Alaska Salmon Runs (King Salmon Marathon & Sockeye Half Marathon)

The word “inspire” comes from the Latin root “inspiratus”, which means “to blow” or ”breathe into”. This is what Irene Webber did when she ran the first King Salmon Marathon, alone, in 1986. With her perseverance and enthusiasm, she created an event in which all of us have been inspired to take part. Her motto “See you on the road!” means just that, as she encourages others to live a healthier life. Our Alaska Salmon Runs honor the salmon, the keystone species of our daily lives in this commercial fishing village and the anchor of our surrounding ecosystem. Cordova is surrounded by extraordinary ecosystems that combine to form one of the world’s most spectacular natural environments and host to a thriving wild salmon migration. We now host participants from all over the world, and in one of Alaska’s most beautiful and friendliest communities. We have welcomed runners from Japan, Australia, Brazil, Norway, and several states in the continental U.S.A such as New York and Florida – plus many more. Some people come back year after year, and we hope that you will do the same. Our salmon runs are dedicated to the five species of salmon native to our area.

Alaska Salmon Runs is a point to point course that traverses the Copper River delta where runners are treated to soaring views of mountains being carved by glaciers, wildflowers, and blue water rivers and lakes. For each distance event (except the One Mile), runners meet at Race HQ and are driven on shuttle buses to the start line of their respective races.

The race course is mostly flat (we’re at sea level), and follows the old Copper River railroad route which led to the Kennicott Copper mines. The marathon starts at 27 mile bridge – one of the many bridges that span the Copper River. The first half of the course is gravel road – with little to no traffic. Because the area is still wild, moose and bear are occasionally seen from the course. For safety and water support, marathoners will be followed by a public safety vehicle driven by trained EMTs. Runners pass the “Mudhole Smith” airport at mile 13. Paved road then spans the Copper River delta, lined with beautiful wildflowers, including lupine, nagoonberry, fireweed, and Alaska’s State flower, the forget-me-not. The last 10 km are run along the blue waters of Eyak Lake. June temperatures range from low 50s – 75 F.