Race History

The First Annual Buffalo to Niagara Skylon International Marathon took place on Saturday, October 26th, 1974. A group of musicians from Buffalo (the Nickel City) were the pioneers for the event, which saw quick success, eclipsing 3,000 runners within 2 years. At the time, this was more than New York and Boston in 1976!

1977 saw the race renamed to the Skylon International Marathon and held that name until 1985, when the name was changed to the Buffalo / Niagara Falls International Marathon.

In 1980 and 1984 the course was used for the Men’s US Olympic marathon trials. In 1980, Anthony Sandoval set a course record with a time of 2:10:19 in which has never been beaten.

In 1985, organizers introduced a special “Peace Bridge Trophy” which was presented to the first man and first woman to step foot in Canada. The Peace Bridge connects Buffalo, USA to Fort Erie, Canada and was used by marathon runners to cross the border for many years of this one-of-a-kind race experience.

In 1986, the marathon ceased to exist due to lack of sponsorship and funding issues. The race was on hiatus until it was revived in 1998, under the new name: Casino Niagara International Marathon with Casino Niagara as the title sponsor.

In 2001, the race was expanded to include a half marathon distance and walking division in efforts to draw additional participants to the race.

2004 saw the women’s course record set by Nicole Stevenson with a time of 2:37:08. A mark that stands to this day.

The Niagara Falls International Marathon, in conjunction with the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), introduced the annual Schools Marathon Challenge in 2005. The Challenge became a quick success, seeing as many as 1,100 students participating in the project. The 5k event was also introduced in 2005.

Another significant change happened in 2006, when the finish line was moved to the brink of the falls, near the Table Rock Welcome Centre, where it would stay until the late 2010’s. In 2007 the race was renamed a final time to the current Niagara Falls International Marathon, and also saw the creation of the 10k race, to now offer a 5k, 10k, half and marathon.

Fast forward to 2019, the start/finish line was moved south to the Toronto Power Station, a kilometer or so from the old finish line, along the Niagara Parkway.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the events in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled. With the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, the race picked back up in 2022, but due to increased restrictions and costs, the international piece of the marathon was no longer viable. All the routes now started and finished entirely on the Canadian side of the border, which was carried into 2023 and 2024. Future events will continue to explore the viability of bringing back the international marathon.

We thank everyone who has had a hand in creating and shaping the history of this unique and amazing event. From volunteers, captains, pacers, staff, and previous race directors, the experience for the 10’s of thousands of runners that have crossed our finish lines over the years speaks for itself.

We are excited to continue this journey with you and create extraordinary running experiences at one of the most iconic back drops in the world, at Niagara Falls. 2024 will mark 50 years since the inaugural race held back in 1974.