Paavo Nurmi Marathon | Half | Relay | And More

The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is a point-to-point marathon run in Northern Iron County, Wisconsin - always the 2nd Saturday in August. Locals and visitors alike will witness true "SISU". At its heart, SISU means extraordinary determination, courage, resilience, and inner strength—especially when things are difficult and you’re not sure you have anything left to give.

The course begins in the town of Upson and continues along Highway 77 through the communities of Iron Belt, Pence and Montreal. Near Carey, the race turns down County Highway C, clips past the Gile Flowage and proceeds along U.S. Route 51 into the city of Hurley. The finish line is located on Silver Street in Hurley, where the race finishers are served a traditional Finnish stew called Mojakka.

The Paavo Nurmi was established in 1969 and is considered to be the oldest running marathon in Wisconsin.

As of 2026, the record for the event stands at 2:19.10, set by Richard Wilde of England in 1978. The women's record is held by Mary Bange of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in a time of 2:47.49, set in 1979.

Another marathon bearing the same name has been held since 1991 in Paavo Nurmi's birth city of Turku, Finland.

The Paavo runs on a verified course, and this year the Hurley Area Chamber of Commerce is handling ALL the details for the race INCLUDING assuring all runners that the course is a Boston Marathon Qualified Course!!!

The Paavo Nurmi Marathon is the longest running marathon in Wisconsin, with 2027 being our 57th year.

Packet Pickup is Friday August 14 at the Hurley K-12 School, located at 5503 W Range View Drive, Hurley WI 54534 3:00 - 7:00 pm

LATE Packet Pickup is available Saturday August 14 beginning at 5:30 am. At the Iron Horse Trailhead, located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Silver Street.

Register TODAY!