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Marathon Details - Clarence Demar Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > NH > Keene > Clarence Demar Marathon

Clarence Demar Marathon

Clarence Demar Marathon & Half Marathon

Keene, NH USA

September 28, 2025

http://www.clarencedemar.com

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Race Details

During peak foliage season, you start in rural Gilsum, NH, run through country roads and end in downtown Keene. The course is USATF certified and a Boston Qualifier.

Contact Information

Name:	Alan Stroshine
Address:	Clarence DeMar Marathon PO Box 1757 Keene, NH 03431
Phone Number:	See website
Email:	Email the organizers

Race Organizer

USATF Certified Course (11/29/12)

Chris

This is a Boston Qualifier race. USATF Cert # NH12017TY

Runner Reviews (142)

Course 4.6

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.6

Write a review

Number of comments: 142 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 14 > ]

C. L. from New York (5/2/2024) "Fun fall college race" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I picked this marathon based on the great reviews I've read in the past. I thought the race director and volunteers were amazing. Very convenient packet pickup at Keene college. The course was fairly flat some small hills near the end but nothing major. I thought the crowd support was decent for the size of the race. Personally I came in expecting the race course and the area to be more scenic which was slightly disappointing. Overall I am glad I ran this marathon!
Jonathan Peck from Schenectady N.Y. (9/25/2023) "Always My Go-To Fall Marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Clarence Demar Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The weather was perfect for a BQ. The route was as scenic as ever. The spectators came out and cheered over all parts of the course. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a small and easy introduction to their first marathon to consider Clarence Demar. I encourage the pasta dinner the night before, its totally worth it. The guest speakers so far have been amazing. One thing that did get to me a little bit about the course is that, if you intend to run a fast marathon, you will run into the half marathon field at some point in the first 10 miles. I was steady on a BQ pace, but I got held up a bit because I hit the half marathon field just as everyone was coming out of the start and onto the main course. I made up for it later, but it was a little rough having to maneuver through the back end of another race. The finish line is great. The timing is done in real time. This year Albany Running Exchange did a great job getting the finish times out fast. Medal was sweet and well made. A great addition to my marathon collection.
D. B. from USA (9/25/2023) "Scenic Course, fun crowd, and very well organized" (about: 2023) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run the half marathon twice, in 2022 and 2023. Both times I've run this race it was a small town race of around 800 participants, with a big time race feel! This race is so well run from the minute you sign up until the moment you cross that festive finish and head over to the amazing spread of hot soup, fresh fruit, yummy cookies and many options for refreshments. The on course support from the local community and volunteers is amazing. All road crossings are well managed and assisted. The marathon and half merge where the half starts in this point to point race, and split/merge again over the final 13.1, but all splits are extremely well marked and staffed with volunteers. Finishing on the Keene State college campus is festive energizing! This is a popular Boston qualifier Marathon for good reason! I love the quality of the long sleeve shirts you receive with sign up, and the additional swag goodies are great! I cannot recommend this race enough for all ability levels! You will be glad you chose to run the historic Clarence DeMar race!
J. P. from Schenectady NY (8/30/2023) "Always a Pleasant Fall Marathon" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Clarence Demar Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon is always a pleasure to run. I cannot think of a single year when the weather was bad. I ran this marathon way back when it was a simple race with no chip timing and small medals. The Rotary Club that has since taken over has done very well to make this race better every year. The scenery is excellent. You start off running along a beautiful river, across a dam, and you go through a cemetery. At the finish line you get a souvenir water bottle and plenty of good eats. I recommend the pasta dinner the night before. It is a small venue, but totally worth it. My only complaint, no fault of the event, is the hotel prices. Be warned, everything is over $300 a night and always booked up. So, if you plan to stay overnight, plan way ahead.
T. Y. from Ohio (9/26/2022) "Well organized small town race" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Five stars are not high enough for the level of organization with this race. The pre-race communication and website information was fantastic. If you didn't find an answer to a question then you either didn't read well enough or you really didn't need to know it. This was my 15th marathon and this was the most well marked course I've ever run (including 20 halfs). Color coded route arrows on the pavement and corriplast signs as well as at least 2 volunteers at each turn made it impossible to get off course. I think the website described it as 'challenging but fair' and I would agree with that. Net downhill according to my watch, but that wasn't really noticeable. Some rolling hills at various parts with a couple of steeper ones later in the race, particularly a down into the cemetery and then a couple ups closer to the end of the cemetery. Crowd support was decent, but it's a smaller race mostly through NH countryside, so if you need the roar of a Chicago crowd, this probably won't work for you. Volunteer support all weekend was top notch. Pre-race pasta dinner was good with an enjoyable program (Frank Shorter this year). Post race food was okay, cookies and chocolate milk were my favorites, some fruit, bagels and vegetable soup (heavy on chickpeas and beans) this year. The course was mostly open to traffic, which at times was not great but manageable. Several times you were running with traffic, but the drivers seemed more courteous to runners than I'm used to. Porta-potties were not super plentiful and were fairly spread out (none from 4 - 10). I also had significant overlap with half marathoners (they start 1 hour later, I ran mid 3 hours), passing the same runners 4 or 5 times based on how the courses were set up, so that got a little old. All in all, a fantastic race weekend (nice quaint small town also), highly recommended if you are a 50 stater needing New Hampshire.
M. E. from Portland, CT (9/27/2021) "Terrific and well-organized small race" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Clarence Demar Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second Demar marathon, the prior one being 9 years ago. The first half of the course is where you get the net downhill (but beware that there is significant uphill mixed in), and that part of the course is very scenic and nice. The middle part of the course is kind of boring (but the people who are out to cheer you on are the best!) and then you get into the last part of the race and the course can really humble you. Going through the park followed a bit later by the cemetery, presents you with some significant hills. None too steep, but a bit too much for me towards the end of a race. Still, loads of fun, and I knew it was coming, so fair game. Plus, both are nice places to run. With Covid protocols, it was a bit more subdued, but the people out there, from random spectators to other runners to volunteers, were tremendously positive and enthusiastic and make this a great experience. Pasta dinner with Bill Rodgers was great too - I don't normally do these, but was glad I did this one. Race director came over and chatted for a couple of minutes. I may be getting too old and slow for this course, but I recommend it to anyone who wants a challenge and a fun weekend in a scenic area and a great smaller town.
n. s. from FL (12/6/2019) "Well Done Small Marathon" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The main thing I look for in a marathon is good organization and this one did not disappoint. The pasta dinner the night before was well worth it- Dick Beardsley is a fabulous and heartfelt speaker. The race gets very good speakers, so take advantage of that. No expo at packet pick up but I didn't care. Keene NH is a LOVELY town and the course takes advantage of the beautiful landscape. Point to point course, runners are bussed to the start. You can stay warm in the elementary school gym & the start is a 5 minute walk away. It was about 61 when we started this year, warm for me (down right hot 3 1/2 hours later). The one negative for me was the extreme downhill nature of the course for largely the first 11 miles... I didn't hold back enough (just went with it) and I paid dearly- my quads were trashed by mile 21 or so and this has never happened to me before (this was race 41 of marathon or longer distance), so watch out for being sucked in by the elevation change. I've run Boston 5 times and it has nowhere near the same degree/amount of pronounced downhills. Keene really does not have any accomodations that are less expensive - expect to pay a bare minimum of $150+/night, a lot for a small town in my experience. However, there is LOTS of great food. Be sure to go to Lindy's Diner. Am a 50 Stater and did this for NH. Recommend it. Just watch it on the downhills. :)
M. H. from The Woodlands, Texas (9/30/2019) "My newest favorite marathon!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race is the best! Best course, best organization, best fans. Easy to get to on race morning. Can't say enough about it! This was my 37th marathon, with Grandmas being my favorite until this one. The course is unbelievably beautiful. Plenty of hills, but very doable. (Coming from Texas) The water stops are plenty, well stocked and super friendly. The town embraces this race. I felt welcomed and supported everywhere I went. Oh, even the pre race emails were often and contained all the information I needed leading up to race day. Highly recommend!
B. W. from South Lyon, MI (10/27/2018) "High quality smaller marathon" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a high quality smaller marathon and half marathon put on in southwestern New Hampshire. This event is very well organized with all the runners' needs taken care of throughout. The course is largely downhill alongside a river for the first five miles. From there it is primarily rolling along country roads until you came into Keene for the last four miles. Runners are bussed to the start of each event. The marathon staging point was a small elementary school about 5 minute walk to the starting line. Runners were able to stay inside until almost the start. The finish was on the Keene State campus on a tree shaded lane. There were limited people cheering along the course, but if you have family following you, they should be able to see you in multiple places. Perhaps the only negatives are: limited reasonably priced hotels in the area, no expo at all, running through graveyard. Positives included great organization, race packet pickup up race morning, even throwaway clothes were brought to finish line for pickup if you wanted, and showers available (downstairs) a short walk from finish line.
G. J. from oklahoma (10/26/2018) "a runner's marathon" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Race director puts a lot of effort into the race and it showed from packet pickup to the finish line. Beautiful course. Great volunteers.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 14 > ]



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C. L. from New York (5/2/2024) "Fun fall college race" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I picked this marathon based on the great reviews I've read in the past. I thought the race director and volunteers were amazing. Very convenient packet pickup at Keene college. The course was fairly flat some small hills near the end but nothing major. I thought the crowd support was decent for the size of the race. Personally I came in expecting the race course and the area to be more scenic which was slightly disappointing. Overall I am glad I ran this marathon!
Jonathan Peck from Schenectady N.Y. (9/25/2023) "Always My Go-To Fall Marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Clarence Demar Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The weather was perfect for a BQ. The route was as scenic as ever. The spectators came out and cheered over all parts of the course. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a small and easy introduction to their first marathon to consider Clarence Demar. I encourage the pasta dinner the night before, its totally worth it. The guest speakers so far have been amazing. One thing that did get to me a little bit about the course is that, if you intend to run a fast marathon, you will run into the half marathon field at some point in the first 10 miles. I was steady on a BQ pace, but I got held up a bit because I hit the half marathon field just as everyone was coming out of the start and onto the main course. I made up for it later, but it was a little rough having to maneuver through the back end of another race. The finish line is great. The timing is done in real time. This year Albany Running Exchange did a great job getting the finish times out fast. Medal was sweet and well made. A great addition to my marathon collection.
D. B. from USA (9/25/2023) "Scenic Course, fun crowd, and very well organized" (about: 2023) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run the half marathon twice, in 2022 and 2023. Both times I've run this race it was a small town race of around 800 participants, with a big time race feel! This race is so well run from the minute you sign up until the moment you cross that festive finish and head over to the amazing spread of hot soup, fresh fruit, yummy cookies and many options for refreshments. The on course support from the local community and volunteers is amazing. All road crossings are well managed and assisted. The marathon and half merge where the half starts in this point to point race, and split/merge again over the final 13.1, but all splits are extremely well marked and staffed with volunteers. Finishing on the Keene State college campus is festive energizing! This is a popular Boston qualifier Marathon for good reason! I love the quality of the long sleeve shirts you receive with sign up, and the additional swag goodies are great! I cannot recommend this race enough for all ability levels! You will be glad you chose to run the historic Clarence DeMar race!
J. P. from Schenectady NY (8/30/2023) "Always a Pleasant Fall Marathon" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Clarence Demar Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon is always a pleasure to run. I cannot think of a single year when the weather was bad. I ran this marathon way back when it was a simple race with no chip timing and small medals. The Rotary Club that has since taken over has done very well to make this race better every year. The scenery is excellent. You start off running along a beautiful river, across a dam, and you go through a cemetery. At the finish line you get a souvenir water bottle and plenty of good eats. I recommend the pasta dinner the night before. It is a small venue, but totally worth it. My only complaint, no fault of the event, is the hotel prices. Be warned, everything is over $300 a night and always booked up. So, if you plan to stay overnight, plan way ahead.
T. Y. from Ohio (9/26/2022) "Well organized small town race" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Five stars are not high enough for the level of organization with this race. The pre-race communication and website information was fantastic. If you didn't find an answer to a question then you either didn't read well enough or you really didn't need to know it. This was my 15th marathon and this was the most well marked course I've ever run (including 20 halfs). Color coded route arrows on the pavement and corriplast signs as well as at least 2 volunteers at each turn made it impossible to get off course. I think the website described it as 'challenging but fair' and I would agree with that. Net downhill according to my watch, but that wasn't really noticeable. Some rolling hills at various parts with a couple of steeper ones later in the race, particularly a down into the cemetery and then a couple ups closer to the end of the cemetery. Crowd support was decent, but it's a smaller race mostly through NH countryside, so if you need the roar of a Chicago crowd, this probably won't work for you. Volunteer support all weekend was top notch. Pre-race pasta dinner was good with an enjoyable program (Frank Shorter this year). Post race food was okay, cookies and chocolate milk were my favorites, some fruit, bagels and vegetable soup (heavy on chickpeas and beans) this year. The course was mostly open to traffic, which at times was not great but manageable. Several times you were running with traffic, but the drivers seemed more courteous to runners than I'm used to. Porta-potties were not super plentiful and were fairly spread out (none from 4 - 10). I also had significant overlap with half marathoners (they start 1 hour later, I ran mid 3 hours), passing the same runners 4 or 5 times based on how the courses were set up, so that got a little old. All in all, a fantastic race weekend (nice quaint small town also), highly recommended if you are a 50 stater needing New Hampshire.
M. E. from Portland, CT (9/27/2021) "Terrific and well-organized small race" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Clarence Demar Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second Demar marathon, the prior one being 9 years ago. The first half of the course is where you get the net downhill (but beware that there is significant uphill mixed in), and that part of the course is very scenic and nice. The middle part of the course is kind of boring (but the people who are out to cheer you on are the best!) and then you get into the last part of the race and the course can really humble you. Going through the park followed a bit later by the cemetery, presents you with some significant hills. None too steep, but a bit too much for me towards the end of a race. Still, loads of fun, and I knew it was coming, so fair game. Plus, both are nice places to run. With Covid protocols, it was a bit more subdued, but the people out there, from random spectators to other runners to volunteers, were tremendously positive and enthusiastic and make this a great experience. Pasta dinner with Bill Rodgers was great too - I don't normally do these, but was glad I did this one. Race director came over and chatted for a couple of minutes. I may be getting too old and slow for this course, but I recommend it to anyone who wants a challenge and a fun weekend in a scenic area and a great smaller town.
n. s. from FL (12/6/2019) "Well Done Small Marathon" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The main thing I look for in a marathon is good organization and this one did not disappoint. The pasta dinner the night before was well worth it- Dick Beardsley is a fabulous and heartfelt speaker. The race gets very good speakers, so take advantage of that. No expo at packet pick up but I didn't care. Keene NH is a LOVELY town and the course takes advantage of the beautiful landscape. Point to point course, runners are bussed to the start. You can stay warm in the elementary school gym & the start is a 5 minute walk away. It was about 61 when we started this year, warm for me (down right hot 3 1/2 hours later). The one negative for me was the extreme downhill nature of the course for largely the first 11 miles... I didn't hold back enough (just went with it) and I paid dearly- my quads were trashed by mile 21 or so and this has never happened to me before (this was race 41 of marathon or longer distance), so watch out for being sucked in by the elevation change. I've run Boston 5 times and it has nowhere near the same degree/amount of pronounced downhills. Keene really does not have any accomodations that are less expensive - expect to pay a bare minimum of $150+/night, a lot for a small town in my experience. However, there is LOTS of great food. Be sure to go to Lindy's Diner. Am a 50 Stater and did this for NH. Recommend it. Just watch it on the downhills. :)
M. H. from The Woodlands, Texas (9/30/2019) "My newest favorite marathon!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race is the best! Best course, best organization, best fans. Easy to get to on race morning. Can't say enough about it! This was my 37th marathon, with Grandmas being my favorite until this one. The course is unbelievably beautiful. Plenty of hills, but very doable. (Coming from Texas) The water stops are plenty, well stocked and super friendly. The town embraces this race. I felt welcomed and supported everywhere I went. Oh, even the pre race emails were often and contained all the information I needed leading up to race day. Highly recommend!
B. W. from South Lyon, MI (10/27/2018) "High quality smaller marathon" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a high quality smaller marathon and half marathon put on in southwestern New Hampshire. This event is very well organized with all the runners' needs taken care of throughout. The course is largely downhill alongside a river for the first five miles. From there it is primarily rolling along country roads until you came into Keene for the last four miles. Runners are bussed to the start of each event. The marathon staging point was a small elementary school about 5 minute walk to the starting line. Runners were able to stay inside until almost the start. The finish was on the Keene State campus on a tree shaded lane. There were limited people cheering along the course, but if you have family following you, they should be able to see you in multiple places. Perhaps the only negatives are: limited reasonably priced hotels in the area, no expo at all, running through graveyard. Positives included great organization, race packet pickup up race morning, even throwaway clothes were brought to finish line for pickup if you wanted, and showers available (downstairs) a short walk from finish line.
G. J. from oklahoma (10/26/2018) "a runner's marathon" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Race director puts a lot of effort into the race and it showed from packet pickup to the finish line. Beautiful course. Great volunteers.

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Marathon Details - Clarence Demar Marathon