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 over 50 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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Great for your destination race
We had great weather in 2024. The course was great t embrace the nature but without seeing the Glaciers. The post-race party was great. It was 50th and we did … MORE
We had great weather in 2024. The course was great t embrace the nature but without seeing the Glaciers. The post-race party was great. It was 50th and we did not get to see the Mayor. I strongly recommend the memorable race and take some days for sightseeing.
Beautiful course
The race takes you through a forest preserve along a bike trail. I didn’t see them but a few other runners saw moose and brown bears during the race. You … MORE
The race takes you through a forest preserve along a bike trail. I didn’t see them but a few other runners saw moose and brown bears during the race. You also get to run through the Anchorage college and on the ceremonial start line of the Iditarod (sled dog race). There are a few climbs on this course, so get some hill training in.
I’d run it again if I was local
It was beautiful weather which means it was a bit warm for my liking. I’m so glad I met friends to do this race with. Sad we didn’t get to … MORE
It was beautiful weather which means it was a bit warm for my liking. I’m so glad I met friends to do this race with. Sad we didn’t get to see the moose but the course was nice.
Awesome!
Great course as far as difficulty. Good support and food at finish line. Picture from the Moose is a great memorabilia! Everything was great! MORE
Great course as far as difficulty. Good support and food at finish line. Picture from the Moose is a great memorabilia! Everything was great!
Gorgeous course
Overall, this was a very good race. It was a very beautiful course with views of the water and the forest along most of the way. (The day after the … MORE
Overall, this was a very good race. It was a very beautiful course with views of the water and the forest along most of the way. (The day after the race we saw several moose on the same course.) The only city stretch was in the last mile. The first mile of the course was a bit crowded but nothing bad. The course was mostly flat with a few hills here and there, though there was a tough one right before the finish line, more due to its location than its length. There were not many support stations, but there were enough, and they were well-stocked. The shirt was very nice while the medal was about average. The post-race finish line party was very lively and fun. I would do this race again.
Good views, average difficulty.
A bit congested in the first mile, the bike path is not very wide. There was not any particle difficult part of the course, except maybe the hill at the … MORE
A bit congested in the first mile, the bike path is not very wide. There was not any particle difficult part of the course, except maybe the hill at the end. The views were great in the first half of the race.
Amazing views and perfect weather!
This was State #31 for me and marathon #39! I loved everything about this race! The start at the soccer park gave us awesome views from the very beginning. There … MORE
This was State #31 for me and marathon #39! I loved everything about this race! The start at the soccer park gave us awesome views from the very beginning. There are cedar and pine forests, mountain views all around, we saw whales in the bay and I even saw a moose around mile three! 90% of this course gives you incredible scenery and although there are some ups and downs, I didn’t notice any huge climbs. We lucked out with temps in the mid 50s to mid 70s. The Northerners thought it was “hot”! LOL Those of us from Oklahoma were in heaven to experience summer highs in the 70s!!
Sun All Day
The race course was beautiful, the end of the race was pretty rough a huge hill just before the finish. Water stops were few and far in between at the … MORE
The race course was beautiful, the end of the race was pretty rough a huge hill just before the finish. Water stops were few and far in between at the beginning, so if you run this bring your own hydration. Bring bug spray as well, the mosquitos were out. The people cheering and volunteers were amazing. I lucked out the weather was gorgeous.
Outstanding Marathon Course
The course winds along a coastal nature path with less than 10% of the course on a road or sidewalk. The course was shaded over 75% of the course. MORE
The course winds along a coastal nature path with less than 10% of the course on a road or sidewalk. The course was shaded over 75% of the course.
Beautiful course
Gentle rolling hills, on a paved trail (race ends on a steep uphill, but it’s not the end of the world, I’ve seen worse on other races). Mostly shaded course. … MORE
Gentle rolling hills, on a paved trail (race ends on a steep uphill, but it’s not the end of the world, I’ve seen worse on other races). Mostly shaded course. Volunteers were very nice, race swag was good, wish they had more items for runners. The finish line party was fantastic!! State number 5 down and not disappointed 😃
Good, not great half marathon
Expo was pretty bleak, but I think that's me being used to expos like Rock n Roll do. Race starts in a field and works its way through a paved … MORE
Expo was pretty bleak, but I think that’s me being used to expos like Rock n Roll do.
Race starts in a field and works its way through a paved trail that isn’t closed off from other runners and bikers making this race a little hectic. There were a few spots where I could see someone going off course as the race is not marked the best. Views are nice!
Race itself is mostly flat with the 1st 4 miles generally going downhill so its best to make sure your knees are ready!
Post race party was very good with a lively atmosphere. Makes up for the lack of crowd during the race.
Overall, not worth a repeat but if you are like me doing the 50 state challenge, go ahead and get it out the way!
Super finisher festival!!
Race is mostly on the coastal trail and shaded. The finisher festival was awesome!! Grilled cheese made right there on a Blackstone, chips and queso, and delicious breads from Great … MORE
Race is mostly on the coastal trail and shaded. The finisher festival was awesome!! Grilled cheese made right there on a Blackstone, chips and queso, and delicious breads from Great Harvest. Race shirt was super and simple with the one major sponsor.
Not Very Popular, but Very Beautiful!
I'm surprised that this race isn't very popular since Anchorage is a large city in Alaska and it's easy to get to. Additionally, it was the 50th anniversary of the … MORE
I’m surprised that this race isn’t very popular since Anchorage is a large city in Alaska and it’s easy to get to. Additionally, it was the 50th anniversary of the race, so I thought more people would come out for it! The expo was at the Alaska Airlines Center (sports complex). There weren’t many vendors sadly, so most people were in-and-out in less than 10 minutes.
The race started in Kincaid Park and was easy to get to! The race was on various trails and parks (ex. Coastal Trail, Chester Creek Trail, Far North Bicentennial Park). I stopped to take tons of nature pictures and to take pictures of 3 moose!
Since the course is mainly on trails, it was a mix of pavement, rocks, and gravel. It was hard to keep a steady pace while on the rocks/gravel sadly, but I still had fun! The weather got hot, so I wish it would’ve been 10-15 degrees colder.
The finish line was great! There was a band, a place to take a picture on top of a stuffed moose, grilled cheese, Qdoba, beer garden, and a sports massage! This is a great destination race!
What we run for beauty and not time
For this race my goal was to enjoy the beauty of the race, to notice the scenery, and to look for moose and bear. I will go to Los Angeles … MORE
For this race my goal was to enjoy the beauty of the race, to notice the scenery, and to look for moose and bear. I will go to Los Angeles zoo when I return home as I have seen no bears. This race has long stretches of downhill in the shade with a cool breath blowing. We stayed downtown at the aviator hotel which was five blocks from the bus shuttle left. They had plenty of buses running every five minutes – something I have not experienced before . Great view of the mountains and the water. Marathon started at 7:30 and half at 8;30. I would prefer early starts as I would want to get as many miles in as possible before it gets hot. Great volunteers with water and Gatorade but the gel was not until mile 11 which was too late for folks not carrying their own. Mile 6-8 would have been better. The highlight of the race after the scenery of the race was the post party. Grilled cheese sandwich’s and fresh slices of bread and of course the beer but need to do something to shorten that line but the highlight was the photo opp on bullwinkle!! There was even someone taking your pictures- my souvenir from the race. They had another place for 26.2 and 13.1 to have your picture taken and this had the names of everyone who ran the race . There was a spot to take your photo if this was your 50 th state. This the 50 year anniversary of the race
Decent race
Pretty good race. The course was pretty much all on a paved bike trail. Thankfully it was mostly shaded since it was a little hotter than usual this year. real … MORE
Pretty good race. The course was pretty much all on a paved bike trail. Thankfully it was mostly shaded since it was a little hotter than usual this year. real feel was 74 around the time i finished. The course was a little hillier than i was expecting as well. To me it seem miles 3-8ish was a constant incline. They threw a good sized hill in at mile 12.9 also lol. only small complaint is there wasn’t any aid stations from around mile 1.5 to 5ish. I’m not into swag and medals much anymore but the tshirt was drifit which i like and the medal was pretty good as well. If you need Alaska I would recommend it.
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.