Runners who send an e-mail to racecommittee@hotmail.com by or before August 31 will be offered a partial refund of $25. The refund will be applied to the credit card that was used to register the runner. Runners who withdraw after August 31 will not be eligible for the partial refund. The marathon ended its carry-forward policy after the 2011 race. Requests to transfer entries should be sent to racecommittee@hotmail.com and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
We send our blast e-mails through the runsignup.com system. If you are not receiving them they are probably being blocked as spam on your end or might be ending up in your junk file. We can’t do anything about that. However, we re-post all of our e-mails to our Facebook page.
We mail an information or “confirmation” packet to all registered runners in mid September. The packet will contain specific information about the race, directions and maps. We also post a pdf of the information packet to our website in early September.
Yes. You’ll find several baggage stations both inside and outside Forest City High School. You will be given a clear plastic bag for your extra clothes, etc… Your bib number will be written on the bag. UPS trucks will transport all bags to the finish line. When you cross the finish line, walk (if you can) to baggage pick up on Courthouse Square and show a volunteer your race number. The volunteer will hand you your bag. Please don’t place anything of great value or anything that’s breakable in your bag.
IMPORTANT: Due to the Boston Marathon tragedy, the Steamtown Marathon race committee has banned knapsacks, gym bags, duffle bags, drawstring bags and any and all similar non-transparent bags and sacks on the event buses, at the starting line and at the finish line. Please leave such bags at home. Clear bags will be available at the race expo and at the baggage stations at the starting line.
The Steamtown Marathon finishes in Downtown Scranton on N. Washington Avenue between Linden Street and Biden Street (formerly Spruce Street) (Courthouse Square). Bus transportation to the starting line also departs from Downtown Scranton about a block from the finish line. Therefore, many runners choose to park Downtown on race morning. All parking meters are free on race day. You can park at any meter that does not have a No Parking sign on it. All are pay to park garages and none have attendants on duty. They all use automated pay stations. There are two pay-to-park garages on Adams Avenue between Lackawanna Avenue and Biden Street (formerly Spruce Street) and one at the corner of Linden Street and South Washington Avenue (enter from Linden Street). Click here for the Race Map with Parking Key.
You can have a friend or family member drive you to the starting line on race morning. However, please be advised that shortly before the start of the race, the main roads leading to Forest City (the start) will close to traffic. If your driver stays to watch the start, they will need to follow a somewhat tricky “escape route” to get out of Forest City. See Directions page for more information. Note: about 80% of all runners take one of our buses to the start.
If I can’t make it to the Race Expo, can I pick up my packet on race morning at the starting line?
For a number of reasons, we strongly prefer and respectfully request that you attend the Race Expo. However, if you absolutely cannot attend the Expo, you will be allowed to pick up your bib number, timing chip, and souvenir shirt inside the main entrance to Forest City High School at the starting line on race morning.
Yes. However, please be advised that we will ask the “picker upper” to show us their I.D. and sign for your packet.
Yes, just hop on board.
No, but please be advised that only registered runners should board a bus. Under no circumstances should family or friends board a bus.
NO! Please DO NOT leave a vehicle at the starting line. We will not be providing return transportation to the starting line!
There will be 14 aid stations on the course. Each will have Gatorade and water. A few will offer snacks. The aid stations will be at miles 3, 4.6, 6.9, 9, 11.1, 12.44, 14.6, 16.01, 18.2, 19.1, 20.63, 22.75, 23.82, and 25.24.
We will have 65 port-a-lavs at the starting line, 24 out on the course, and 10 at the finish. The port-a-lavs on the course will be at miles 2.4, 3, 4.6, 8.8, 10.15, 11.34, 12.30, 12.41, 13.10, 16.01, 17.94, 18.20, 19.06, 20.63, 22.75, 23.82, 25.24.
Yes, we will have a gel station between mile 10 and 11 and a second one near mile 20.5. Gels will be provided by GU.
Many excellent runners have answered this question by advising you to run an even split for both halves of the race. They strongly advise against trying to bank time. Although there is a lot of downhill at Steamtown, especially during the first eight miles, there are several challenging uphills in the final three miles. Going out too fast in the early part of the course will put tremendous strain on your quad muscles and will use up the energy you will need to tackle the tough uphills. First time Steamtowners would be wise to attend a presentation about the course given by our race director and several other runners, which will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Race Expo site (Scranton High School).
Please visit our training page for more information about running Steamtown’s course.
Only officially registered runners should be on the Steamtown course. Please do not ask a friend or family member to run or bike alongside of you. We reserve the right to disqualify you if you disregard this rule.
We will have several bike clubs patrolling the course searching for runners in need of assistance. We will also have sag wagons (Lackawanna County vans) stationed at points along the course. If you cannot finish the race, flag down a bike volunteer or tell the volunteers at an aid station. They should be able to call a sag wagon to your location. As a sag wagon gets a few runners on board, it will proceed to the finish line.
Also, we will have about one dozen ambulance companies available to help runners in need of medical assistance. The ambulance copies and sag wagons will be coordinated through the 911 system.
Yes, we are USATF-certified and an official Boston qualifier. In fact, on average, 28% of Steamtown finishers qualify for Boston. Once our race results are made official, we forward them directly to Boston’s registration department. Click here for more information about Boston qualifying.
Like most major road races, Steamtown uses clock time to determine prize money and age group award winners. However, the Boston Marathon uses chip time to determine whether you have posted a qualifying time.