Avenue of the Giants Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
A flat, shaded run beneath thousand-year-old redwoods along the Eel River.
Last updated
- Where:
- Humboldt Redwoods, California
- When:
- Sunday, May 2, 2027
- Course:
- Flat · redwoods
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
Avenue of the Giants is flat and fast, winding beneath the towering old-growth redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park on a shaded out-and-back beside the Eel River. The cool canopy and quiet rural setting make it a serene PR course, one run as much for the cathedral of trees as for the clock.
- Start → Finish
- 150 → 148 ft
- Net
- −2 ft
- Total gain
- ≈ 250 ft
The certified route
Point to point through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, starting on Mattole Rd under the Hwy 101 overpass near Weott, heading west on Mattole Rd to the Hamilton Barn turnaround, then north on the Avenue of the Giants through the redwoods, with a second turnaround near the 1922 rock plaque, finishing back near the start.
- Start
- On Mattole Rd at the intersection of Avenue of the Giants, under the Highway 101 overpass, just north of the South Fork Eel River bridge (bridge #04-0010), 64 ft west of post mile 20.74.
- Finish
- On the Avenue of the Giants, northeast of the bridge (#04-0010), directly across from the highway sign Ave of the Giants; Freeway South; Honeydew, and 71 ft south of the highway sign Ave of the Giants; Eureka (nail/washer).
Underfoot
Paved, 100 percent.
Through, in order
Weott
What you pass
- Turnaround 1: 458 ft west of the Hamilton Barn sign on Mattole Rd
- Miles 14 to 19: the Avenue of the Giants through Humboldt Redwoods State Park
- Turnaround 2: 420 ft north of post mile 14.07, near the 1922 rock plaque
Worth knowing
- Mile locations and turnarounds are painted on the pavement with nail and washer markers.
- Runners have full use of Avenue of the Giants and Mattole Rd in both directions except as noted.
Transcribed from the USATF certificate for Avenue of the Giants Marathon (CA24017TEB), measured 1 and 2 April 2024. Where the certificate is silent, so are we.
Key moments
- Mile 1–6Flat, shaded miles under the redwood canopy. Settle in and savor the quiet.
- Mile 13An out-and-back turnaround beside the Eel River; check your effort before the return.
- Mile 20–26.2Cool, level miles back through the giants; hold goal pace to the finish.
Pacing strategy
A flat, even-effort course where steady goal pace is the whole game. The deep shade keeps temperatures down, so you can run honest splits start to finish. Just don’t get so lost in the scenery that you drift off pace.
Pacing by goal time
Checkpoint splits for four common goals at Avenue of the Giants Marathon. These are effort-even rather than pace-even: the paces shift with the course profile, so climbs are slower and descents faster by the amount the grade actually costs. For any other goal time, use the planner below.
| Checkpoint | Sub-3:00 | Sub-3:30 | Sub-4:00 | Sub-4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 3.1 | 20:366:54/mi | 24:028:03/mi | 27:289:12/mi | 30:5410:21/mi |
| Mile 6.2 | 41:116:50/mi | 48:037:59/mi | 54:559:07/mi | 1:01:4610:16/mi |
| Mile 9.3 | 1:01:496:51/mi | 1:12:087:59/mi | 1:22:269:07/mi | 1:32:4410:16/mi |
| Mile 12.4 | 1:22:216:51/mi | 1:36:057:59/mi | 1:49:499:08/mi | 2:03:3210:16/mi |
| Mile 15.5 | 1:42:596:51/mi | 2:00:097:60/mi | 2:17:199:09/mi | 2:34:2910:17/mi |
| Mile 18.6 | 2:03:376:54/mi | 2:24:148:03/mi | 2:44:509:12/mi | 3:05:2610:20/mi |
| Mile 21.7 | 2:24:106:51/mi | 2:48:127:59/mi | 3:12:139:08/mi | 3:36:1510:16/mi |
| Mile 24.9 | 2:44:476:54/mi | 3:12:158:03/mi | 3:39:439:12/mi | 4:07:1110:20/mi |
| Finish | 2:58:306:51/mi | 3:28:157:60/mi | 3:58:009:08/mi | 4:27:4510:17/mi |
Splits assume even effort and are adjusted for this course's climbs and descents, which cost more than they give back. A model, not a promise: wind and heat move real splits around. See how the pacing model works.
Plan your mile splits
Turn your goal time into a mile-by-mile plan for Avenue of the Giants Marathon, built from this course's elevation. The even pace approach comes pre-selected, and grade-adjusted pacing evens out your effort across the climbs and descents.
Plan Avenue of the Giants Marathon splitsFueling & hydration
Aid stations appear roughly every 2 miles with water and sports drink along the out-and-back. The level rhythm and cool canopy make a fixed gel schedule easy to keep; the shade keeps fluid needs modest but steady.
Weather
Mid-May in the Humboldt redwoods is cool and often damp (40s–50s°F), with the dense canopy holding morning mist, making for fast, comfortable racing weather beneath the trees.
What race morning has actually been like
The last 5 editions of Avenue of the Giants Marathon, measured at the start line rather than averaged across the month. Starts have run 40–55°F, averaging 46°F.
| Year | Date | Start | Dew pt | Wind | By late morning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Sep 19 | 55°F | 61°F | 2 mph | 61°F |
| 2022 | May 1 | 47°F | 45°F | 11 mph | 60°F |
| 2023 | May 7 | 46°F | 46°F | 3 mph | 55°F |
| 2024 | May 5 | 40°F | 43°F | 3 mph | 51°F |
| 2025 | May 4 | 44°F | 44°F | 11 mph | 57°F |
Dew point has reached 61°F (2021). Above about 60°F, sweat stops evaporating efficiently and most runners lose pace no matter what the thermometer says. It is the number to watch here, not the air temperature.
Dates derived from the race's published pattern (1st Sunday in May (2021 ran Sep 19)), observations at Weott, CA (start). Source: Open-Meteo historical reanalysis (ERA5), 7-11am local at the start line. Reanalysis is modelled from station observations, so treat it as a close record rather than an official one. See how race-morning weather is built.
Is Avenue of the Giants Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course drops 2 ft net, comfortably inside the 1,500 ft threshold where Boston's downhill adjustment begins, so a time here is submitted as run.
This drop is our estimate rather than a figure from the course's certificate. If it sits near a threshold, confirm with the organizer.
Compare every course, how the downhill bands work, or work out your own target.
Dial in your pacing & fueling
New to how training builds toward a race like this? Start with Anatomy of a Running Plan, find your zones with the pace calculator, and plan race-day nutrition with the fueling calculator.
Related marathon guides
- Big Sur International MarathonBig Sur, California · Apr 25, 2027Another flat course
- California International Marathon (CIM)Sacramento, California · Dec 6, 2026Another penalty-free Boston qualifier
- OC MarathonNewport Beach to Costa Mesa, California · May 2, 2027Another flat course
- Wineglass MarathonCorning, New York · Oct 4, 2026Another flat course
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