The Bear Lake Trifecta in Utah on Saturday is the third in the series, and includes a marathon, half marathon and 5K. The Water’s Edge Resort Bear Lake Marathon weekend is fast becoming one of America’s favorite destination races for those seeking to become members of the 50 State Club. By completing three races in three states in three days (all with minimal travel between races) runners can check off three states at once. Run Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.
All start and finish lines are within a 45 minute drive from each other, which makes for simple traveling logistics and recovery between races. You can set up your “basecamp’ for lodging with Waters Edge Resort properties or at other local locations in Garden City, Utah or Montpelier, Idaho. Visit https://thebearlakeresort.comfor more lodging info.
The closest ‘big city’ to the Bear Lake area is Logan, Utah, which has hundreds of hotel rooms and is just 37 miles away from our event headquarters at Water’s Edge Resort. Montpelier, Idaho is just 20 miles north of Bear Lake and also has a several lodging options.
Transportation to and from the start and finish lines is the responsibility of the runner. The Bear Lake Marathon will not provide shuttles from various hotels to start lines.
Traveling to Bear Lake might be half the adventure for many of our runners. The Bear Lake Valley is as rural as it is beautiful. If flying, we recommend arriving at the Salt Lake City International Airport and renting a car to get to Bear Lake. You can also fly directly into the Bear Lake Valley airport, it’s smaller, and your larger and longer flights may not connect there. Other options include flying to the Pocatello, Idaho or Jackson Hole, Wyoming airports.
Bear Lake is approximately 2 hours north of Salt Lake City, 2 hours southeast of Pocatello and 2 hours south of Jackson Hole.
To keep this complicated weekend a little less complicated, the Bear Lake Marathon & Half Marathon races subscribe to the ‘keep it simple‘ theory and don’t promise a lot of bells and whistles with your races. You’ll have amazing scenery, fully supported course and great SWAG, but we don’t bother with live bands, massive stages or elaborate expos. You’re here to run and we’re here to help you do that here in the mountains!
In 2021, for safety and liability concerns, we WILL have time limits for the marathons and half marathons. The time limits for 2021 are 8 hours for the marathon and 5 hours for the half marathons.
The fastest man and women (combined times) in the Marathon and Half Marathon Trifecta series will receive a trophy like none other!
Cool awards for age group winners will also be distributed at the end of each daily race.
Due to the nature of the event, and to avoid participants waiting for awards ceremonies each day, awards for the single races will be distributed once the top 3 of each division finishes the race. We will have an official awards ceremony for the Marathon and Half Marathon Overall and Division Trifecta winners on Saturday afternoon.
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Amazing views and very well organized.
I truly enjoyed this race. I participated in the all three included in the trifecta and so glad I did. The swag was nice and the organizers did a fabulous … MORE
I truly enjoyed this race. I participated in the all three included in the trifecta and so glad I did. The swag was nice and the organizers did a fabulous job. Lots to do in the area. It definitely felt like more of vacation then my typical runcations. I plan to do it again with my friends. Recommend you book room and board early. There are some pretty amazing cabins that sell out quickly. If it is warm bring your swimsuit the lake was amazing. We also did horseback riding.
Beautiful Bear Lake
This was my first half ever. I loved it so much. The people were fun, the location was beautiful, and the course wasn’t difficult. Mostly road then you go up … MORE
This was my first half ever. I loved it so much. The people were fun, the location was beautiful, and the course wasn’t difficult. Mostly road then you go up a short trail and turn around for the half. I loved this run so much I wish I didn’t have plans for 2021’s date or I would run it again.
Candace from Utah
LOVE LOVE LOVE
The people are amazing, everyone waits till the last finisher!! Beautiful scenery so amazing!! MUST DO RACE!!! Loved my Trifecta jacket, and hat!!! So much fun!!!! MORE
The people are amazing, everyone waits till the last finisher!! Beautiful scenery so amazing!! MUST DO RACE!!! Loved my Trifecta jacket, and hat!!! So much fun!!!!
Over hill and dale in Utah.
Day three of the trifecta, this course gave me more challenge. I begged my friend to do the race with me because as a true back of the packer, I … MORE
Day three of the trifecta, this course gave me more challenge. I begged my friend to do the race with me because as a true back of the packer, I was getting bored with spending so much time alone. We walked the course. My time is an estimate but I forced my friend to let me finish last when we finally reached the finish line.
Even at the back of the pack, we were extremely well cared for. Unlike the first two races, this course contained a bit of a hilly trail. Despite that, there still was a proper water stop on the rugged trail.
The Bear Lake Trifecta was a major part of my 2019 running schedule and one of the biggest highlights of my running career. Given the opportunity, I would do it again.
First Trifecta! I'm in love!
One of my friends was trying to get her 50 states, so I was conned into doing this race with her (3 marathon in 3 states in 3 days!) :) … MORE
One of my friends was trying to get her 50 states, so I was conned into doing this race with her (3 marathon in 3 states in 3 days!) 🙂 We had an absolute BLAST! I loved the sense of community between all of the runners, and the aid stations/volunteers/swag/views were all top notch!
Well run smaller sizes race.
Great opportunity to check off three states at once. Nice small town feel with friendly people. The area has some nice outdoor activities for after race. Also very good restaurant … MORE
Great opportunity to check off three states at once. Nice small town feel with friendly people. The area has some nice outdoor activities for after race. Also very good restaurant at the registration site. Would recommend this race.
Had a fun time run/walking race on day 3
This is also a beautiful course to run. This run is primarily trail so a bit of a challenge. But enjoyed the sites and scenes of this race near the … MORE
This is also a beautiful course to run. This run is primarily trail so a bit of a challenge. But enjoyed the sites and scenes of this race near the lake. All 3 days were a great experience and would definitely return with my new wife.
Gorgeous views, challenging route
This was a very well put together race! Smaller numbers kept it unique. The views were unbeatable and the course was just challenging enough that I felt like a rock … MORE
This was a very well put together race! Smaller numbers kept it unique. The views were unbeatable and the course was just challenging enough that I felt like a rock star at the end! Met some of the most amazing people while running. I would do this race every year!!
Beautiful scenery
Several miles of the race were on a very narrow busy road. Plenty of porta potties and support. The beauty of Bear Lake is unsurpassed, it is within view the … MORE
Several miles of the race were on a very narrow busy road. Plenty of porta potties and support. The beauty of Bear Lake is unsurpassed, it is within view the whole time you are racing.
3 of 3 in 3 days
Overall about the Bear Lake Trifecta: The owner bought the race 6 days before the event. It was very...bumpy, but he did his best with what he inherited. The previous … MORE
Overall about the Bear Lake Trifecta:
The owner bought the race 6 days before the event. It was very…bumpy, but he did his best with what he inherited. The previous owners did not leave much information or direction for him. The issues that occurred, he apologized for and was determined to fix for next year. He is an experienced runner and triathlon and knows what we expect. He also owns other events, so I am confident that the race will improve. The swag we got was great! I was expecting a shirt for each race, but we only got one. The quality was great. The medals were gorgeous and state/day specific, but not race specific. This doesn’t bother me, but it does bother others. The swag bag had the most things from sponsors of any race I’ve done. There were all sorts of goodies! For completing all 3 races, we got a flask, which is awesome! It also had a race decal in it. We got a zip up race hoodie and a buff, but I don’t remember what for. They basically had a bunch of different race logo merch and no specification of what each piece was for. The post race goodies were amazing, especially for such a small race. There were many food and drink options after each race. They capped the total participants at 500. They also added a 5k, which added a lot of local runners. This was a difficult task—3 half marathons in 3 days—but the staff and volunteers made it much easier!
Specific To This Race:
The scenery of this course was my favorite of the 3, but it was the most difficult. There were some crazy hills. It may not be as bad as I remember though. I had HORRIBLE blisters and blisters on blisters on this day, so I was mostly miserable about that. lol! For most of the course, you could see Bear Lake, which is GORGEOUS! I had a hard time looking ahead because I was looking at the lake to the side. The first part of the down and back course wasn’t too bad. Typical road race experiences, I would say. After the gorgeous lighthouse, things got worse. There were CRAZY hills. Very steep. Very long. There was one area that didn’t have a downhill afterward. There was a part of the course (mile 5/6 I think) that was a trail course. I don’t do trail races for a reason. There wasn’t really any warning about this part either. It was basically a mountain side with tire tracks as a “trail”. The tire tracks were dirt and rock, so there was not any part that you could step flat (super fun with my blisters). There also was a constant incline Along with some rolling hills. I felt horrible for the marathoners because they had more of this to endure than we did. The volunteers at the aid station/turn around point were incredible. They were only able to get there in their Jeep, and luckily it wasn’t muddy like the previous year. After getting off of the trail part, I was so ecstatic that everything else didn’t seem so bad. I was so happy to get back to that lighthouse! Some of the volunteers were there for multiple days, so it was great to have their support and remember us from the previous days.
TIPS: If you are doing the trifecta, I suggest getting to Bear Lake a few days before the packet pickup. We thought we would explore after the races, but we were exhausted. There are so many things that this little area has to offer, and I’m sad we didn’t get to do much. Leave Bear Lake the day after. This way you can relax. We drove back to Salt Lake after the 3rd race, and I wish we would have stayed. Be prepared for any weather. We experienced an Oklahoma-like thunderstorm on one of the days after the race. I was shocked! Look at the condo rentals. We rented a home that was GORGEOUS and perfect for our trip. I also suggest staying in Garden City. It’s the most “central” to all races. We used Vacasa to rent a home and still have the link to our rental, if interested.
Race # 3 in the Bear Lake Trifecta
The Bear Lake Utah Marathon & Half is a race that can be ran on it’s own or if you want to challenge yourself, you can sign up for the … MORE
The Bear Lake Utah Marathon & Half is a race that can be ran on it’s own or if you want to challenge yourself, you can sign up for the Trifecta and take home some additional swag and bragging rights. The trifecta is a great way to gain membership or level up if you are a member of Half Fanatics, Marathon Maniacs or the 50 States Club.
Below are some pros and cons from what me and some of the other runners thought about the race.
scenery- Different kind of scenery today than from the previous races. Along with the white cap mountains & countryside, you get a beautiful view of the lake, neighborhoods & the town of Garden City. This is what I’ve been wanting to see at all 3 races.
Aid stations – Like the previous 2 races for the half, they had 3 ad stations (5 total since the course was a down and back) and they were fully stocked with water, electrolytes, gu, jelly beans, pretzels and a ports potty. Just like the previous 2 races, a negative about the aid stations were they would sometimes run out of cups and toilet paper. It was an issue for the back of the pack runners and most marathoners.
Course – This course was a down & back with mostly paved roads with about 2 miles of trail near the turn around point. The start and finish was in the grass at a small park in downtown Garden City. Once you leave the park area & cross the street, the first 2.5-3 miles, you’re running on a narrow bike path next to the main street, which was great because i felt safe not having to worry about oncoming traffic. Once you make the turn at the lighthouse, you run about 2 miles through some neighborhoods. Just before the second ad station ( & 4th on your way back) you run up a steep hill, but once you get to the top, be sure to turn around and check out the view. When you get to the 5 mile marker, you start making your way towards a trailer park & the beginning of the trail part of the course. It’s an uneven packed country dirt road with large rocks with a gradual incline up to the 3rd ad station & turn around point. Negative – Since I’ve only ran paved courses, it would have been nice to know how much of the course was going to be trail so i could have been better prepared with my training & gear. Still felt odd starting and finishing the course on grass rather than in the parking lot area. My wife is a back of the back runner so on her way towards the finish line, some of the people in the neighborhoods along the course were out mowing, which with her allergies, made it difficult for her to breathe. If the RD could make it know to the community about what is happening during the day, maybe that would help some of the others still out on the course.
Pre & Post Race – Packet pickup for this race was either the day before the first race, the day prior or the morning of the race. You get a tech shirt, drawstring bag, local sponsor swag, and the choice of either a mug or buff. Post race, whenever you finished, you got a nice size medal with a ribbon showing the state and under the pavilion, they had fruit, water and pizza from a local sponsor. If you placed in your age group or overall, you got a gold medal (which they didn’t have available on the first day so they brought them on the second day). They had an announcer and music playing throughout post race so even if you’re a back of the pack runner, everyone is cheering and are happy to see you finish. At this race, they had a local sponsor selling beer & another one handing out ice cream sandwiches.
Con – Like the previous races, a lot of the swag and medals were from the previous year so some people got a medal with a bears head on it (this years design), some got a medal with a bear paw on it (last years design) & some got a different color than others. When i finished, i got a blue medal, but whenever my wife finished her race, she got a yellow one. i had to go get swap out mine so that we matched. Some runners didn’t like the new design because it didn’t say ‘half marathon’ on it. If you ran all 3 races in the trifecta, you got a flask. If you were a marathoner that ran all 3 races, you got a belt buckle. Me & some of the other runners were also expecting to get a separate “Trifecta” medal as well but i never saw any out on the table at the finish line. There was also some confusion about if you registered early, you would get a free hoodie. Me, my wife & some other runners registered in June whenever it first opened up & some runners registered during a Black Friday sale. The RD came by the table & honored what the previous owners of the event promised & we got a hoodie for finishing the event.
Even though the course had trails, I will still say that Utah was my favorite out of the 3 courses. All 3 races had amazing course support & volunteers to help everyone make it through this challenging endurance event. With what this RD & his staff was able to do within the 6 weeks prior to the start of this, I have no doubt that any hiccups that they had will be fixed & this will be THE summer event for every runner. I would still recommend this to any runner who’s looking for a challenge & i look forward to trying this again in the near future.
Finally Some Variety
The 3rd race of the Trifecta was in the lovely beach town of Garden City. I opted to start at 6am with the marathoners so I could finish early to … MORE
The 3rd race of the Trifecta was in the lovely beach town of Garden City. I opted to start at 6am with the marathoners so I could finish early to make my quick cleanup and get on the highway to the airport 3 hours away. Anywho, this course took us through town, through neighborhoods, had some challenging hills/mountains, a little gravel, and 2 miles it trail! Aid stations were positioned every 2 miles as before. The weather was perfect for running and was incredibly my best day is the series. When I finished, there were medals, a Trifecta flask, and immediate results. BUT, after I got home, I learned that there was possibly a 4th medal and jacket I did not receive. I expect to hear more about this soon.
Trifecta Finish
I mentally prepared for a flat course, and am unsure when it changed, but it was a little bit of a partial trail course, which i wasn't ready for. However, … MORE
I mentally prepared for a flat course, and am unsure when it changed, but it was a little bit of a partial trail course, which i wasn’t ready for. However, the scenery was amazing and couldn’t have been prettier. 2 aid stations, with water if you needed it 4x along the out and back course.
Scenery great organization is F
I signed up for Trifecta (Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah). Overall scenery of all 3 except Wyoming was great. Here is what I experienced. 1. No volunteer at all in some … MORE
I signed up for Trifecta (Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah). Overall scenery of all 3 except Wyoming was great. Here is what I experienced.
1. No volunteer at all in some of the aid station. You will have to serve drink by yourself which takes extra time.
2. Not enough Gatorade or electrolytes drink at the aid station.
3. No swags or award ceremony in all 3 races.
If your goal is to check off the list of the states, it’s OK to do it. If you are a serious runner like me, I won’t recommend this. On top of the above issue I mentioned, I had the worst experience as below.
I finished first overall in Idaho and Wyoming with finishing time 3:23 and 3:33 respectively and overall 3rd positing for Utah with finishing time 3:25. There was no award ceremony on the first day. I personally spoke with the race director about it, he assured that he would do the award ceremony on the final day which is Utah run day June 9th. Finished the race and asked him the time of award ceremony. He responded that he won’t do it. I was extremely disappointed. He said that he would send all the prizes via mail. Let me give you a breakdown of what I was expecting by mail.
First place in 2 races is $300.00 ($150 for each race for the 1st place winner), $75 for the 3rd place winner. Age group prize (doesn’t clarify what exactly the prize is in their website), overall Trifecta winner (Special medal like none others and prize). I received $400 check and a flask which organizer was selling at the expo. I haven’t received the Trifecta medal. Contacted multiple times through email, facebook but no response from organizer. I know someone won Trifecta in the past and continue to will in the future by someone if organizer continue to manage the races. I wanted everyone to aware that if you are a serious runner and win the race, you might be disappointed.
Totally Worth It
This was the third race in the series and after taking second in the first two it was nice not to have any fresh legs. Unlike the first two courses, … MORE
This was the third race in the series and after taking second in the first two it was nice not to have any fresh legs. Unlike the first two courses, this course was not an out and back. The course was on the highway and then up through some dirt hills. The day was slightly overcast which helped greatly. The race organizers do a great job making sure there was water and gels every three miles. Highly recommend running this series if you are working on all 50 or just running one.
3 states in 3 days
If you sign up for all three, you get three races in three states in three days. I opted to run three half marathons in three states: Utah, Idaho, and … MORE
If you sign up for all three, you get three races in three states in three days. I opted to run three half marathons in three states: Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Utah had farm-scenery. The Idaho course ran along water. Wyoming was filled with horses. Each had a different feel. The courses were flat. The temps were perfect. The race organizers went above and beyond to make sure everyone was accommodated with whatever needs they had. If you chose, your Sunday race could be run Thursday: perfect for sabbath observers or those with tricky travel plans.
We received 3 tech shirts, and 3 gigantic medals with growling bears on them, and a giant sticker for the car. There was an extra medal if you ran the full-marathon trilogy. I opted to also receive the finishers jacket which is a prized possession.
This trifecta instantly qualifies you for Half Fanatics Mars.
good for 50 staters
2nd of 3 state series. Very basic support and low key race. fairly flat course and mostly pavement. Run by bear lake and many farms. Early morning start option is … MORE
2nd of 3 state series. Very basic support and low key race. fairly flat course and mostly pavement. Run by bear lake and many farms. Early morning start option is nice and good finisher medals. Good for 50 staters and marathon maniacs. Race director works hard to support everyone’s needs.