Welcome to the best multi-day, multi-state Running Series!
Mainly Marathons has 75 events across 13 series taking place in all 50 states!
Mainly Marathons 2026 Calendar
The 2026 series dates have been announced and the Calendar can be found HERE. The 2026 calendar is similar to that of 2025, including 75 races covering all 50 States and 3 Running Ragged combined series! Join us for one race, all 75 (AAA Challenge!), or any number in between! Use the “Races/Series” tab in the header of the website to find details on each of the series. Registration links are on the corresponding series page, also available below:
- Online registration via Active.com is open for the following 2026 series: Aloha, Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Riverboat, Prairie, Independence, New England, Heartland, Summer Camp, Alaska, Northwest, Center of the Nation.
- Mail-in registration forms all of the 2026 series: Aloha, Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Riverboat, Prairie, Independence, New England, Heartland, Summer Camp, Alaska, Northwest, Center of the Nation, and Southwest.
Best wishes to you all – Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, and Cheers to Staying Active!
The Mainly Marathons crew
Buy a Race, Get One Free!
Register for one race and get your next race of equal (or lesser) value FREE! One free race per customer who has not already had a free race. Free race must be used in the same series of a paid race. Before registering, email MB@MainlyMarathons.com for details. Again, one free race per person per lifetime…if reincarnated, please provide proof.
Are YOU a Loonatic?
If you participate in Mainly Marathons events, you are, and we want to reward your efforts!
We give awards for completing half marathons or longer at 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 races with Mainly Marathons! All awards were updated June 2018 to custom-made plasma cut sculptures (includes custom metal-stamped nameplate), custom Mainly Marathons quilt, and custom caricature stuffy among others! In order to be added to the Loonatic List, please submit your list of completed Mainly Marathons’ races (half marathon or longer) totaling 25 or more. We’ll keep track of your Mainly Marathon race total thereafter.
Questions or corrections, please email MB@MainlyMarathons.com.
And click HERE to view our top Loonatics!
Still on the fence? Our amazing and LOONY running community is comprised of the kindest, most supportive, and toughest runners in the world. They make Mainly Marathons events so much fun. WARNING: Our fun, supportive, and crazy community of runners can quickly become addicting and you’ll find yourself looking into RV’s so you can travel the country with your new-found running family!
Thousands of happy runners agree, Mainly Marathons is simply the best marathon series on the planet!
Have you ever wanted to see how far you can push yourself, how many races in a row you can run?!
Join us for one of our Running Ragged events. Our Running Ragged events are a combination of two or three of our series without a break. That means you can do 11+ races (or more) in as many days! Each year, we’ll have one to three Running Ragged events. Completing all days of a Running Ragged events earns you bonus bling, such as epic belt buckles!
Asylum Across America (AAA) Challenge: Complete Mainly’s 75 Races in 13 Series covering ALL 50 States!
Take your looniness to the highest level and attempt the Asylum Across America (AAA) Challenge! The AAA requires runners to complete a half-marathon or longer for all of Mainly’s races in a calendar year or 5K/10K’s for the Little Volt (aaa challenge). The AAA Challenge doesn’t cost anything extra; rather, it’s an incentive to our toughest and most resilient runners to see if they can take on every Mainly race in a calendar year. The AAA Challenge was started in 2024, and we had our first two AAA Members – Chey Eldridge and Stephanie Healy! Since then, we’ve added even more members, including Beth Sofchalk, Steve Cournoyer, Sue Cournoyer (Little Volt), Stephanie Healy (2nd Round!), Jim Simpson, Tim Mahler, and Keenan Haga (all 50’s!)!
If running with us isn’t loony enough, we have a “Double Down” option to run two races in one day and to earn even more medals!
After the completion of your race, you may run another. BUT the second race will be limited to a 5K or 10K.
AND you may purchase your second race at HALF-PRICE. You may purchase this second race in advance or on race day.
BUT you must be able to complete both races within the 50K time limit and the longer race must be run first.
Due to our runners always pushing themselves, we added Triple Down and Quadruple Down for those interested in three or four races…in a single day!
Contact MB@MainlyMarathons.com with any questions.
You’ve seen them on the course. They rarely win, but you always see them out there running, and running and running. And sometimes walking.
These events were inspired by and designed for them, and for those who just want to run long and run often.
Whether you want to participate in one marathon, half-marathon, or 5K, pick up a couple of new states in your quest to finish all 50, or you want to take the ultimate challenge and run every race in a series, we encourage you to join us. Walkers are just as welcome as runners: none of our races have a time limit, and you never need to worry about whether you’ll make it before the course support has packed up and gone home. (In fact, we have become famous for celebrating last place in every race with the now-coveted caboose!)
Mainly Marathons puts on a race series like no other, from the unique course setup to the unparalleled spread of food and drinks to fuel you on your journey, all mixed with a sense of fun and family you just won’t find anywhere else.
Check out our Calendar to see our upcoming schedule or take a look below at the Series dates.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Peace and Toudaloo!
Jesse and Daniel Rueckert
| Series | States | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| ALL of our races include a 50K, full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K. | ||
| Aloha | Kaua'i, HI | Thursday, January 22 - Sunday, January 25, 2026 |
| Gulf Coast | TX, LA, MS, FL | Monday, March 16 - Thursday, March 19, 2026 |
| Appalachian | AL, GA, SC, NC, TN, VA, WV | Friday, March 20 - Thursday, March 26, 2026 |
| Riverboat | LA, AR, MS, TN, KY, MO, IL | Monday, April 13 - Sunday, April 19, 2026 |
| Prairie | OK, MO, KS, NE, IA, SD, ND, MN | Friday, May 8 - Friday, May 15, 2026 |
| Independence | DE, MD, PA, NJ, NY | Wednesday, June 3 - Sunday, June 7, 2026 |
| New England | CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME | Monday, June 8 - Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
| Heartland | OH, MI, IN, IL, IA, WI, MN | Saturday, July 11 - Friday, July 17, 2026 |
| Summer Camp | St. Cloud, MN | Saturday, July 18 - Wednesday, July 22, 2026 |
| Alaska | Juneau, AK | Tuesday, August 4 - Friday, August 7, 2026 |
| Northwest | OR, WA, ID | Saturday, September 19 - Thursday, September 24, 2026 |
| Center of the Nation | WY, CO, NE, SD, ND, MT | Monday, September 28 - Saturday, October 3, 2026 |
| Southwest | NM, CO, UT, AZ, NV, CA | Sunday, November 8 - Friday, November 13, 2026 |
| Click to view and print our full calendar. | ||
We encourage inclusivity and strive to promote a supportive experience for ALL participants!