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The course

Pittsburgh Marathon

Pittsburgh, PA · Sunday, May 2, 2027

Pittsburgh Marathon official site →registration and course details
Race day
Sunday, May 2, 2027
Climb
1152 fttotal ascent
Race-week weather
50°F to 67°Ften-year normals, 65% of days wet

Route statusa community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. 2025 race GPX; the official My Maps KML is too coarse to model from

Accuracy check: drawn line is within 1.7% of the certified 26.2 miles; no part of the line passes through a building; 100% of it sits on a mapped road; closest it ever comes to a building wall is 2.0 m.

The elevation profile

660 710 760 810 860 910 960 1010 Mile 0.0 to 0.2: +0.3% Mile 0.2 to 0.4: +0.2% Mile 0.4 to 0.6: +0.4% Mile 0.6 to 0.8: -0.1% Mile 0.8 to 1.0: -0.1% Mile 1.0 to 1.2: +0.1% Mile 1.2 to 1.4: -0.2% Mile 1.4 to 1.6: -0.6% Mile 1.6 to 1.8: -0.2% Mile 1.8 to 2.0: +0.3% Mile 2.0 to 2.2: +0.2% Mile 2.2 to 2.4: +0.1% Mile 2.4 to 2.6: -0.2% Mile 2.6 to 2.8: +0.9% Mile 2.8 to 3.0: +0.2% Mile 3.0 to 3.2: -0.2% Mile 3.2 to 3.4: +1.2% Mile 3.4 to 3.6: +1.1% Mile 3.6 to 3.8: -2.5% Mile 3.8 to 4.0: -1.0% Mile 4.0 to 4.2: +1.3% Mile 4.2 to 4.4: +1.9% Mile 4.4 to 4.6: -0.4% Mile 4.6 to 4.8: -0.8% Mile 4.8 to 5.0: -1.1% Mile 5.0 to 5.2: -0.5% Mile 5.2 to 5.4: -0.1% Mile 5.4 to 5.6: -0.1% Mile 5.6 to 5.8: +0.1% Mile 5.8 to 6.0: +0.2% Mile 6.0 to 6.2: -0.1% Mile 6.2 to 6.4: +1.6% Mile 6.4 to 6.6: +0.1% Mile 6.6 to 6.8: -1.7% Mile 6.8 to 7.0: +0.0% Mile 7.0 to 7.2: +3.2% Mile 7.2 to 7.4: -0.1% Mile 7.4 to 7.6: -1.6% Mile 7.6 to 7.8: +2.5% Mile 7.8 to 8.0: +0.8% Mile 8.0 to 8.2: -1.4% Mile 8.2 to 8.4: +0.3% Mile 8.4 to 8.6: +1.4% Mile 8.6 to 8.8: -1.3% Mile 8.8 to 9.0: -0.7% Mile 9.0 to 9.2: -0.1% Mile 9.2 to 9.4: +1.0% Mile 9.4 to 9.6: +0.4% Mile 9.6 to 9.8: +0.9% Mile 9.8 to 10.0: -2.1% Mile 10.0 to 10.2: +0.7% Mile 10.2 to 10.4: +0.3% Mile 10.4 to 10.6: -0.1% Mile 10.6 to 10.8: -0.3% Mile 10.8 to 11.0: +0.1% Mile 11.0 to 11.2: -0.3% Mile 11.2 to 11.4: +0.1% Mile 11.4 to 11.6: +5.8% Mile 11.6 to 11.8: +0.2% Mile 11.8 to 12.0: -2.0% Mile 12.0 to 12.2: +1.9% Mile 12.2 to 12.4: +4.1% Mile 12.4 to 12.6: +1.0% Mile 12.6 to 12.8: +0.6% Mile 12.8 to 13.0: -0.6% Mile 13.0 to 13.2: -1.1% Mile 13.2 to 13.4: +1.6% Mile 13.4 to 13.6: -0.1% Mile 13.6 to 13.8: +0.1% Mile 13.8 to 14.0: +2.4% Mile 14.0 to 14.2: +0.4% Mile 14.2 to 14.4: -2.2% Mile 14.4 to 14.6: +0.2% Mile 14.6 to 14.8: -2.2% Mile 14.8 to 15.0: +1.3% Mile 15.0 to 15.2: +2.4% Mile 15.2 to 15.4: +1.1% Mile 15.4 to 15.6: -0.6% Mile 15.6 to 15.8: +1.1% Mile 15.8 to 16.0: +1.0% Mile 16.0 to 16.2: -0.7% Mile 16.2 to 16.4: +0.9% Mile 16.4 to 16.6: -1.3% Mile 16.6 to 16.8: -1.8% Mile 16.8 to 17.0: -1.9% Mile 17.0 to 17.2: +0.5% Mile 17.2 to 17.4: -0.5% Mile 17.4 to 17.6: +0.0% Mile 17.6 to 17.8: +0.4% Mile 17.8 to 18.0: -0.6% Mile 18.0 to 18.2: -1.9% Mile 18.2 to 18.4: +0.8% Mile 18.4 to 18.6: +1.8% Mile 18.6 to 18.8: +0.3% Mile 18.8 to 19.0: -1.2% Mile 19.0 to 19.2: -1.1% Mile 19.2 to 19.4: +1.8% Mile 19.4 to 19.6: +1.5% Mile 19.6 to 19.8: +1.2% Mile 19.8 to 20.0: +1.5% Mile 20.0 to 20.2: -1.4% Mile 20.2 to 20.4: -0.2% Mile 20.4 to 20.6: -1.9% Mile 20.6 to 20.8: -1.8% Mile 20.8 to 21.0: +0.6% Mile 21.0 to 21.2: +1.4% Mile 21.2 to 21.4: -1.0% Mile 21.4 to 21.6: -1.2% Mile 21.6 to 21.8: -1.3% Mile 21.8 to 22.0: +0.1% Mile 22.0 to 22.2: +1.9% Mile 22.2 to 22.4: +1.0% Mile 22.4 to 22.6: +0.7% Mile 22.6 to 22.8: +0.8% Mile 22.8 to 23.0: -3.3% Mile 23.0 to 23.2: -0.2% Mile 23.2 to 23.4: -2.4% Mile 23.4 to 23.6: -4.3% Mile 23.6 to 23.8: -4.1% Mile 23.8 to 24.0: -0.4% Mile 24.0 to 24.2: -0.1% Mile 24.2 to 24.4: +0.3% Mile 24.4 to 24.6: +0.2% Mile 24.6 to 24.8: -0.1% Mile 24.8 to 25.0: +0.4% Mile 25.0 to 25.2: -0.5% Mile 25.2 to 25.4: -0.0% Mile 25.4 to 25.6: +0.3% Mile 25.6 to 25.8: +0.2% Mile 25.8 to 26.0: +0.2% Mile 26.0 to 26.2: -0.9% 5 10 15 20 25 mile +124 ft +101 ft +66 ft
steep up up flat down steep down

1152 feet of total climb across the 26.2, between 727 and 974 feet of elevation. the Forbes Avenue hill runs from mile 11.9 to 12.53, 124 feet up, about 170 ft of gain in mile 12, roughly 3% for most of the mile - more than three times any other mile on the course. Also named on this course: the Forbes Avenue hill, the Forbes Avenue hill.

Mile by mile

Every mile of the course on the same vertical scale, so they compare at a glance. Net is what the mile does to your elevation; steepest fifth is the sharpest continuous fifth of a mile inside it, the same unit the colour strip above uses.

MileShapeNetElevation Steepest fifthStreets
1+7 ft744 ft+0.6%Liberty Avenue
2-7 ft738 ft-0.6%Liberty Avenue, Penn Avenue, 30th Street
3+9 ft748 ft+0.9%Penn Avenue, David McCullough Bridge
4-16 ft732 ft-2.5%East Ohio Street, Chestnut Street, Cedar Avenue
5+11 ft743 ft+2.0%West Commons, East Commons, North Commons
6-11 ft728 ft-0.6%North Shore Drive, West General Robinson Street, Federal Street
7-15 ft713 ft-2.3%West End Bridge, Fulton Street, Western Avenue
8+35 ft757 ft+4.7%South Main Street, Steuben Street, West Carson Street
9+13 ft760 ft-1.3%West Carson Street
10+1 ft752 ft-2.3%East Carson Street, West Carson Street
11+6 ft754 ft+0.5%East Carson Street
12+54 ft808 ft+7.3%Birmingham Bridge, Sidney Street, Forbes Avenue
13+101 ft910 ft+5.7%Forbes Avenue
14+30 ft938 ft+2.4%Fifth Avenue, Forbes Avenue, South Craig Street
15-20 ft920 ft-2.4%Walnut Street, Fifth Avenue, South Aiken Avenue
16+62 ft982 ft+2.8%Fifth Avenue, Penn Avenue, South Highland Avenue
17-65 ft916 ft-2.4%Penn Avenue, North Braddock Avenue
18+1 ft918 ft+0.9%Frankstown Avenue, North Braddock Avenue
19-10 ft906 ft-2.1%Frankstown Avenue, East Liberty Boulevard
20+68 ft974 ft+2.1%North Highland Avenue, East Liberty Boulevard
21-59 ft916 ft-2.0%North Negley Avenue, Bryant Street, North Highland Avenue
22-23 ft893 ft+2.0%South Negley Avenue, North Negley Avenue, Baum Boulevard
23+16 ft911 ft-3.4%Liberty Avenue, Baum Boulevard
24-168 ft741 ft-5.2%Liberty Avenue
25+9 ft749 ft+0.4%Liberty Avenue
26-4 ft745 ft-0.5%Liberty Avenue, Smithfield Street, Boulevard of the Allies

The course on a map

1 5 10 13 15 20 25 26

More like this

Another course

Elevation and mile by mile guides for more marathons.

Pittsburgh Marathon planning

Open the complete race guide: course, hotels, expo, spectators and the city.

Course geometry a community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. City geometry is OpenStreetMap, ODbL. Weather normals are ten years of Open-Meteo reanalysis around race day at the start line. Confirm dates and registration on the official site. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.