Bg26.2 & Half Marathon and Bg6000 2026

The bg26.2 & half marathon and bg6000 start and finish at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The main races begin at 7:00 a.m. Central Time on Halloween weekend. The series offers runners a marathon, pushrim marathon, half marathon, bg6000 6K, virtual options, and a bgKIDS event at BG Ballpark. The road course is USATF certified, and the marathon can be used as a Boston Marathon qualifier. The route follows a 13.1-mile loop through historic downtown Bowling Green and the Western Kentucky University campus. Half marathoners complete the loop once, while marathoners complete it twice. The marathon has five checkpoints and the half marathon has two. A marathon runner stopping after one loop is marked as a DNF. The race has a six-hour time limit, with marathoners expected to maintain a 14:00-per-mile pace or reach the halfway point. All proceeds from the bg26.2 & half marathon benefit the National MS Society in memory of Susan B. Riherd. Finishers receive medals, refreshments, and access to post-race stretching and massage. bg26.2 was voted Best Marathon in Kentucky by a FindMyMarathon poll.