Register at racemenu.com/charles

Total cost = entry fee + fundraising (or additional donation)
Entry fee:
$110 April 12 to April 30
$130 May 1 to June 30
$160 July 1 to August 31

Fundraising:
Additionally, each entrant should raise at least $100 via their RaceMenu fundraising page by September 1st. Entrants may add a donation during the registration process to apply towards their fundraising requirement, or make the donation on their own fundraising page which is created during the registration process.

Perks
Race entry includes a finisher’s medal, an embroidered hat, and a tech shirt.

Entry fees are non-refundable. Failure to meet the fundraising minimum by the deadline forfeits your race entry. 

NUMBER PICK-UP :

You can pick up your race bib and swag either Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.

You must show your photo ID to get your bib. 

Saturday, Sep 9th: 12:00pm to 4:00PM, Residence Inn Boston-Watertown
570 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472

Sunday, Sep 10th: 5:30AM to 6:30AM - Registration tents at start/finish area
1175 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA
If you are picking up on Sunday, please arrive by 6:00AM. 

RACE DAY SCHEDULE:

5:30 am – Check-in opens
6:30 am - BYOB station opens (just past start line)
6:40 am - Check-in closes
6:50 am - Start staging and pre-race announcements
7:00 am – START
10:30 am – Awards Ceremony at Start/Finish – Overall Winners (top 3 women & men)
11:30 am – Awards Ceremony at Start/Finish – Age Group Winners (top 3)
11:30 am - Time limit for runners age 59 and under
12:00 pm - Time limit for runners age 60 and over

COURSE

The marathon course is USATF certified (certificate #MA23005JK) and thus eligible as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. The race is comprised of ten laps of a 2.6 mile course. The course is primarily flat, running along the river. There's a short (about 50 feet long) climb with a sharp left to cross the Eliot Bridge, which feels steep later in the race. Other than that, it's flat and crazy fast.

2023 NOTE: There is path construction along the course at the Marsh Post (near H2O-2) scheduled to finish later this summer. The new path through there lengthened our course by approximately 35 meters, and has eliminated the need for the opening "mini lap."

We will have portable toilets on the course at H2O-2 and H2O-3, as well as at the start/finish line. There are also portable toilets along the path near the Northeastern University Boat House as well as near Charles River Canoe and Kayak.

2023 (updated at Marsh Post) course   //  2022 (detoured) course  //  2017-2021 course  //  2017-2021 course preview video

Self-Serve BYOB Station: There will be a self-serve bring-your-own-bottle station just before the start/finish line on the left. We'll have tape and sharpies to mark your bottle, which gets organized by bib range. Place your bib number on white tape, then add some colored tape to help you identify it from others. During the race, grab it and go, then drop it in one of the two designated drop zones which will be marked with signage further down the course. Our volunteers will return the bottle to the table for your next lap. Save yourself some time by labeling your bottle with your last name and bib number before you arrive. Please only put one bottle on the table; if you need more than one bottle, you can have someone refill it or replace it with a full bottle during the race.

BODYARMOR Hydration Stations: There will be three BODYARMOR Hydration Stations on the 2.6 mile loop: two along Greenough Boulevard, and one at the start/finish line. The station at the start/finish line will have BODYARMOR Orange Mango sports drink and spring water. The stations on the Greenough Boulevard side of the course (H20-2 & H20-3 on map) will have BODYARMOR Orange Mango sports drink, as well as spring water.

We will also have mini-pretzels at the hydration stations, and GU gels after the race leader finishes lap five.

Top 3 overall (women & men)
Age group awards (women & men): 18-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60+.
Overall awards are based on gun time. AG awards are based on chip (net) time. Prizes can only be claimed at the awards ceremony.

Time limits:
Due to permitting restrictions and volunteer constraints, the marathon will have time limit of 4 hours and 30 minutes for runners age 59 and younger. Runners 60 and older will have the time limit extended to 5 hours.

Dogs and strollers: Sorry, while dogs and strollers are typically welcome in our events, we can’t allow either in this event.

Pacing: We acknowledge that recruiting friends to help pace you during a marathon is common practice, and especially tempting on a ten lap course. We’ve capped the field size for safety reasons due to narrow paths, especially along the bridges. We may have pace groups if there’s enough demand. If you want someone to pace you, they must be an official entrant or you risk disqualification. For more info, refer to USATF rule 144 (page 58.) Since most runners will be chasing a BQ at this event, we expect there will be a USATF official in attendance.

If you plan to run with a pace group, please sign up here.

We expect to have pace leaders for the following groups, aiming for a finishing time three minutes faster than each BQ time. Some groups are harder to fill than others and we can't guarantee coverage for every group for the entire race. If you know someone who can help, please direct them to sign up at racemenu.com/charles

• 6:45/mile (2:57 group)
• 6:56/mile (3:02 group)
• 7:08/mile (3:07 group)
• 7:31/mile (3:17 group)
• 7:43/mile (3:22 group)
• 7:54/mile (3:27 group)
• 8:05/mile (3:32 group)
• 8:17/mile (3:37 group)
• 8:39/mile (3:47 group)
• 8:52/mile (3:52 group)
• 9:14/mile (4:02 group)
• 9:48/mile (4:17 group)
• 10:23/mile (4:32 group)

Pacing: We acknowledge that recruiting friends to help pace you during a marathon is common practice, and especially tempting on a ten lap course. We’ve capped the field size for safety reasons due to narrow paths, especially along the bridges. If you want someone to pace you, they must be running as an official entrant or registered pacer, or you risk disqualification. Our pacers are capped at seven laps. No pacer is authorized to run more than seven laps. For more info, refer to USATF rule 144 (page 58.) Since most runners will be chasing a BQ at this event, a USATF official will be in attendance.

We love our volunteers!
This race would not be possible without the generous support of over 30 volunteers. If you're running, please thank them! If you'd like to volunteer, THANK YOU! Please sign up at racemenu.com/charles

Volunteer roles and responsibilities typically go something like this:

Registration

Registration volunteers assist with setting up the registration area, which includes tables, signs, bib numbers, safety pins, pens, and race swag items which may includes t-shirts or other wearables. As runners arrive, volunteers will help runners retrieve their number from a list, get their bib number, distribute safety pins, and distribute appropriate swag items. After registration is complete, volunteers will clean up any remaining items and store them until they can be returned to the truck. Tables used for registration are often used for the post race party, and often re-arranged rather than put away.

Bag​ ​Check

Volunteers will help with checking in runners bags in the Bag Check area. Before the race, volunteers will help set up a secure area that is large enough to arrange many bags. Materials needed include bag tags, markers, and trash bags. Runners will be given a tag to write their bib number on which should be attached to their bag. Bag Check volunteers will take the bags and arrange them numerically so they can be easily found when the runners return. The bag check area must always be attended and secure.

Course​ ​Marshals

Course Marshals assist with setting up the signage and cones along the course before the race. During the race, course marshals direct the runners along the correct course and ensure the safety of the runners by alerting other walkers, cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. After the race is complete, course marshals help clean up the signage, cones and any other materials along the race course.

Water​ ​Stations

Water Station volunteers assist with setting up the water stations along the course before the race starts. Water stations are equipped with tables, paper cups, gloves, water, and trash bags. Water should be pre-poured into cups (half-filled) before the runners arrive. Some volunteers should hold out half-filled cups and offer them to runners as they pass as others fill additional cups. After the last runners have passed, volunteers should clean up all cups and place them in garbage bags. All materials should be broken down and returned to the Start/Finish area.

Start/Finish​ ​Crew

Volunteers assigned to the start/finish area will assist with setting up the start/finish line banners, signage, cones and other materials. Volunteers will help runners line up for the race and ensure the race starts smoothly (with the assistance of the race director and staff). When the first male and female runner finishes, volunteers will hold a finish line tape for the runner to run through. After the race, volunteers will help clean up the start/finish area and load race equipment and materials into a truck.

2023 Race Results

2022 Race Results

2022 Race Photos

2021 Race Results

2021 Race Photos <8:30AM / 8:30AM-9:15AM / 9:15AM-10:45PM / 10:45AM-12:35PM

2020 Race Results - CANCELED DUE TO COVID

2019 Race Results

2019 Race Photos 7AM-8AM / 8AM-9AM / 9AM-10AM / 10AM-11AM / 11AM+

2018 Race Results

2018 Race Photos

2017 Race Results

2017 Race Photos

The Residence Inn Boston-Watertown, built in 2017, is "around the corner" from course, just one mile away from the start/finish line, and close to shopping centers and several restaurants. The race director has stayed there many times and LOVES it! The rooms are great, the breakfast buffet is delicious, and there's a pool.

From 9/8 through 9/11, CRM runners can book at a discounted rate of $249/night via this link.

Mighty Squirrel was started by two friends, Henry & Naveen, when they decided they wanted to build a company together. They loved the fun culture of the craft beer industry and the community-centric environment of its taprooms, so they began home brewing and eventually ended up building their first brick and mortar in 2018 in Waltham, where they brew all of their beer for stores, bars, and restaurants across Massachusetts and for customers who visit their brewery and taproom. Mighty Squirrel is excited to now also operate an outdoor biergarten at Arsenal Yards in Watertown along the Charles River and less than one mile from the Charles River Marathon course.

Your gateway to unforgettable marathons and half-marathons in some of the most iconic destinations on the planet - with coaching included.

Location: Herter Park/Artesani Playground, 1175 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA

Public Transportation: Harvard Square Station is a 1 mile walk The 70, 70a, and 86 bus will drop you a .1 mile walk at Western Ave & Everett St. Plan your trip here: Google Trip Planner

Parking: There’s a large parking area (lot #4) at 1175 Soldiers Field Road – the dog-leg for Everett Street which is adjacent to the start/finish area.

In the event of inclement weather or a global pandemic, the event may be postponed to another date. No refunds will be considered due to conflicts with the postponement date unless your required fundraising minimum has been met. If RACE must cancel the event due to circumstances beyond our control, no refunds will be issued. Please remember, all proceeds go to charity.

Sorry, we do not allow bib transfers in the Charles River Marathon.