Millinocket Marathon and Half

Millinocket Marathon and Half is run on December 5, 2026 in Millinocket, Maine, offering a marathon (26.2 miles) and a half marathon (13.1 miles). The event grew out of an unusual idea: a self-timed gathering with no official entry fee, where participants are simply asked to donate enough to cover the essentials, timing, course certification and logistics, and to support a Maine mill town going through hard economic times.

Set in Penobscot County, the route runs through preserved country of lakes, ponds, forest and mountains, which makes for a wild, restorative backdrop over either distance. A December marathon in northern Maine calls for winter-ready gear and a plan built around effort rather than splits; give yourself a 16-week build with a weekly long run, and practice in the same shoes and layers you intend to race in.