Buffalo Marathon

Location: Buffalo, New York
Country: United States
Website: https://buffalomarathon.org/
2025 Marathon Date: 25/05/2025
2026 Marathon Date: 23/05/2026
Winning Time 2025: 02:32:12
% Sub-3s: 5–10%
# Sub-3s: 50–99
Total Runners: 1k–3k

The Buffalo Marathon is a longstanding spring marathon held in the city of Buffalo, New York, near the Canadian border. Scheduled for late May, it offers a flat and fast course with a strong reputation for personal best potential and efficient organisation.

The route is a loop-style course that begins and ends near Niagara Square. It travels through Buffalo’s downtown core, waterfront districts, residential zones, and parkland. The terrain is overwhelmingly flat, with just a few gentle inclines. Roads are wide and well-surfaced, allowing for steady pacing throughout the race.

Crowd support is concentrated near the city centre, particularly in the opening and closing miles. While some suburban stretches are quieter, the race maintains a strong community feel, with volunteers and local supporters providing encouragement and clear guidance. Aid stations are frequent and well-stocked.

Weather in Buffalo in late May can be variable, but the race start time is early enough to avoid rising temperatures. Cool mornings are common, and humidity levels are usually moderate. The lakefront location can introduce some wind, though it rarely dominates the race conditions.

The Buffalo Marathon has carved out a niche as a runner-first event, with a tight organisational setup and a capped field that avoids the chaos of larger races. It attracts a competitive amateur cohort, and the percentage of sub-3 runners is relatively high given the overall size of the field. This makes it a useful race for benchmarking performance or chasing a specific goal.

For sub-3 hopefuls, Buffalo offers a no-frills opportunity to test fitness on a reliable course. It’s not designed as a major spectacle, but its flat layout, low congestion, and friendly atmosphere make it an excellent option for those who want to run hard without distraction.