Gorham Savings Bank Maine Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay

Runners in all three races follow an out-and-back course that starts and finishes along the southern end of the Back Cove, the inner bay area near downtown Portland that’s a popular spot for running, walking and biking thanks to the paved trails that hug the shoreline virtually the entire way around.
The race starts just off Forest Avenue and Preble Street, and from there heads clockwise around the cove through what’s known as the Back Bay region, where scenic homes look out onto the water and runners will pass through Payson Park and along Baxter Avenue on the way out to the Martin Point Bridge.
Once they’re over the bridge — and with the exception of some barely noticeable elevation changes, the course is mostly flat for the first few miles — the course looks out onto Mackworth Island from Mackworth Point on Falmouth.
Runners can expect to hit the only real hills along the half marathon route after passing the mile 5 marker, where the course takes runners from the Portland Country Club and Pine Grove Cemetery to the turnaround point just south of the Falmouth Forest Preserve.
After that, the course brings runners back along the route they’ve just run, back over the bridge and into Portland for the final few miles.
There’s a detour between miles 10 and 11 onto Sherwood Street, followed by a quick run through Payson Park that puts the field back onto the trails that wind around the Back Cove, all the way back to the starting line area for the race finish.