» Updated May 3rd, 2026 by G. Martin, Race Director
The Race
The Catskills Mountain Marathon is a 26.2-mile point-to-loop on road and fire road, run the second Sunday of July. It starts in the village of Phoenicia and climbs up over Slide Mountain and Panther Mountain before dropping back along the Esopus Creek into town. We go off at 6:30 in the morning. By noon the back of the field is cooking in the July sun, and that helps nobody.
It is a hard course. Most of the climbing comes between miles 8 and 14, about 3,840 feet of it, and people blow up there every year. This is not a first marathon. If you have not run a hilly road or trail marathon before, don’t sign up. We won’t refund you when you DNF at mile 18, and we’ll have told you so right here.
| Date | Sunday, July 12, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Start | 6:30 AM — Main Street lot, Phoenicia, NY |
| Distance | 26.2 miles (USATF-certified) |
| Elevation | +3,840 ft / −3,840 ft |
| Cutoff | 7 hours 30 minutes |
| Entry Fee | $45 before June 1; $60 thereafter |
| Field Size | Capped at 240 runners |
Registration closed May 27 at capacity (240 runners).
See registration page for bib transfer info. Next year’s race opens March 1, 2027.
Why You Haven’t Heard of Us
We don’t list on MarathonGuide, RunSignup, Ahotu, or anywhere else. Registration is by the form on this site, and that is the only place it has ever been. The 240-runner cap fills mostly with people who ran it last year and the training partners they talked into it. We have always preferred it this way. If you found us, somebody told you about us. That is the only way it has ever worked, and we are in no hurry to change it.
Course Overview
You head west out of Phoenicia along Woodland Valley Road, climbing gently beside the creek until the left turn up onto the Slide Mountain fire road around mile 8. Miss that turn (people do) and you will add half a mile before a marshal can wave you back. The high point comes around mile 14, about 2,890 feet, and from there it is a long gravel descent back down to the village. Bring bug spray. The Woodland Valley stretch is buggy in July and the gnats find everybody.
Quick Links
- Detailed course description & elevation profile
- Parking, lodging, packet pickup
- Info for spectators & supporters
- Race history & past winners
- Photos from recent years
- Past year results
- Volunteer sign-up