The Empire State Marathon is an annual marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) held each October in Syracuse, New York. The first running of the race was on October 16, 2011. The marathon course has been certified by the USATF. Race organizers are looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of distance running in upstate New York, particularly with the success of other local marathons in Rochester, Buffalo, Albany and the Boilermaker Road Race in Utica.