Railway Marathon
Railway Marathon race day weather
Cool morning, steady climb ahead
Runners will face a temperature rise from 44°F at the start to 55°F by the finish, with humidity at 62% and a light SE wind at 7 mph. As temperatures climb, it's advisable to adjust pacing in the later laps to stay comfortable. With a rolling course profile featuring significant climbs, maintaining hydration will be crucial, especially after the halfway mark.
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Railway Marathon route and elevation
The Railway Marathon course has about 2,250 ft (686 m) of climbing and 2,250 ft (686 m) of descent, and finishes near the elevation it starts. It is hillier than 85% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 4, with 255 ft (78 m) of climbing and a 2.3% average grade.
Biggest climbs
- Miles 3 to 3.3: climbs about 120 ft (37 m).
- Miles 3.5 to 3.8: climbs about 120 ft (36 m).
- Miles 16.1 to 16.4: climbs about 120 ft (37 m).
What the hills cost
- 3:30 on a flat course is about 3:33 here (3 minutes slower).
- 4:00 on a flat course is about 4:03 here (3 minutes slower).
- 4:30 on a flat course is about 4:33 here (3 minutes 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 | 104 ft | 91 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:17 |
| 2 | 64 ft | 75 ft | 7:52 | 8:59 | 10:07 |
| 3 | 71 ft | 87 ft | 7:50 | 8:57 | 10:05 |
| 4 | 255 ft | 134 ft | 8:56 | 10:13 | 11:29 |
| 5 | 66 ft | 139 ft | 7:38 | 8:44 | 9:49 |
| 6 | 30 ft | 34 ft | 7:54 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 7 | 54 ft | 51 ft | 7:55 | 9:03 | 10:12 |
| 8 | 28 ft | 31 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 9 | 145 ft | 29 ft | 8:54 | 10:10 | 11:26 |
| 10 | 134 ft | 273 ft | 7:26 | 8:29 | 9:33 |
| 11 | 75 ft | 85 ft | 7:52 | 8:59 | 10:07 |
| 12 | 87 ft | 57 ft | 8:09 | 9:19 | 10:29 |
| 13 | 91 ft | 82 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 14 | 81 ft | 128 ft | 7:43 | 8:49 | 9:56 |
| 15 | 86 ft | 72 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 16 | 63 ft | 79 ft | 7:51 | 8:58 | 10:05 |
| 17 | 242 ft | 124 ft | 8:54 | 10:11 | 11:28 |
| 18 | 89 ft | 151 ft | 7:41 | 8:46 | 9:51 |
| 19 | 28 ft | 36 ft | 7:52 | 9:00 | 10:07 |
| 20 | 53 ft | 53 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 21 | 31 ft | 31 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 22 | 118 ft | 33 ft | 8:37 | 9:51 | 11:05 |
| 23 | 161 ft | 234 ft | 7:38 | 8:43 | 9:48 |
| 24 | 69 ft | 123 ft | 7:42 | 8:48 | 9:54 |
| 25 | 76 ft | 56 ft | 8:04 | 9:12 | 10:22 |
| 26 | 106 ft | 65 ft | 8:15 | 9:26 | 10:36 |
| Last 0.2 | 2 ft | 55 ft | 1:36 | 1:50 | 2:04 |
Explore the Railway Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Railway Marathon
The Railway Marathon is held in Fultondale, Alabama, about 15 minutes north of Birmingham, on the Five Mile Creek Greenway, a rails-to-trail path. The course starts at Black Creek Park and runs through Fultondale, Gardendale and Brookside on a relatively flat route. The marathon is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier, with a half marathon, 50K, 10K, 5K and 1 mile run on the same Saturday in early February. Source
