Famous Idaho Potato Marathon
Boise, ID
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The YMCA Famous Idaho Potato Marathon, presented by the Idaho Potato Commission, is a fun point-to-point full marathon, half marathon, 10K or 5K course along the Boise, Idaho greenbelt. All courses are flat and fast! This marathon can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Bring the entire family … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 16):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 62 | 65 | 85 | 83 | 77 |
| L (°F) | 48 | 49 | 52 | 57 | 55 |
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Flat and Friendly
This was my 47th state. The field of marathoners was under 300 which worked out well as it never felt crowded. Marathoners start first at 7:00am and do two loops … MORE
This was my 47th state. The field of marathoners was under 300 which worked out well as it never felt crowded. Marathoners start first at 7:00am and do two loops on a paved 12 foot wide bicycle trail along the Boise river.
There is no expo, just pick up your bib outside on the campus on Boise State University. There was an excellent pasta and pizza buffet for only $15.00 at the bib pick up. The atmosphere was like being at a family picnic. Very friendly volunteers . Nice red shirt was given out and as many as you wanted bags of potato chips.
The race started promptly at 7:00am. It was well marked and had volunteers at turn areas. Plenty of rest stops with water, Gator Ade and Gu shots at certain miles. Pleasant running with no cars and some very scenic river views. It should be noted that the majority of the trail is on cement and by feet were not happy about that!. You also do not get to see downtown Boise at all which is too bad as Boise is a wonderful city.
The finish gave out a very nice medal and the food was a hot potato bar! The medal and shirt for the marathon and half marathon were the same.
Overall, I liked this race and would recommend it. I would have liked more communication from the race organization or better use of Facebook to update folks.
Getting to Boise by air can be a challenge as there are not too many direct flights, especially from the East coast. If you have time, Boise has a number of things to do like visiting the State Capital or the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. Lots of good restaurants and Boise is the only place to get the Idaho Ice Cream Potato!
This event was a mess
My experience was surprising in that this event has been around forever, and I assumed the organization would have everything dialed in. They did not. * Course lacked adequate signage/volunteers. … MORE
My experience was surprising in that this event has been around forever, and I assumed the organization would have everything dialed in. They did not.
* Course lacked adequate signage/volunteers. A volunteer directed 10k people the wrong way and added over half mile to the course, destroying any time or AG goals. There were no mile markers save a few for half/full.
* Looking at results, and understanding how poorly marked the course was, I can see that rightful winner/overall placewinnners were robbed … I hope the RD can figure this one out and weed out those who did not run the full course (though likely unintended). This is likely the case over all 4 distances.
* Even though both the 10K and 5K started at the same time, the way the courses were set up, we had to get around the tail end of the 5K (walkers, strollers, four-person groups walking side by side) on narrow greenbelt path, coming to an almost standstill at points
* No calories on the 10K course, which isn’t that big of deal except it’s also part of the marathon and half. I only saw water, no Gatorade or gels. Felt bad for longer distance participants.
* Finish was a MESS. All distances converging (half and full started a full 3 hours earlier)
* Same day registration really slowed down race day packet pickup. When the gun when off, I glanced back and at least 30 were still in line for bib pickup. Needs more opportunity for earlier pickup, no race day registration or a separate table for registration vs pickup.
Nice scenery for 50 states
I chose this race as part of my 50 states quest. I was excited for the baked potato bar at the end. This race was state 47 for me. I … MORE
I chose this race as part of my 50 states quest. I was excited for the baked potato bar at the end. This race was state 47 for me. I would recommend this race to others.
There were a total of 3,200 runners across four races: marathon, half, 10K and 5K. The marathon and half started at 7am. I’d say it was a medium size race. The start line had signs for runners to seed themselves by pace. I seeded myself between 10-12 minutes and felt I had plenty of room at the start. The entire course was on a paved bike path. I don’t think we crossed any intersections. There were 8 aid stations which were all well attended. The course was well marked too. (check out the video I uploaded)
There were some spectators along the course but for the most part the course was quiet. Runners had opportunity to see the Boise River and lush trees. The finisher area had bagels, water and baked potato bar with potatoes, butter, cheese and sour cream. The area had other things to purchase like coffee, ice cream and donuts. There was also a message tent and photo opps with the Idaho potato mascot.
Packet pickup is mostly just a packet pickup. Be sure to bring your gels, etc., with you to the race. The medal was very cute. Everyone received the same medal. In addition to the medal, runners were given a pin that indicated the distance run. The pre-race pasta dinner was outdoors. The finisher area was all outdoors as well. The women’s shirts will different than the men’s and youth shirts.
I stayed at a Residence Inn across from campus that was about a 10 minute walk to the race. There was another Residence Inn and other hotels in the downtown area that would also be walkable to the start line. The start area was next to a large parking deck which would be nice for people driving to the race.
Double loop Marathon, very tight
So I knew this coming in, but still need to call it out, it was a double loop marathon. I'd say that because of this, there were zero marathon runners, … MORE
So I knew this coming in, but still need to call it out, it was a double loop marathon. I’d say that because of this, there were zero marathon runners, meaning after the half was completed, it was empty. Also, no crowd support being it was on the river the whole way. I thought the packet pickup was very small (no vendors) and the race finish was not very good (no food or alochol). Boise itself is a lovely place, just wish maybe change up the run and go through the city vs doing a double loop. The race was extremely flat which was helpful
Potato a bit raw
Pre race pickup was ok. It was fast enough, there were some good options, but vendors were sparse. Additionally, paid parking is kinda lame (they fix this on race day … MORE
Pre race pickup was ok. It was fast enough, there were some good options, but vendors were sparse. Additionally, paid parking is kinda lame (they fix this on race day via a pass). The swag is just ok. On one hand, the shirt was cool and the medal is potato themed, but beyond that, not much. The bib is ok, but not the name variety. As for race-day, this is where it comes up short. They use the Boise Greenbelt, which is one of the worst venues I’ve run on. As a place to do a private jog, or to take the kids, or walk the dog, maybe scooter around, it’s wonderful, but part of the problem is that all of this is present when you are running, and this makes it challenging. I was actually struck by a scooter during my marathon effort, and although it was more of a nuisance than a significant impact, it shouldn’t happen. It’s one of those races where it’s so congested over the first 3 miles, you’ll either be jumping curbs or walking behind groups out for a stroll. Once you get through, it’s not a particularly challenging course, but as stated, you need to stay alert as all manner of bike, scooter, etc stand ready to surprise you on the many twists and turns. Fortunately, water, electrolytes, and aid was well equipped, so that’s not a concern (and the volunteers were pretty great)! But then towards the end of the race they inexplicably mix all races together (full/half/10k/5k). This is an absolute mess, I even saw some folks getting turned around in the confusion. Not ideal. The end was a bit lackluster this year, no reading names of finishers, just the medal and snacks. With all the beautiful area around the state, it may be better if they get this race off the Greenbelt in years to come. Love that it’s a charity, love that there were enough bathrooms, loved the on course volunteers, loved the giant potato. An Idaho potato themed race has so much potential, but to me, it was still a bit undercooked.
Fun race along the river
The packet pickup was easy. It was fun starting at the stadium. The course went along the river which was really nice. The after party was good. There were photo … MORE
The packet pickup was easy. It was fun starting at the stadium. The course went along the river which was really nice. The after party was good. There were photo ops and baked potatoes to go with the race theme. The course was easy to follow and the mile markers were right on. The timing had some sort of mishap. My watch had 1:46:29 as my time and the race clock was also a 1:46 as I crossed the finish line but my time came out at 1:49:01 and has since been adjusted to 1:47:01. I’m waiting to see if there are further adjustments as it hasn’t even been 24 hours yet. The weather was perfect and this was a fantastic course with a well ran race other than the timing issue. We started a few minutes late as the clock wasn’t ready. All in all I would still highly recommend this race. I loved it!
LOVED THE DELICIOUS POTATO BAR
First off, the bib pick up process is so simple, no expo just pull into the parking lot get the bib and go. That’s nice for out of towners that … MORE
First off, the bib pick up process is so simple, no expo just pull into the parking lot get the bib and go. That’s nice for out of towners that just want to get the bib and go without all the crowded expo stuff. The race itself is spectacular, fairly flat, and peaceful. Not a lot of crowd and hosts the typical aid stations with water and gel along the route. Unfortunately, noticed a few runners cutting the loop out to the neighborhood development, which to be honest only cheats themselves. The 2 runners in front of me seemed confused when they turned (meaning they would be cutting miles out) and I told them we had to go straight as the markings were misleading as the arrows in front of us indicated we were turning but really meant that was an arrow for the runners coming back to turn. I did bring this to the attention of the race crew so hopefully next race the course markings will be corrected or a volunteer will be stationed there to assist in directing runners that correct way. After crossing the finish line, and collecting a solid, awesome potato medal each runner was treated to the Potato bar which was fresh and delicious! Lots of runners feed their whole family the bagels and potatoes and they still had plenty left as the last runners were finishing. My family was unable to attend, but I did win a whole bag of Idaho potatoes from my performance that my family enjoyed for days after and carb loaded me for the Ogden Marathon the weekend after!
A 'Spud-tacular' Event
This course is relatively flat, has good views, fun volunteers/spectators and overall a good race. This race is unique in it's ties in to the Idaho Potato Commission - love … MORE
This course is relatively flat, has good views, fun volunteers/spectators and overall a good race. This race is unique in it’s ties in to the Idaho Potato Commission – love that we were support local farmers!
I’d like to see a larger expo with more ‘SWAG’ options, but we’re still coming out of a global pandemic, so I understand the size may be different than year’s past.
10/10 recommend this race if you want a good, professionally-organized, family-friendly, fast course race. Idaho was a blast. I’ll see y’all on the roads!
Famous Potato Poorly Executed
I feel that it’s important for the production people and other runners to know that this race was poorly executed in many ways and I want to talk about them. … MORE
I feel that it’s important for the production people and other runners to know that this race was poorly executed in many ways and I want to talk about them. This was my first half marathon with this race. It starts out lovely up in the Lucky Peak area. When it gets to the point where it comes to Boise, and approaches the Albertsons area, it gets uncoordinated.
There are no checks and no magnet scans after the finish line you have to pass if you are running the half or full, which you have to pass to run several more miles. You have to run past the finish line, and do a loop around the north end Boise neighborhoods and there were issues with volunteers pointing to the wrong directions, no signs or signage for the half marathon and marathon people versus the 5K and 10K people, and most importantly, many people cheated!
As I passed the finish line, which was about mile 10 of the half marathon, many people just turned right and went through the finish line instead of running the last 3 to 4 miles. This was really a big bummer for those of us who are actually around the distance. For those of us who kept going, passed the finish line and ran by BSU, for all of the next mile markers there were no signs directing the half marathon or‘s that they were going the right direction. At this point all of the races were merging together and it was confusing.
My serious recommendations are the following;
Put more magnet scanners in the last 4 miles so that people can’t cheat this time and just turn in at the finish line vs doing the last few miles!
Next, make sure the volunteers are sure to let the half marathoners and the marathoners know they’re running the right direction. I had a volunteer point me in the wrong direction and I ran an extra mile in the wrong direction before somebody corrected me.
Also, put more signs out that have words that are encouraging for specific racers like half and full marathoners and are directed at each of the runner types, half marathoners, full marathoners, so they know they’re on the right track vs running a 5k or 10k path!
Lastly, it was awkward and difficult to know whether you were going to reach for water or electrolytes at all of the drink stops. Is it possible to put even a sign on the trays to know what the people passing drinks out are handing out? You have to relive your ear buds and ask for what you want and check and ask at every point which makes it so you have to stop and wait for those in front of you to do the same. Even a simple dangling sign would help!
Checked the box in Boise
I live in Atlanta and was not prepared or even thinking about the elevation. I have to imagine that's what caused me to struggle. Around mile 18 I felt like … MORE
I live in Atlanta and was not prepared or even thinking about the elevation. I have to imagine that’s what caused me to struggle. Around mile 18 I felt like I could not drink enough water and would guzzle 2-4 cups per hydration station.
Overall the race was well managed if a little underwhelming– expo was basically non-existent this year and “after party” was modest as well. The marathon course basically looped the front 8 once you got to 18 which I didn’t mind as at least I knew I was closing in on the finish. The bus down to the start was a nice touch as I don’t know how the hell else I would have gotten down there.
Nice Race!
This was a really nice local race for me to participate in. Course is scenic. Specific areas of race support but the comrade among the runner specifically was special. Well … MORE
This was a really nice local race for me to participate in. Course is scenic. Specific areas of race support but the comrade among the runner specifically was special. Well organized. Packet pick up was a breeze. Post race food was delicious!
Beautiful race but needs some tweaks
This race is in Boise ID, which is a great town. I stayed at Springhill suites which is ,4 of a mile to the packet pickup and finish. Free shuttle … MORE
This race is in Boise ID, which is a great town. I stayed at Springhill suites which is ,4 of a mile to the packet pickup and finish.
Free shuttle service too! The packet pickup was not very smooth. 5K-1/2 marsthonsers had to stand in long lines outside in the rain to get their packet. Marathoners have a special line. The shirts are poor printed quality. The shuttles to the start were great and loads of ports Johns at Lucky State Park. No pacers. The course is slight downhill to half, then loops back so slight uphill to 19, then it got confusing! No volunteer at the turnaround at 19.??? I ran past the arrows on the pavement… no cone, nothing! A local runner behind me called me back… so I lost time there… then at a split at 22.5, the volunteer ( who was sitting off under a tree) sent me on a dirt path along the river. I was by myself at that point. This made me run 2.5/10s further again!! I was so confused. Thank Goodness this path ended at the street where the other runners could be seen down The was coming out of a paved path! I ran 26.6 miles but it was redeemed a little that I got 3rd in age. Good baked potatoes st the end, no beer. Medal was really cheap looking. No chocolate milk. The half marathon is their pet child!!
A Fun Filled Potato Celebration Race
I finally got the chance to run a half marathon in my home state and I was very pleased that this was the race that I selected. EXPO: I was … MORE
I finally got the chance to run a half marathon in my home state and I was very pleased that this was the race that I selected.
EXPO: I was not able to go to the expo proper the because I didn’t fly in until Friday evening and the race was on Saturday. My parents picked up my race bib for me which they told me was easy and smooth with plenty of parking and easy access. The said the expo was pretty small but had a decent number of booths.
Parking/Access: There are two options in regards to getting to the start, you can get dropped off at Lucky Peak Park or you can park at the finish and take the bus to the start. I chose the option of getting dropped off since I had family in the area and I thought this worked out really well. We had no problems getting in and out although if you were running late it might have been hard since they stopped letting cars in and stopping along the highway would be problematic. The bus option seemed to work well for most people as they were steadily being dropped off. Apparently there were some traffic issues that caused the final bus to be late but they were kind enough to delay the start by 10 minutes so that everybody could start together, although jumping off a bus with no time to stretch and then quickly toss your gear bag was probably less than ideal I think that is more on the people for cutting things so close with which bus they chose than a negative reflection on the race. Parking at the finish was plentiful and pretty much 100 yards or less from the finish line. Doesn’t get much easier than that.
T-Shirts/SWAG: I am never a fan of shirts and medals celebrating the number of years of a race because they often look similar and are not very creative. The grey shirt is good quality and soft, a potato of course easily lends itself to act as the ‘0’ in writing and they used that here as well. I don’t hate it like some of the anniversary races I have done, but I didn’t love it either. The logo was repeated on the race medal. It is a small but sturdy gold medal with the race logo on it and a relatively small lanyard compared to most races. Again good but not great so a solid 3 stars.
Course/Aid Stations/Elevation: Aid stations throughout the course were at good intervals and had both water and electrolytes. They went pretty smooth although a few of the aid station volunteers were not doing enough vocalizing who had water vs. electrolytes so i missed getting anything at the final aid station but I find it hard to really be critical of people who volunteered their time early on a Saturday just to hand out water to sweaty runners for a couple hours. I chalk this up to just some bad luck and since I was towards the front they probably figured it out as things went along.
The elevation on the course was very easy. You pretty much follow a very slow gentle downhill along the river from Lucky Peak to downtown. I think the worse hill on the course was going over an overpass over the Boise river and even that isn’t much of a hill to speak of.
The course itself was a pretty diverse mix of scenery. You start by running out of Lucky Peak through the canyon along the highway with the river at your side. You then get to run along the base of the Boise Foothills before turning and running on the greenbelt for several miles. Towards the end when you are entering downtown you run through a few neighborhoods and over a couple bridges before reaching the finish. No major cool Boise landmarks on the course, but enjoyable and pretty just the same.
Race Management: This is a smaller race, ~900 people in the half but I still feel like they did a really good job with it. Everything was pretty easy to manage and navigate and I really didn’t have any complaints. The finish area was quite enjoyable and had the giant potato truck for some pictures as well as quite a few booths with chocolate milk and of course their signature baked potato bar. I have to admit that when I heard about the baked potato bar at the finish, I thought it was a cute local idea but not likely something I would enjoy at 8:30 am. When I finished however I decided to give it a try and to their credit they had all the toppings you could want on a baked potato. I also need to admit that while I originally thought that a baked potato would not sound good after a run, I was very very wrong. A carb rich baked potato right after a run was amazing! It was a uniquely Idaho way of finishing things and I loved it.
Another nice thing about running a race back home was seeing current students from my high school running and representing as well as running into several old high school cross country teammates and friends. I’m sure this type of thing is common for people who still live near where they grew up but for me coming from out of town it was a great bonus.
Pretty good event
The course is the highlight. Starts out at Sandy Point Beach. It was pretty darn cold with a breeze; everyone was huddling around buildings to stay warm. Once the race … MORE
The course is the highlight. Starts out at Sandy Point Beach. It was pretty darn cold with a breeze; everyone was huddling around buildings to stay warm. Once the race started, the coldness went away quickly and by an hour into the event, it got hot quick. The course continues through canyon-like atmosphere, then through a nice community area, back to the a trail along the Boise River, through two different city parks, for a nice finish.
Post race, you get a baked potato and you can choose your own toppings, which is awesome. Lots of other goodies and drinks too.
The packet pick up is very disappointing. Basically pull up to a crowded parking lot, walk over to a small tent/booth, and they hand you your stuff. No frills at all. This would be a good event to have some booths Idaho related like: Taters, Idaho Made, Mixed Greens, Idaho Candy Company, Wear Boise, Banana Ink, Proof Eyewear, etc. Many people travel from out of state to this event.
Fun Race, Great Volunteers
I ran the 10K, but there are also 5K, half marathon and marathon options. The 5K and 10K started together around 10am. It was hot by this time, 9am would … MORE
I ran the 10K, but there are also 5K, half marathon and marathon options. The 5K and 10K started together around 10am. It was hot by this time, 9am would have been a better start time. Because the two distances start together, it is very congested in the beginning. They have signs for different timed corrals, but there were too many people to be divided that way. The first mile includes running along a sidewalk over a bridge. It was so congested that the runners had to walk on the bridge. Otherwise, the race was great (although very humid/warm). The scenery was nice along the greenbelt. The volunteers were very friendly and kind. Good food at the end… loved my baked potato and toppings!!
Fast, flat race
The course began at Lucky Peak State Park and went through a canyon for the first few miles along the river. We were on greenways for a large portion of … MORE
The course began at Lucky Peak State Park and went through a canyon for the first few miles along the river. We were on greenways for a large portion of the race and the course was flat and pretty scenic. There were plenty of volunteer stations but not many spectators. At packet pickup we got our bibs and a cute potato-shaped pin that says Idaho on it. We got our shirts and medals after the race; both were cute and went along with the potato theme. There was also a potato bar at the finish with several toppings to choose from. There were bounce houses for kids at the finish area. The weather was perfect by my standards although it was breezy at the park and through the canyon. This was state number 42 for me!
Flat, fast course
The course started at Lucky Peak State Park and went through a canyon along water for the first few miles. We were on greenways for a large portion of the … MORE
The course started at Lucky Peak State Park and went through a canyon along water for the first few miles. We were on greenways for a large portion of the course. The course was pretty scenic overall and very flat. The medal and shirts were cute, following with the potato theme and we got a potato-shaped pin at packet pick-up that says Idaho on it. There was a potato bar at the finish where you could put all kinds of toppings on. There was also fruit, yogurt, and water. There were bounce houses for kids at the finish as well. The course was well-marked and had plenty of volunteer stations. About the only thing that was lacking is spectators but that didn’t bother me.
Fast, smooth, and well run
The course was set up as a point to point downhill route along the Boise River with the finish 13.1 miles from the start. Most of the route was on … MORE
The course was set up as a point to point downhill route along the Boise River with the finish 13.1 miles from the start. Most of the route was on bike trails, so traffic control wasn’t a problem. For the full marathon, runners had to do another 6.55 mile out-and-back after they got to the finish area. This last 6.55 mile out-and-back was fairly flat, so with the first 13.1 miles of downhill, it is a pretty fast course. The heat got to be a little problem towards the end, but at least the humidity was low. All in all a well organized course, but with the early shuttle buses to the start, it isn’t for those who like to sleep in late.
Could be better as Idaho's premiere race
Although this is one of the largest (if not the largest) running event in the State of Idaho, it's rather average compared to other races that are their State's "premiere" … MORE
Although this is one of the largest (if not the largest) running event in the State of Idaho, it’s rather average compared to other races that are their State’s “premiere” running event. The course itself is fine — point-to-point, flat (well, a slight downhill) the entire distance, and run completely on the paved Boise Greenbelt along the Boise River. The race begins in a scenic gorge, but by ~5 miles, you begin running through neighborhoods/HOAs, then by ~9 miles you’re in Boise town/city.
Where I’m a bit underwhelmed with this race is that the expo is rather sparse, packet pick-up is required the day before the race (though it’s a small enough race that packet pick-up could be manageable on race day, especially given all the down time at the starting area because the bus pickups are so early), and the medals are sort of meh. There’s potential for this race to be a much more impressive experience, especially for 50-staters.