Maine Marathon Relay Information

Groups of 2-4 individuals can put together a team and cover the marathon distance as a relay. Teams must have a minimum of two members and a maximum of four members. Each member must run one full leg, but any member can run up to three legs in any order chosen.

There are four relay legs of varying distances from 5.7 to 8.8 miles, as follows:

Leg 1: 6.1 miles
Leg 2: 8.8 miles
Leg 3: 5.8 miles
Leg 4: 5.5 miles

Each team will receive five bibs – one smaller bib that has a timing chip on the back – and four larger bibs to be worn by the individual team members. Bibs should be worn on the front and be clearly visible. The smaller bib with timing chip will be passed from one teammate to another as explained below.

Registration/packet pick-up

Your team captain or another team member with a valid ID should pick up bibs/packets/shirts for the entire team between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, rather than having each individual team member pick up their own bib. Each packet will have information sheets that should be shared with the other team members so that they’re prepared prior to the race.

Before arriving at packet pickup, teams can find their bib number by going to the Relay Teams page on our registration site. Search for your team name, click on the team name link, then click on the down arrow next to Group Details.

Shuttle service to/from relay exchange zones
To make it easier for participating relay runners, we provide free bus rides to each exchange zone. Buses will leave the Back Cove parking lot, across from Hannaford Shopping Center on Preble Street, starting at 7:15 a.m., to transport runners to Sullivan Tire at 251 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth – a short walk from the first and third exchange zones. Another bus will transport runners from Falmouth to the second exchange in Yarmouth, and back to Falmouth afterward.

Once the race is in progress, we expect to have buses leaving Falmouth for Portland approximately every 30 minutes, and a bus going from Falmouth to Yarmouth approximately every 45 minutes (return trips from Yarmouth would also leave every 45 minutes, approximately). Please note that we don’t have plans for direct service from Portland to Yarmouth and back, which means you’ll need to switch buses in Falmouth. The first bus from Falmouth to Yarmouth is scheduled to leave at 8:15 a.m.

Directions to relay sites / Carpooling / Parking

If you do not choose to use the shuttle service, it is the responsibility of each team to arrange transportation to and from each relay exchange point. Please take note of road closures when planning your arrival and departure to and from exchange points, and please use extreme caution if you must travel on roads that are part of or near the race course, especially Route 88. If not taking the shuttle, carpooling is strongly recommended to ease traffic congestion, ensure adequate parking for racers and volunteers at designated sites, and in keeping with the event’s ‘green’ theme. Please, no parking anywhere along the race route.

For relay exchanges #1 and #3 (both at the junction of Route 88 and Depot Road near Skillins Nursery), parking is available at Sullivan Tire, off Route 1 in Falmouth, behind Walgreen’s and Shaw’s. Note that Depot Road from Route 1 to Route 88 is closed 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For relay exchange #2, parking is available only on one side of Princess Point Road or Route 88. The other side of each street is for pedestrian use only. Parking is no longer available in the Cunningham Security parking lot.

We have special permission from Sullivan Tire to use their parking lot. Please make sure clothing, cups, bottles, etc. are not left behind, and do not park in either lot overnight before the race, or you vehicle might be towed.

Please do not attempt to reach Relay Exchanges #1 and #3 by taking Route 88, which is closed from Route 1 to Johnson Road. The Falmouth Police have asked us to emphasize this road closing with the relay runners. Thank you for observing this road closure.

Exchanges

A flexible belt worn around your waist serves as your baton. It is easily clasped and unclasped, and is passed to the outbound runner at the exchange point after the incoming runner crosses the timing mat.

Each team will get a fifth, smaller bib with a timing chip on the back that must be affixed to the belt. This bib is the only one for your team that contains a timing chip.

To ease congestion, outbound runners must access the chute via the curbside opening with ‘Chute Entry’ signage just beyond the timing mat, and do so only after you have audio/visual conformation that your teammate is entering the chute and is near the mat. Runners completing their leg should follow their outbound team member and exit to the right at the end of the chute, then move away from the chute to relieve congestion.

If you’re on a team with two or three members and you don’t need to make an exchange, you should still go through the relay exchange chute and cross the timing mats to get a split time for that leg, and then proceed on your next leg.

Outbound runners gather and await their inbound teammate in a restricted staging area along the curbside of the chute designated for “Outbound Runners Only.” Spectators and runners who have just completed their leg will not be able to access this area.

Audio & visual notification of team numbers as runners are approaching chute

As you approach the end of your leg, watch for signage and flagging indicating entrance to the chute; be sure to enter there so that your team number can be identified. A PA system will be used to announce numbers of incoming teams. Be sure to make yourself aware of numbers being called, and be ready to enter the chute at the designated opening, just as your teammate crosses the mat for the belt hand-off. A volunteer will assist with this process.

Check the whiteboard in the corral for any important information that may be posted there, such as shuttle departure times.

Water / Toilets / Medical

Water will be available at each exchange zone, and toilets are located near each relay exchange (Please do not ‘go into the bushes; relay exchanges are on or near private or commercial property). Medical personnel are stationed at various points along the course (see map for details).

Warming up

Runners warming up prior to their leg should do so away from the relay exchange zone and off the race route. Suggested side roads to use:

  • Exchange #1: Old Mill Rd. Just beyond chute on right before Skillins Nursery.
  • Exchange #2: Along Route 88 just beyond the turn-off onto Gilman Road.
  • Exchange #3: Depot Road (Closed to traffic) just beyond the chute on right.

Please do not cross race route to avoid interfering with other runners’ progress. Leave discarded clothing or other items on the periphery away from chute and staging area.

Runners’ gear drop at each site

A space will be designated in the corral for runners to leave any gear at each site during warm-up and racing for retrieval after the race is over. Race personnel cannot assume responsibility or liability for runners’ gear at exchange zones, and unaccompanied gear cannot be transported to other exchange zones by shuttle buses.

Volunteers

Please be aware that each relay zone will have a team of volunteers assisting the relay coordinator with key tasks intended to make the exchanges as efficient and safe as possible for relay participants and those running other events. You are asked to be attentive to any information/instructions provided.

Awards

Relay awards are given to the top three male, female and mixed teams, and also the top three male masters, female masters and mixed masters teams (all runners age 40 or older). After finishing the race, teams should check their result and division placement at the result kiosks. Please note that awards are based on net time, so your final placement may not be determined until up to 30 minutes after your team finishes.

If your team has won an award, please plan on picking them up at the awards table located on Pedro Field. Unclaimed awards will not be mailed.

To study the course, you can download the MapMyRun course to your phone, download our course map PDF, or see the turn-by-turn directions below.

Turn-by-turn directions for the Maine Marathon

  • Race starts on Baxter Blvd., near Pedro Field
  • First 1.5 miles on Baxter Blvd., around scenic Back Cove
  • Left onto Inlet St.
  • Bear left onto Catafalque Dr.
  • Right onto West Kidder St
  • Cross Washington Ave. onto East Kidder St.
  • Right onto Sherwood St
  • Left onto Veranda St.
  • Veranda St. becomes Route 1 North
  • Cross Martin’s Point Bridge
  • Right onto Phillips Rd., followed by immediate right onto Whitney Rd.
  • Left onto Avon St
  • Left onto Shoreline Dr.
  • Left onto Hammond Rd.
  • Right onto Route 1
  • Right onto Route 88
  • Right onto Ledge Rd
  • Left onto Teal Drive
  • Right onto Route 88
  • Right onto Gilman Rd.
  • Right onto Prince’s Point Rd.
  • Left onto Morton Rd.
  • Left onto Drinkwater
  • Left onto Gilman Rd.
  • Return on Gilman Rd. to Route 88
  • Left onto Route 88
  • Left onto Route 1
  • Straight onto Veranda St.
  • Right onto Sherwood St.
  • Left onto E. Kidder St.
  • Cross Washington Ave. onto W. Kidder St.
  • Enter Payson Park, turn left
  • Right at fork onto Inlet St
  • Right onto Baxter Blvd.
  • Finish at start location

See directions to each exchange point. We have special permission from Sullivan Tire and Cunningham Security to use their parking lots. Please make sure clothing, cups, bottles, etc. are not left behind.

Runner Tracking

You can sign up for your own results notifications — or friends and family members can sign up on the Find a Participant page  as well as sign up for text and/or email notifications after they complete the race.

GPS tracking is also available through an app called RaceJoy. RaceJoy uses a cellphone’s GPS signal to track participants wherever they are on the course, and friends and family members can send virtual cheers during the race. To use RaceJoy, race participants must download the RaceJoy app and carry their cell phone during the race, and anyone who wants to follow a participant also must download the RaceJoy app.This is an ideal way for relay teams to track the progress of their teammates and prepare for the next exchange.

See the RaceJoy information guide for more details.