20th Annual Combos® Marathon and Half Marathon

ALBANY, March 2, 2026 — Area residents will notice several temporary, partial lane closings in the area on Saturday, March 7th as Albany welcomes nearly 1,000 participants in the 20th Annual Combos® Marathon and Half Marathon, formally known as the SNICKERS®.

Albany Marathon, Inc. has brought over 30.000 runners from all 50 states, plus international runners from all over the world to Albany, Georgia. The Marathon has made a name for itself as a Top 10 Qualifier for the Boston Marathon. The course records still stand with those set in 2011 by Tesfaye Alemayehu who trains in Antioch, California, shattering the 26.2-mile course, setting a race record in 2:17:09, and in 2008, Janet Cherobon from Lawrenceville, GA with a time of 2:37:26.

At press time, 333 runners signed up to run the Marathon and 481 for the Half Marathon, which is a total of 814 participants with more signing up daily as the countdown to race day gets closer. To date, registrations have originated from 29 states outside of Georgia and two countries including Mexico and Boliva.

The Albany Marathon, Inc. donates race proceeds to the Willson Hospice House every year. To date, the Marathon has donated over $365,000 to hospice.

This community event is made possible with over 1,000 volunteers. We could not have a successful and safe event without our local law enforcement and community volunteers. Anyone can sign up to volunteer, and there is still time, so go directly to this website to register: https://runsignup.com/Race/Vol....

To increase community support, residents are encouraged to show pride and spirit by setting up chairs and drinking coffee in their front yard. This is a fantastic time to bring out noisemakers and cheer on the runners. The support helps runners throughout the route. Tag us in your pictures @albanymarathon on Facebook, Instagram, and X page while cheering on the runners.

THE ROUTE
The Marathon route described as fast and flat includes a scenic tour of Albany:

The Start is on Front Street next to Veteran's Park, near the Riverfront.

Both races turn left onto Oglethorpe and move through town leading to ASU West

Continue around the Willson Hospice House, back out ASU West, and down Gillionville.

Turning toward Doublegate, they run the neighborhood toward Lake Park

Circle through Rawson Circle, a designated garden neighborhood.

Hilsman Park - a natural lime sink.

Through Thronateeska Heritage Museum and the Old Train Depot

Finish along the River Trail at RiverFront Park behind the Albany Welcome Center.

Marathon Sponsors include:
Mars Wrigley
Phoebe Foundation
Molson Coors
Albany Technical College
Proctor & Gamble
Invision Technologies
Underwood Law LLC
Draffin Tucker
Matrix

In-Kind Donations to date include:
Flint River Entertainment Complex
Albany – Dougherty Search and Rescue
Visit Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau
City of Albany
Dougherty County Board of Commissioners
Albany Radio Club
Dougherty County Police
Merry Acres Inn
Oxford Construction
Reeves Construction
Newk’s
Bottoms UP
Buffalo Rock
Artesian Alliance
Albany Run Walk
Pecan City Pedalers

Water Station Sponsors to date include:
Dougherty County
Flint Comm Bank
Phoebe Hospice
ASU West
GA Community Bank
City of Albany
Kiwanis
Albany Tech
Ameris Bank
Lily Pad
Exchange Club
United Way of SWGA
Phoebe
Chehaw
The X Boys
MARS

MARATHON DETAILS
Pre-Race Festivities – March 6, 2026

3-9 pm Runners Expo & Registration Packet Pick-Up (No Race Day Registration),
Albany Civic Center

Race Start/Times - March 7, 2026
Crank and Wheelchairs start at 6:45 am

The Marathon and Half Marathon begin together at 7:00 am

Awards Ceremony at the Horace King Overlook behind the Bridge House
Awards for both the Marathon and the Half Marathon will begin at 10:00 am and continue as winners cross the finish line.

All Marathon and Half Marathon finishers will win a 2026 Combos® Marathon or Half Marathon Finisher Medal immediately upon crossing the finish line. Marathon cash prizes totaling $12,000 (1st Place $3,000, 2nd Place $2,000, 3rd Place $1,000) are awarded to the Top three Male and Female finishers. Age Group Awards will be awarded to the top three in each age category for the Marathon and Half Marathon.

Marathon & Half Marathon Age Groups (Men & Women):
Under 20, 21-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+

COURSE TIME LIMITS
The course will remain open for 7 hours (7 am to 2 pm).

PARKING
If driving, parking will be available at the James H. Gray Civic Center near the start line.

Visit www.albanymarathon.com or contact Kasey L. Summerville for more information at klsummerville@visitalbanyga.com or 229.317.4760.