🏃♂️ Race Overview
The start/finish of the half and full marathon will be at the River Front Pavilion 100 N B St. Fort Smith, AR 72901.
🏅 Marathon
This course is both scenic and challenging and includes historic downtown, beautiful neighborhoods, paved trails, and rolling terrain with a few significant climbs and descents as well. Race date is Sunday, March 29, 2026 with race starting 7:00 am.
🏃♀️ Half-Marathon
Starts along the marathon route, but turns off around mile 7.5. The route meets up with the marathon route at mile 9 for the return to the finish.
👐 Marathon Relay
The Marathon course is broken into 5 relay legs.
- First leg: 5.4 miles with 260' elevation gain.
- Second leg: 4.8 miles with 114' elevation gain.
- Third leg: 4.5 miles with 262' elevation gain.
- Fourth leg: 6.3 miles with 237' elevation gain.
- Last leg: 5.5 miles with 237' elevation gain.
These distances and elevation gains are approximate and may change slightly as we work on the logistics of setting up relay stations.
A relay team can consist of two to five people.
📋 Race Guidelines
- Age Requirement: 16 or over for Marathon.
- Age Requirement: 12 or over for Half Marathon.
- Course Time Limit: 8 Hour course time limit.
🔄 Switching Races
- Switch Policy: Participants may switch between races. The registration fee is based on the current price.
- Credit: The registration fee already paid will be credited toward the new registration.
- Online Requirement: All switches must be completed online.
🔄 Transfers
- Transfer Option: After registering, some individuals decide they are unable to participate for some reason. These individuals may opt to transfer their registration to another individual.
- Refund Policy: Fort Smith Marathon does not offer refunds for any reason.
- Deadline: Deadline to transfer is March 15th.
- Conditions: Participants who deferred an entry from the previous year’s race may NOT transfer their registration to another individual.
📆 Deferrals
- Deferral Option: If you are registered for this year’s race and wish to defer to the 2026 race, Fort Smith Marathon provide registrants a discount code for the following year for 50% of their original registration fees paid.
- Non-Transferable: Deferral codes are not transferable.
- No Deferrals: No deferrals after March 1st.
- Email Requirement: Deferrals must be received via an email to the Race Director prior to March 1st.
⚠️ Cancellation Policy
- Safety First: The Fort Smith Marathon wants to provide a safe environment for all participants and volunteers.
- Weather Conditions: If weather conditions present a danger to participants, the Fort Smith Marathon maintains the right to cancel or modify the race.
- Acts of God: Extreme weather conditions will be recognized as “an act of God” and will not result in the refunding of the race registration fees or future race credits.
- Participant Responsibility: Fort Smith Marathon asserts that each participant assumes a personal responsibility when entering a running/walking event and accepts the potential risks.
For more information, visit the official race page: Fort Smith Marathon, Half Marathon & 5 Leg Marathon Relay.