Milton Keynes MK Marathon
Milton Keynes MK Marathon race day weather
Cool temps, moderate wind challenges
Runners will face a temperature trend from 50°F at the start to 56°F by finish, with moderate wind from the NNW at 11 mph. Humidity will be relatively high at 67%, which may warrant pacing adjustments during the later laps. As conditions remain dry, maintaining hydration will be key, especially as temperatures rise.
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Milton Keynes MK Marathon route and elevation
The Milton Keynes MK Marathon course has about 714 ft (218 m) of climbing and 716 ft (218 m) of descent, and finishes near the elevation it starts. It is hillier than 55% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 13, with 55 ft (17 m) of climbing.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 0.1 to 1.7: climbs about 75 ft (23 m).
- Miles 2.1 to 2.5: climbs about 55 ft (17 m).
- Miles 12.2 to 14.2: climbs about 95 ft (30 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:31 here (1 minute slower).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 4:01 here (1 minute slower).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:31 here (1 minute slower).
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 ft | 11 ft | 8:09 | 9:19 | 10:29 |
| 2 | 61 ft | 34 ft | 8:11 | 9:21 | 10:31 |
| 3 | 56 ft | 42 ft | 8:05 | 9:14 | 10:24 |
| 4 | 44 ft | 55 ft | 7:55 | 9:04 | 10:11 |
| 5 | 36 ft | 105 ft | 7:43 | 8:48 | 9:54 |
| 6 | 17 ft | 53 ft | 7:49 | 8:57 | 10:04 |
| 7 | 15 ft | 27 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 8 | 37 ft | 16 ft | 8:09 | 9:18 | 10:28 |
| 9 | 33 ft | 30 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 10 | 25 ft | 37 ft | 7:55 | 9:02 | 10:11 |
| 11 | 30 ft | 27 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 12 | 56 ft | 36 ft | 8:07 | 9:18 | 10:27 |
| 13 | 55 ft | 21 ft | 8:15 | 9:26 | 10:37 |
| 14 | 49 ft | 15 ft | 8:15 | 9:25 | 10:36 |
| 15 | 32 ft | 100 ft | 7:43 | 8:49 | 9:55 |
| 16 | 19 ft | 39 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 17 | 44 ft | 18 ft | 8:10 | 9:20 | 10:31 |
| 18 | 22 ft | 19 ft | 7:59 | 9:07 | 10:15 |
| 19 | 12 ft | 29 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:09 |
| 20 | 22 ft | 35 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 21 | 24 ft | 19 ft | 8:01 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 22 | 34 ft | 23 ft | 8:04 | 9:13 | 10:23 |
| 23 | 24 ft | 38 ft | 7:54 | 9:03 | 10:10 |
| 24 | 30 ft | 31 ft | 7:58 | 9:06 | 10:14 |
| 25 | 56 ft | 31 ft | 8:11 | 9:20 | 10:31 |
| 26 | 34 ft | 27 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| Last 0.2 | 12 ft | 6 ft | 1:50 | 2:06 | 2:21 |
Explore the Milton Keynes MK Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Milton Keynes MK Marathon
The Milton Keynes MK Marathon starts and finishes at Stadium MK, has a flat and fast course with gentle inclines, mostly on tarmac roads and traffic-free paths. Runners pass landmarks like the Peace Pagoda, Grand Union Canal, and Bradwell Windmill, before a unique finish with a full lap inside the stadium. It’s AIMS-certified, with BARR Gold accreditation, and a qualifying event for both the London and Boston marathons.
Race weekend
Tips from Runners
From 3 race reports by runners: what worked for them, not official race information.
Hold something back for the hills in the last section. A couple of runners found a long incline from about 30 km and another hill between 35 and 40 km, and one gave that hill extra time in his plan.
Don't trust the word flat. One runner built his 5 km targets around the course's climbs and descents, and it kept him on plan for the first 30 km.
- Hold something back for the hills in the last section. A couple of runners found a long incline from about 30 km and another hill between 35 and 40 km, and one gave that hill extra time in his plan.
- Don't trust the word flat. One runner built his 5 km targets around the course's climbs and descents, and it kept him on plan for the first 30 km.
Milton Keynes MK Marathon FAQ
When is the 2027 Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
Is the Milton Keynes MK Marathon a Boston Marathon Qualifier?
What is the time limit for the Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
What will the weather be like for the 2027 Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
What is the elevation gain of the Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
Is the Milton Keynes MK Marathon hilly?
What is the weather usually like for the Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
What was the hottest Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
What was the windiest Milton Keynes MK Marathon?
Milton Keynes MK Marathon weather history
Temperature History
Range of temperatures during race hours for each year.
Detailed History
| Year | Conditions | Low / High | Rain | Dew Point | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026 | | 52°/52° | - | 48° | |
2025 | | 48°/53° | - | 39° | |
2024 | | 56°/59° | Light | 51° | |
2023 |  | 52°/59° | Light | 50° | |
2022 | | 52°/58° | - | 46° | |
2021 | | 58°/61° | Light | 57° | |
2020 | | 55°/62° | - | 49° |
Milton Keynes MK Marathon reviews and race reports
A so-called flat course with a real hill late, plain grid roads early, and a finish inside the stadium.
The hills after 30 km — The course is billed as flat but climbs more than runners expect. A 2017 runner counted 217m of gain, with an incline from 30 km and a hill in the 35 to 40 km stretch. A 2018 runner called the last section a killer hill.
The grid roads at the start — The race opens on the wide grid road system of Milton Keynes, which one runner found very uninspiring and slow to end. The route later goes off road for a few stretches.
The finish inside the stadium — You finish inside the MK stadium. Two runners liked it, and one called the finish adrenalin-filled.
Stuck with the pacer, battled cramps, achieved a 35 min PB!
On the day I stuck with the 3:30 pacer the entire way, felt great until mile 18 where I had to start working, mile 22 onwards I really had to dig deep and got a few minor cramps. Managed to get through, and get the time I wanted, a massive 35 minute PB! Feel very accomplished with my fairly aggressive goal.
Struggled with heat and blisters, but finished on a tough day.
The race starts out running the very uninspiring wide grid road system of MK. There was no shade and this section seemed to go on forever. I worked hard not to go out too fast, finishing the 10k in 1:05. I knew by 15k this wasn’t going to be a good race.
Struggled with headwinds and elevation after a strong start
I knew I was in trouble when, despite pushing has hard as I could, I didn’t quite hit my target pace for the 25-30 km split. The 30-35 km split was the worst of the race: the course was on an increasing incline, and tuned into a headwind. I knew by this point that Goal A was gone, but despite my quads quickly turning to concrete, I kept pushing.