3/2014) "Disappointing Course Changes" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was the first year for the new course. If you're hoping to run for a PR or BQ time, the course will definitely not help you. In year's previous, the course was flat and fast. That's no longer the case. There are several climbs from about mile 9 through 15. Unfortunately, the temperature and humidity this year was a problem. I spoke with a runner who had BQ'd on the old course and he was very disappointed in the changes. I would not consider this a fast marathon course, and the weather this time of year is always a gamble. Additionally, it's very difficult for family and friends to meet up with runners on the course. There aren't many intersections and the streets are clogged with traffic. Consequently, there are long, lonely stretches without any crowd support. If you want to attract fast runners, bring back the old course!!

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]



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M. K. from Chicago (3/9/2020) "Easy logistics" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Ran this for a spring race with moderate weather. about 48 at the start and mid 50s by finish. Stayed at hotel in woodlands - Uber from the airport and no need for car. Walked to expo, dinner, race in the am. Able to walk up to course 20 minutes before, no line for mens bathroom in pavilion. Some hills up to mile 10 but then flattens out. Nice gentle curves. Tree lined the whole way - really just houses and trees but was peaceful and fans along the way were friendly. Water stops every 1.5miles not crowded. Ends 1 block from the start so again easy to get back to hotel without a long walk. No real course entertainment but all else was so smooth would definitely recommend.
J. S. from Houston, TX (12/15/2018) "Boring course" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Boring course and overpriced event.
E. B. from St. Louis (6/23/2016) "Excellent mid-sized event" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 The Woodlands Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I've run this the past two years and enjoyed it both times. 2015 was quite cold, but I don't mind that. 2016 was pretty near ideal. Having run Chicago and Illinois, I'll concede that it's not FLAT, but it is very close to flat. My time was very close to my PR. Expo is good. Post-race is excellent. Not many spectators, but the course itself is quite nice. Only downside (and this, unfortunately, is becoming all too common) is that it's mixed with a half so, if you finish under 3 hours, you will be picking your way through a lot of very slow moving folks near the end. Overall, a very fun race, especially if you want to avoid the crush of the big-city events.
S. B. from Austin, Texas (3/5/2016) "Pleasant Surprise!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Had not heard anything about this race and signed-up about a month in advance. Wow! What a well organized event. The race staff/volunteers were terrific and everything ran like clockwork. The only negative is the streets in Houston/Woodlands are concrete so it was a little harder on the legs than asphalt. Awesome medal and post race activities. Plenty of food and a nice setting to relax after the run. I cannot recommend this gem of a race more!
H. v. from Houston, TX (3/2/2015) "It keeps getting better!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 The Woodlands Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is the 4th consecutive year I have run this race and it keeps getting better! This year, the weather was chilly (temps in upper 30s-low 40s and breezy - the weather is hit and miss here this time of year) and the course was pretty much the same as last year, except for a couple of small tweaks in the short 'out and back' and the last mile to the finish. Not a pancake flat course, but it's not hilly either. A few rolling bumps, and one larger bump at mile 13 - but courses like Big Sur and Boston make this one feel flat. Due to the cold, it felt that there were fewer spectators out this year - a couple dead spots where it was difficult to get to the course, but the ones that were out there were awesome! Portapotties were sparse (glad I didn't need one!). The Half Marathon ran a different course, and we merged from mile 19 to the finish. No problems dodging Half Marathoners this year. Finisher shirt year was a singlet; glad they are mixing it up a bit, even thought I'm sad that I can't wear it yet as it's too chilly. However, I am able to wear the cotton participant's shirt I got at packet pickup. Love the medal with the running shoe logo! Overall a great race, and well organized. Looking forward to 2016!
L. K. from DFW, USA (3/17/2014) "Hot day, good course" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Good crowd support. Surprised to read the comments complaining about hills on the course. Yes there were a few rollers, but it's one of the flattest courses I've ever run. I would have preferred fewer turns, but the heat/humidity killed PR attempts not the course. One major gripe: they need separate the course for marathoners and half marathoners the last 6 miles; I was fighting with and losing to them as they meandered and clogged the road at the water stops and towards the finish line. Running through and dodging hoards of walking half marathoners taking selfies is exhausting and dangerous for a marathoner not thinking clearly.
J. B. from Katy, TX (3/8/2014) "Warm but BQ and PR for me.." (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first time running The Woodlands and my experience was very good. The organization was near perfect - easy packet pickup, no fuss parking, toilets right by the start line with no lines 30 min to go, good corral management. No issue with water and gatorade on the course either but I was glad I wore a fuel belt given the warm muggy conditions. The course was not flat but not very hilly either, at least by my standards - lots of small rolling hills. The food after the race was a little ho-hum and I never did find the beer tent. Generous door prizes (26x$260) were worth sticking around for and the AG awards, folding beach chairs, unusual. This was a good race for me, a BQ, my fastest in 6 years and a PR but I'll put a lot of that down to my training rather than the weather or the course. Given it's so close to Houston, I'd certainly do this one again. Very nice tech T-shirt and chunky medal. Volunteers were all great.
B. S. from Texas (3/7/2014) "nice people, course and organization needs work" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The Good: -Friendly helpful volunteers -Plenty of water and Gatorade at the rest stops -Loved having a Saturday run, please don't change it to Sunday The Bad: -Parking: Parking was a disaster in that a) it was very limited, and b) most importantly, there were no volunteers directing people to where to park. I got lucky and finally took a back road to an open lot. However, by the time I found a place to park and walk to the starting line the race had already started. Not an issue with a timing chip, but it would have been nice to enjoy some of the pre-race activities. Also, I arrived at 5:45 for a 7:00 AM start, so it wasn't like I was late arriving. -Course: The course was billed as flat, and from reading earlier posts, apparently it was in prior years. This was my first time to run Woodlands, and I would not describe the course as flat. This was my tenth marathon so I have some context of hills vs. flat. This had enough hills to qualify as something other than flat. It wasn't Austin, but it wasn't flat. -Weather: The weather was an issue. Having a marathon near Houston in early March is a questionable choice. While the weather could be cold that time of year, on this occasion it was 75 at the start, 100% humidity, and over 80 at the finish. Might want to think about moving it up a couple of weeks.
R. W. from Houston, Texas (3/3/2014) "Disappointing" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 The Woodlands Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Ran 2013 and BQ at this race. I've ran 14 marathons.This year (2014) the weather was hot and humid for running. Not really a P.R. day. I loved the course in 2013, but the new course was poor! Way too many hills and turns. Many of the runners I talked to agreed. There was a lot of road construction. I hope that was the reason.
G. S. from Bedford, TX (3/3/2014) "Disappointing Course Changes" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 The Woodlands Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was the first year for the new course. If you're hoping to run for a PR or BQ time, the course will definitely not help you. In year's previous, the course was flat and fast. That's no longer the case. There are several climbs from about mile 9 through 15. Unfortunately, the temperature and humidity this year was a problem. I spoke with a runner who had BQ'd on the old course and he was very disappointed in the changes. I would not consider this a fast marathon course, and the weather this time of year is always a gamble. Additionally, it's very difficult for family and friends to meet up with runners on the course. There aren't many intersections and the streets are clogged with traffic. Consequently, there are long, lonely stretches without any crowd support. If you want to attract fast runners, bring back the old course!!

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Marathon Details - The Woodlands Marathon