Dana Ellifrits's Staging Area

The Yellowstone half marathon course was new for 2023 due to the extreme amount of snowfall that the area received this year. The course this year had less trail and less elevation changes than the original course. The first mile of the course runs through town on very wide streets, so it was really easy for runners to spread out and easily get around each other. The portion of the course that was a trail run was on a cross country ski path for about 3-4 miles. The path was grassy but was very well maintained and did not have a lot of rocks or variation in the ground level. Then we turned onto a paved pedestrian trail, which was an out and back portion of the run for about 6 miles. From there we turned onto a dirt road for the last mile or 2 to finish the race.

Even with the course changes, I still struggled with this run because of the elevation. It was also my first partial trail run and I probably pushed myself a little too hard running on surfaces I’m not used to. Regardless, the course was very pretty. I really appreciated that the start and finish were in the same location so there was no need to ride a shuttle. Also, West Yellowstone is a small town and very walkable, so parking was not an issue at all.

This course starts out in downtown San Diego. The first 5 miles are along the coast line, then you turn and head in a big loop back towards downtown to finish in the Gaslamp district. The majority of the course was flat with nice even roads and plenty of space at the start to get around other runners. The course did narrow out after the first couple of miles, but there was still plenty of room to pass if needed. Mile 8 had a short steep hill and a couple of other gradual hills, then you turn the corner around mile 9 and you climb for about 350 feet over approximately 3/4 of a mile. Once you get to the top of that hill the rest of the course is easy-peasy. There is also a nice water station at the top of the hill where they have misters and wet cloths to hand out, which felt wonderful! There are several down hill sections between miles 10 and 13 that help make up the time from the slower pace of climbing the hill at mile 9.

The expo was smaller than I expected with only a few vendors. The post race swag was okay, but not the best. The weather was perfect running weather. Started out at around 48 degrees and ended around 55 degrees. The sun was out and there was very little wind. Was perfect conditions for a PR!

The morning of this race it was so bitterly cold outside. When we started it was 23 degrees and it warmed up to about 32 by the time I finished. There was even a big patch of ice on the street in one of the neighborhoods. Luckily some nice runners in front were yelling “Ice” to warn those of us behind, otherwise I probably would have slipped and fallen. This run took us through some pretty neighborhoods and different areas of town. The section of the run that is actually on Route 66 is pretty small, but there is a nice route 66 sign on the overpass and on the road that was great for photos. The spectators along the course were amazing! (Some of the best I have experienced.) They really made all of us feel welcome and gave us lots of cheers and encouragement.

The post run celebration was a blast. They had a live band that performed (shout out to Home Skillet!) and they were a lot of fun. They really engaged with the crowd and played music that people knew.

Course had several hills throughout but most of them were short. The spectators along the course were awesome. The energy throughout the day was amazing from both the runners and the spectators. The swag included free entry to the Memorial Museum, which was very powerful!

The 2021 Skyline Half Marathon was an in person race, but it was re-scheduled from April to September. I had to run it virtually because I was out of town the weekend of the race, so my review is based on my virtual experience not the in person experience.

Coming from TX I was nervous about running with the hills and altitude in Denver. This course was downtown where it is relatively flat so the hills were a non issue. I also trained in the TX humidity which I think helped me prepare for the altitude difference. It was a very enjoyable run and I would definitely do it again.