McKirdy Micro Marathon: Breaking 3

Rockland Lake State Park

March 29, 2025

It’s estimated that less than 4% of marathoners who’ve ever run the daunting distance have broken 3 hours. We aim to bring that percentage just a bit higher. We invite you to join us and become one of those rare athletes!

Options are limited and proper support to run as fast as you are capable of is lacking in the vast majority of events around the country. Our event is the ONLY RACE in the country with a total “in-race” support concept in mind for all participating athletes! This will be a first time experience for MANY who participate but race directors Heather Knight Pech and James McKirdy will walk you through every detail to ensure you have every opportunity to break 3.

Come race day, you’ll be ready!

Participant Support

Every athlete in the race gets the same elite perks that we offer the professionals:

Personal Bottles

Every athlete will have personal bottle support

1 bottle per lap, starting in lap 2

Bottles to be provided by the athlete

Tangent Line

A full tangent line will be marked along the entire course

Every meter counts! stay on the line and run exactly 26.2 miles

Dedicated Pacers

Designated pacers to keep you on target for the 3:00 mark
Pace groups form a line behind the pacers so everyone can stay on the tangent line - remember your chip time is what counts!
Pacers for 2:30:00, 2:50:00, 3:00:00

Certified & Fast Course

Course is USATF certified and sanctioned (World Athletics Certification #USA-2023-071).

Course Records: Men: 2:11:04 | Women: 2:22:11

Marathon Awards

Overall: Men | Women | Non-Binary

1st: $1000
2nd: $500
3rd: $250

Entry Standards

1) Must have run a qualifying time from 01/01/23 through 01/31/25 (or until spots fill):

Marathon - 3:15:00 or faster
Half marathon - 1:33:00 or faster
New moms! If you have a qualifying time inside of 2022 and then had a child which prevented you from being able to race inside of our standard qualifying window, then your window extends back to Jan 1, 2022!

2) Acceptance to the marathon will be subject to verification of performance inside of the window with a net loss of -3.30m/1000m MAXIMUM.

("Downhill" race performances will not be accepted for entry.)

3) The purpose of this specific event is to break 3:00:00. With a standard of 3:15:00 our event will have a hard stop finish time of 3:15:00. We are excited to serve athletes in this venture but because of hosting another marathon the following day we must hold true to our stop time.

Course Map and Eligibility

Our course is USATF certified and sanctioned. We are also World Athletics Certified (World Athletics Certification #USA-2023-071). This certification will allow for the World Championship Standard and National Record performances to be valid.

This is not a professional athlete level event. If you have run 2:25:00/2:45:00 or faster please register for the Road to Tokyo Marathon held on March 30th.

Course map and certification here

Bib Pickup

More info coming soon!

Event Transfers

Accepted athletes will be able to transfer to the McKirdy 10K, or to the Road to Tokyo Marathon if a qualifying time for that event is achieved by 01/31/25.

The deadline to request transfer is 02/28/25. You can transfer events by logging into your RunSignup page and clicking 'Manage Registration.'

Transfers will be reviewed and are pending race director approval based on field size.

Small, but Not Lonely

The McKirdy Micro: Breaking 3 marathon has a 225 athlete cap. It's a small race, but not a lonely one. When everyone has the same goal with dedicated pacers, you simply hop in line and hang on for as long as you want. You're working with others, rather than running a solo effort.

Since it's a 2.94 mile looped course, it also makes spectating incredibly easy for your friends and family. You'll be able to see them approximately every 20 minutes!

Register Now