Marathon
RACE START: 7:30 AM - There will be NO early start times. All racers must start within 15 minutes of the posted start time (7:30 -7:45)
RACE START LOCATION: ConocoPhillips Soccer Stadium at Kincaid Park - 9400 Raspberry Rd, Anchorage, AK 99502
RACE FINISH: Delaney Park Strip in downtown Anchorage. West end of Park Strip between 9th & 10th Avenues
COURSE CLOSE: 3:00 PM - All participants must finish the race by 3:00 PM
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The Marathon takes racers on a scenic journey throughout Anchorage. The race begins in Kincaid Park at the ConocoPhillips Soccer Stadium. The first mile meanders downhill through a cottonwood forest to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. The next eight miles follow along Cook Inlet with breathtaking views of the Alaska Range. If you are lucky, you may see beluga whales bobbing in the water.
At mile nine, the course heads east—towards the Chugach Mountains—and the Coastal Trail meets the Chester Creek Trail. As you pass Westchester Lagoon, watch for birds such as trumpeter swans, mallards, and arctic terns.
At mile 13, the race crosses Northern Lights Blvd. to Goose Lake, following forested trails to the University of Alaska Anchorage. Winding through the beautiful UAA campus and expansive Alaska Native Medical Center, the race travels over Tudor Road and enters Far North Bicentennial Park.
Far North Bicentennial Park is over 4,000 acres and home to moose, bears, salmon streams, and other wildlife. After about three miles, the course loops around University Lake Park and returns to the Chester Creek Trail.
The last four miles follow Chester Creek back to Westchester Lagoon through several neighborhoods, parks, and roadway tunnels. Here, runners hit the home stretch and head north on N Street through Anchorage's oldest neighborhood. The race finishes at Delaney Park Strip in downtown.
The race is primarily on pedestrian pathways and forested trails. The final half-mile runs through an urban Anchorage neighborhood.
This race is certified by USA Track, and it is recognized as a Boston Marathon qualifying event.
