The Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon and Half-Marathon, presented by ConocoPhillips Alaska, has a rich history. Once known as the Midnight Sun Mayor’s Marathon, the starting gun went off in the early evening, instead of the traditional morning start time in recent years. After all, Land of the Midnight Sun means just that…midnight …
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The Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon and Half-Marathon, presented by ConocoPhillips Alaska, has a rich history. Once known as the Midnight Sun Mayor’s Marathon, the starting gun went off in the early evening, instead of the traditional morning start time in recent years. After all, Land of the Midnight Sun means just that…midnight sun! With the event taking place on the Saturday closest to summer solstice, roughly 22 hours of functional daylight illuminates Anchorage.
For more than 40 years, the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon, Half-Marathon, 5K, and relay event has been a summer solstice tradition attracting runners from all over the world. Hosting an event of this nature is a significant undertaking, which is led by a partnership between the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department and the University of Alaska Anchorage Athletic Department. Race proceeds help support the MOA Parks and Recreation Department, which is responsible for beautifying parks, natural areas, and operating community recreation programs for all ages and abilities in Alaska’s largest city. Race proceeds also help support the UAA Athletic Department and its 160 Student-Athletes, who represent the University and Anchorage community in pursuit of academic and athletic excellence.
The finish line at Delaney Park Strip is just blocks away from the heart of downtown Anchorage, which is full of summer activity, great eats, and unique shopping. Toast your success at a nearby brewery and replace all those burned calories at one of Anchorage’s many fine restaurants, food trucks, or other local eats. Just beyond the city, you can find some breathtaking sights. Glacier and wildlife cruises, flightseeing tours to Denali or Prince William Sound, and day tours are great ways to add Alaskan sights and adventures to your race in Anchorage.
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The Marathon to Run in Alaska
The 49th Annual Anchorage Mayor's Marathon is my 49th State Marathon. In the 49th State (Alaska), how fitting! It is easily one of my favorite marathon courses. Organized by the … MORE
The 49th Annual Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon is my 49th State Marathon. In the 49th State (Alaska), how fitting! It is easily one of my favorite marathon courses. Organized by the University of Alaska Anchorage and Anchorage Parks & Recreation, 5 running events, including the Marathon, Half Marathon, 5 Miler, Kid’s Mile, and Relays, are held during the Summer Solstice.
The Expo (I went on Thursday) was OK and relatively low energy. There weren’t many people or booths. But the finish area was definitely festive with ample of music, food and drinks for runners.
Bonus: There is just something about exploring a place where you get nineteen hours or more daylight!
Mountains, Daylight, Trails
Perfect race temperatures, possible sightings of moose or bears. Take the upgraded Trolley Tour to see most of the course ahead of run. Verify course a week before heading to … MORE
Perfect race temperatures, possible sightings of moose or bears. Take the upgraded Trolley Tour to see most of the course ahead of run. Verify course a week before heading to location, just in case the course is changed “last minute”.
This is a beautiful course.
The medal is big. The race was well run and organized. I enjoyed the whole course the scenery, the start, the support along the way and the finish line was … MORE
The medal is big.
The race was well run and organized. I enjoyed the whole course the scenery, the start, the support along the way and the finish line was great. I would recommend this marathon to anyone. The weather was mild and cool.
The mosquitoes on the first 7 miles were no joke… I would NOT skip the bug spray.
It is a slight up hill till about mile 17… I didn’t find it too difficult though. (I am a coastal flat lander). I walk / ran this whole course.
Summer solstice spectacular
Absolutely gorgeous scenery along the Coastal Trail course. Experiencing the summer solstice extended daylight and cool temperatures in June, added to the experience. The course was fairly flat and easy … MORE
Absolutely gorgeous scenery along the Coastal Trail course. Experiencing the summer solstice extended daylight and cool temperatures in June, added to the experience. The course was fairly flat and easy for walkers. This Alaska race ranks in my top 3 favorite for state race destinations.
Great Trip But Only a Good Race
I chose to run this half marathon for Alaska mostly due to timing. My mom has always wanted to go to Alaska and mid to late June is the best … MORE
I chose to run this half marathon for Alaska mostly due to timing. My mom has always wanted to go to Alaska and mid to late June is the best time for her to travel. I also thought it would be cool to visit during the summer solstice. This is the farthest I have traveled for a race yet and I was very excited for this one. Overall the race was completely fine with no issues but it did not meet my expectations but I perhaps went into the race with too high of expectations. Logistically it is not easy to get to Alaska. Plan an entire day for travel if you are coming from the East Coast. I left the Thursday before and then stayed an entire week after. Alaska is a super cool place to visit so definitely try to come for more than just the race. I had a lot of issues getting a flight to Anchorage and my flight times kept changing. I did not let this affect my rating but just be aware. I was excited to find a flight that left Rochester even if it did have 2 layovers. However they canceled the first leg of my flight and no replacement flights worked so I ended up driving 4 hours and flying out of Cleveland and only had 1 layover. The entire travel was a 4+ hour drive and two 4+ hour flights so well over 12 hours total. I did get to Alaska Thursday without issue. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express by the airport since my flight got in really late. It was a 15 minute drive to the race start but you can stay in walking distance of the finish if you want the easiest logistics. Pre-race communication was pretty limited but the website was updated. I went to the expo on Friday. It was at the arena at the University of Alaska campus. It was small but had essentials and chips & salsa/queso which was great. Swag included bib and a short sleeved tech shirt. Like most of this race the shirt was fine but not exceptional. You also got a generic drawstring bag. The race is point to point. For the race you can either park at the start or finish and there are shuttles both ways. It seemed like parking would be easier at the start so I chose that. I was excited to see a moose and calf on my drive to the start. Also weather was absolutely perfect. The start is at a soccer field in a park. There was a ton of parking. The marathon starts 1 hour before the half. The half started at 8:30. There were enough porta potties and a nice starting arch but no pacers or even pace signs of where to line up. Overall production for the race was like this: Adequate but a bit underwhelming for a destination race that people travel from all over the country and world to. The start of the race is a 1.5 mile out and back through the park. The out is on a coned off street and the back is on a parallel bike trail. You then basically run on paved trail for the entirety of the race except the end which is on a street near downtown. I was a little disappointed it was 95% public trail. It was a well-groomed trail and I understand logistically why public trail is easier for hosting a race but I just want something a little more special and for part of the course to be somewhere I couldn’t just run on my own especially a race I go out of my way to run. The trail was quite pretty but especially the first half was a bit boring. It was just woods for the first half. It was pretty woods and there were nice wildflowers but there are woods in Rochester and New Hampshire that are equally pretty. The second half did have some beautiful views of the water and mountains surrounding Anchorage and the near the end was around a lovely pond. I didn’t think the course was too difficult. The first 3 miles rolling hills, then a steep downhill for about a mile then mostly flat with some rollers at the end. The hardest part is it ends on a hill. It is technically net downhill but there’s enough uphill I wouldn’t call it a downhill race. I thought it was pretty average difficulty. Much less hilly than Lake Placid and less hilly than most races in Rochester. Again production was fine along the course. It was well marked and there were accurate mile markers. There were 5 aid stations. The first 2 were a little far apart at mile 3 and 6. The rest were 2 miles apart. Most had water and gatorade the last one had Gu. The volunteers were helpful and the aid stations never ran out of anything but I generally would prefer more aid stations than 5 and would have liked more nutrition as with the time change I was starving by the end of the race. There was not much else in terms of on course support. There were no spectators for 95% of the race, no encouraging signs, no music acts, etc. My finishing time was okay but I was kind of slow as it was a low energy race and I was still sore from last weekend. One positive about the public trails though is it does allow for a very long time limit. You just need to be done by 3pm so there is essentially no time limit for the half. Which is great as I’d hate to travel to Alaska and DNF. There are however a lot of spectators at the end when you go back in town. There is an announcer and a finish line arch and you get your medal. The medal is like everything else very average. The finish festival however is great. There was a lot of food and great vegetarian options (though not the best vegan options). There was grilled cheese, chips & queso, this delicious cinnamon bread, cookies along with the typical stuff like fruit. There was also a beer tent which I didn’t go to and someone handing out red bull which I did take. The shuttle was very efficient back to the finish although there was only me and another runner so I’m not sure how environmentally friendly it is. Overall I did think this race was fine and there were no big issues. However I did not find it to be an exceptional race and it was pretty average to me. Some of this may have been unrealistic expectations on my part. The cost was only $75 and if I paid $75 and ran the same race on the canal path or another public trail by me I would have been satisfied. I was just expecting a bit more from such a destination race. I did however have a great trip to Alaska and while I can’t necessarily say the race is worth 12+ hours of travel to get to, Alaska itself definitely is. I wouldn’t strongly recommend or not recommend this race. If this is the time you want to visit Alaska then I would recommend this but if June is not a good travel month for you then I wouldn’t rearrange your schedule for this race.
Beautiful views.
Easy in and easy out to visit Anchorage. Beautiful views all around you. Gentle, mostly downhill run with a couple of hills at the end. Super friendly atmosphere and a … MORE
Easy in and easy out to visit Anchorage. Beautiful views all around you. Gentle, mostly downhill run with a couple of hills at the end. Super friendly atmosphere and a fun after party. Would do again.
Fun and small race
Fun small race to do. Mostly ran on paved trail. Plenty of aid stations. This race ended on an uphill climb so it was a difficult finish but well worth … MORE
Fun small race to do. Mostly ran on paved trail. Plenty of aid stations. This race ended on an uphill climb so it was a difficult finish but well worth it.
Beautiful Course; Awesome Post-Race
Incredible scenery. Course starts on turf and finishes on grass, but the rest is paved. Start needed a little organization so folks could have organized by pace. Announcer at start … MORE
Incredible scenery. Course starts on turf and finishes on grass, but the rest is paved. Start needed a little organization so folks could have organized by pace. Announcer at start was informative and funny.
Main concerns for me were bears, moose, and mosquitoes. Had plenty of the latter. Never saw a moose or bear (although a participant had moose’s antler hat…so I’m counting it!). At mile 6, I got very preoccupied with mosquitoes. I had bug spray on my legs and got no bites.
The greenway is wonderfully shaded. Made temps perfect for the run. Yes. Rolling hills, but not brutal until the finish. The last three hills were serious and demoralizing. But there were supporters with posters cheering you through. Cheered for everyone (fast or slow)! I got confused in the final chute because it had openings, but made it to the proper grass turn and into the finish arch. Lots of supporters. And announcer made supportive and tailored comments about me. Medal is very nice and matches shirt.
THE AFTER PARTY – Wow. Sooooo good. They had photo activation areas that were fun for all. There were grilled cheeses on wheat or sourdough from a local bakery. The water truck was ingenious! Every race needs one! Great Harvest Bread had three choices of bread with or without butter. Qdoba offered chips with several queso options. There were lots of bags of chips, oranges, apples and bananas. Good music. Great atmosphere. The beer garden was crowded, long, long, twisting line and militant ID checkers at entrance. Waited about 30 minutes and finally gave up to get the Frontier soda (which had no line).
Locals have been most welcoming. Will strike up a conversation and explain local history, happenings and bear stories! Absolutely a fabulous race. So glad I did it.
Beautiful
- bah pick up was easy. It was available at start line despite the website not stating that. Qdoba was there with free chips and salsa or queso. It’ s … MORE
– bah pick up was easy. It was available at start line despite the website not stating that. Qdoba was there with free chips and salsa or queso. It’ s a one way run. But the shuttles are available at stat and finish so you can park at either end. They run about every 5 min. Highly recommend parking at the finish and shuttle to the start- you don’t want have to catch a bus back after you just ran (maybe unless you live down that way!)
– swag consisted of tech shirt and draw string bag. In true Alaska style, then after party was awesome. Your bib got you a locally brewed beer or soda. Two local bread companies were present giving out bread/ cookies/ grilled cheese. Messages. Chips, fruit and water. And other booths.
– course was kind of hilly , up and down. Elevation map in pics…. Ok it doesn’t look nearly as painful as I thought it was! 😂
-weather was BEAUTIFUL! Moose at the start line.
Beautiful and hilly
So I read the reviews mentioning it was hilly beforehand. And then took to Google street view (which amazingly does have coverage of the Coastal Trail!) and thought, "Pssssh, this … MORE
So I read the reviews mentioning it was hilly beforehand. And then took to Google street view (which amazingly does have coverage of the Coastal Trail!) and thought, “Pssssh, this doesn’t look hilly.”
Went on a shake-out run the day before the race. No… it’s hilly alright.
An astonishing elevation dropoff of over 150 feet within a quarter mile somewhere in mile 3, 2 semi-large hills later in the course, one right before the finish line and that was a real doozy.
Otherwise, gorgeous race. Would have loved for the start/finish to not be grass, but I get it.
Race production felt a little underwhelming for the event size but the location/good weather made up for it.
Sunshine and Shade loved the Trail
Honestly, we were lucky the sun came out... started at 53 degrees. Terrific support and weather. Really enjoyed the trails through the trees. Wish there was a few more coastal … MORE
Honestly, we were lucky the sun came out… started at 53 degrees. Terrific support and weather. Really enjoyed the trails through the trees.
Wish there was a few more coastal areas we could see coast, however, then I would have to sacrifice the shade, which seemed perfectly placed.
The Greatest experience in Alaska
There was breathtaking views of the lakes and the bay. The race was very well run. The medal is super amazing, and I would highly recommend this MORE
There was breathtaking views of the lakes and the bay. The race was very well run. The medal is super amazing, and I would highly recommend this
A perfect way to see Alaska
The race starts out at the park which allows for a perfect view of the city and coast. Although the course is a bit hilly, I didn't have much issue … MORE
The race starts out at the park which allows for a perfect view of the city and coast. Although the course is a bit hilly, I didn’t have much issue here as the scenery keeps you distracted through the race.
Aid stations could have been more consistent. Nice to have a free finish photo, as compared to the ridiculous marthonfoto prices. The medal is very cool with a focus on the summer solstice.
Overall, a perfect time to visit and experience Alaska.
Bucket list race checked off!
The race took place on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Every Summer Solstice, this event draws hundreds of runners and spectators from every state, and from many countries around the globe. … MORE
The race took place on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Every Summer Solstice, this event draws hundreds of runners and spectators from every state, and from many countries around the globe. After running this race, I understand why. This was by far one of the most beautiful courses I have ever run thus far in my 16 years of running. This was a point-to-point course that started at the ConocoPhillips Soccer Stadium at Kincaid Park and finished at the Delaney Park Strip in downtown Anchorage. The half marathon and full marathon both followed the same route until the groups split off at Eastchester Park. We could not have asked for more ideal weather on race morning – it 55° F, and partly cloudy with a gentle 5 mph breeze. The temperature was expected to remain consistent throughout the event.
My favorite part of the course was definitely the first mile, which took us downhill through a cottonwood forest to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, touted as “one of the most beautiful coastal trails in the nation,” which had stunning views as promised. Having a completely downhill first mile set the tone for a positive race right out of the gate. I’m going to throw it out there now that my absolute least favorite part of this course was the fact that the finish line was at the summit of a back-breaking, demoralizing hill. After the first mile through the cottonwood forest, the 8 miles after that followed along Cook Inlet with amazing views of the Alaska Range. The entire course remained at approximately 102 feet above sea level, with slightly varying elevation through out and some significant uphill portions, however it was not what one would consider a high elevation race.
The support for this course was top-notch. The volunteers were energetic and kept us hydrated, and laughing with funny signs, most notably, “Pain is just the French word for bread.” Speaking of bread: One of the key things I also wanted to highlight was the amazing post-race food. And I do mean amazing. I can tell you from experience that after running this race, I consumed what was the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had, and I’ve had thousands of grilled cheeses throughout my lifetime.
This race was awesome and lived up to every expectation. If I wasn’t a 7 hour flight away, I’d run this race every year.
Very good scenic race
This race is scenic, but be aware of inclining elevation. After mile 14, there is a 2 mile trail with rocks that's hard on the feet. There will be animals … MORE
This race is scenic, but be aware of inclining elevation. After mile 14, there is a 2 mile trail with rocks that’s hard on the feet. There will be animals along the course, but no one were attached or non of the animals were aggressive. Overall it was fun, but very challenging.
Soft shoulder to run on
The surface is 90% asphalt paved trails and surface streets. There are several tunnels. The tunnels are a little dark but less than 50 meters long. I did encounter a … MORE
The surface is 90% asphalt paved trails and surface streets. There are several tunnels. The tunnels are a little dark but less than 50 meters long. I did encounter a mother duck and her offspring in a tunnel but when all stayed to our side of the road and the truce held. The course requires running many many small tangents to keep on the soft shoulders. The course weaves uphill for about 10 miles. No major hills (steep)but plenty of quarter-mile inclines with 10-meter dips. There were 3 bear sights. There was a bear when I reached mile 11 but it was far enough off the road that I did not have to stop. I did not see the bear. It was in a very densely forested area. There was a large fresh deposit of bear scat(poop) at mile 20. My 50-state partner was stopped at mile 23 to let a bear cross the trail. She was about 300 meters behind me.
Scenic Alaska Vacation
I planned this as part of a 9 day family vacation in Alaska (Marathon #19, State #12).... A very scenic course along a mostly paved trail system( a couple miles … MORE
I planned this as part of a 9 day family vacation in Alaska (Marathon #19, State #12)…. A very scenic course along a mostly paved trail system( a couple miles were on a dirt/gravel trail… The scenery towards the beginning included the ocean and mountain range in the cool Alaska Summer air…The race day is during the Summer Solstice so there was like 21 hours of light…I know some people saw moose along the course and other years included bears…However, the course was pretty hilly to include the last 1/4 to 1/2 mile to the finish…The expo was very small but inside a hug venue that was easy to get to… as part of the packet pickup they had a Kid Mile that was free and I was able to run it with my 6 year old Son and Niece….there was enough aid stations with water/energy drink, gels, etc….Not alot of crowd support along the course….Very nice medals and the t-shirt’s were okay…They handed out Finisher shirts as well….post race included cookies, bread, grilled cheese, music, beer (49th State Brewing), etc….Overall one of my favorite marathons along my journey and I had an awesome and very scenic vacation around Alaska with my family….If i had to nit pick on some of the negatives I would say that there wasn’t alot of pre race hype or information on Social Media and the only water at the end of the race they had was cups of water…. I would highly recommend this race…
Anchorage ALASKA
First off I went to this race with 200 more, this was a large group. Fun was to be had. The scenery in Alaska was breathtaking, I couldn’t get enough … MORE
First off I went to this race with 200 more, this was a large group. Fun was to be had. The scenery in Alaska was breathtaking, I couldn’t get enough since I’m a mountain chick. The race was a fast start, downhill, it was on a paved trail in a park. I loved looking at the soft looking grass, the ponds, the inlet. It was a great run. They did however add .3 of a mile and it was all uphill… great race tho.
Flat and fast along the Anchorage coast
We received an email before the start of the race that due to some miscalculated measurements, the half marathon course would be an extra 300 meters, but when I finished, … MORE
We received an email before the start of the race that due to some miscalculated measurements, the half marathon course would be an extra 300 meters, but when I finished, my watch showed I ran 13.7 miles so that is why I can’t give this race a perfect “5 shoe” rating. Other than that, it was a really good race. Bib pickup was easy on the University of Alaska campus, but other than picking up your bib and t-shirt, there was really not much there. We took a shuttle to the start and that went smoothly. We were so fortunate to have absolutely perfect running weather – 58 degrees with cloudy skies.
The course is run almost entirely on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which is a multi-use trail along the coast. This means that though the course is paved, you have to contend with a very narrow width, and it is difficult to pass fellow runners. But after mile 3 or so, people generally find their groove and pace and you aren’t so bunched up. However, the closer you get into the city limits, the more you have to deal with other runners, walkers, bikers, and roller-bladers, etc. You will mostly find yourself running along a trail that is very shaded with trees, so you occasionally get glimpses of the bay, but it’s not very often. It also runs by the airport so you will get to see planes taking off and landing and that was cool. Due to the closed nature of trail too, there is little opportunity for spectators to cheer you on but that didn’t bother me too much. Around mile 10, the course begins the “out and back” portion and the full marathon dumps in there too, so you will pass runners until you get to the turnaround. But I never felt crowded or that I couldn’t pass people.
Course support was good with aid stations about every 2 miles serving up water and poweraid, as well as one station that offered goo. In general, the course is flat and fast, except for the last 200-300 meters which is all uphill in a neighborhood. And as I mentioned at the beginning, the half marathon course was mismeasured for some reason, so I ended up runing an extra 6/10 of a mile according to my watch.
Swag was decent – nice technical shirt and medal. Finish line goodies were OK – cups of water, bananas, grilled cheese, bread. All in all, I would definitely recommend this race if you want to do a race in Alaska! My family and I made a vacation out of it and did some touring before and after the race.
Love Alaska
Alaska is a must run state, make sure you do some excursions and she the wildlife. I use to live in Fairbanks and I must say Anchorage has nothing on … MORE
Alaska is a must run state, make sure you do some excursions and she the wildlife.
I use to live in Fairbanks and I must say Anchorage has nothing on Fairbanks