Conquer the Canyon Marathon Race Festival
Wellsboro, PA
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
In Wellsboro, the combination of beauty, forests, and the rich history of this area make the “Conquer The Canyon” Marathon Race Festival a sure-fire destination race for a summer weekend getaway. We have all distances to make sure you are having fun and challenged at the same time! The course … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jul 25):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 86 | 79 | 78 | 84 | 85 |
| L (°F) | 71 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 68 |
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See the Grand Canyon of PA
This race is located in Wellsboro, PA which is just south of the NY state border. It's a bit of trek to get there for me and about a 7 … MORE
This race is located in Wellsboro, PA which is just south of the NY state border. It’s a bit of trek to get there for me and about a 7 hour drive but as I wanted some backup races to ensure I made it to Sun level in Half Fanatics and there are limited summer options in the Northeast and this was a double with another race I decided to sign up. I did manage to make Sun level the week prior but why not do 2 more half marathons. For the race I actually stayed in Corning, NY home of the Wineglass Half since Corning is about 45 minutes from the race and on the way to the race from New England. Corning also has better vegan and other food options than rural PA and it is always fun to visit the Glass Museum. The race starts at 8am but there is an open early start option. Basically you can park, pick up your bib and go anytime. The whole race was like this and everyone involved was very friendly and laid back. I arrived around 45 minutes before the race. Picked up my packet which included bib, socks, and a cotton T-shirt with a nice design. I’d say it was average swag but nice for a smaller race. Then I just went to the porta potty and left. A bit anti-climatic but it was nice to not wait around and be able to run when it was cooler. However weather was really nice and even if you started at 8am it wouldn’t have been bad. This course is an out and back along the park that contains the “Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.” It is a very scenic but hilly course. It is about 2/3 road and then 1/3 non-technical trail. It is most forest scenery but really pretty. You don’t see the Grand Canyon directly on the course but around mile 4/9 there is a scenic view point where if you take a quick detour you can view the canyon. This is a very hilly course with around 1800 feet of elevation gain (twice that for the marathon) so you likely aren’t PR’ing so enjoy yourself and take a peek at the Canyon it is spectacular. The hills were rough but I don’t mind hills if there is good scenery and a long time limit and this race definitely had both. The time limit is the same for the half and full marathon and with the early start pretty much anyone can finish the half on time. As a result I took my time, enjoyed the scenery and mostly sped walked. Production was solid and as expected for a smaller race like this. There were mile markers and turn around signs. There were aid stations about every 2 miles with water and gatorade. No fuel though. There was one porta potty on course at mile 4/9 near the view point. At the finish line you are cheered on and get your medal which is a nice design but a bit small. There were water bottles, sandwiches (including veggie ones that I think were vegan), and cookies. Overall a solid, smaller race. It was very scenic but very hilly. This isn’t my first choice race for PA but everyone was very nice and if you really want to check off another state in the summer and need PA it is a solid option. It is also bit tricky to get to. I believe Rochester is the closest airport and is around 2 hours away. Both Philly and Pittsburgh are around 4ish hours and would be options if looking to fly into a bigger airport.
Great crowd for the canyon
Starting the race early is an option because of the heat. I started an hour early and finished before it warmed up. Even if you start right at 8 am … MORE
Starting the race early is an option because of the heat. I started an hour early and finished before it warmed up. Even if you start right at 8 am most of the race is shaded. The race director is a very helpful guy. It starts with a pretty decent climb with a couple switch backs. The medal was descent and the people were nice. I seen a couple Amish runners which was cool. This was my second time running this course.
HILLascious!
I believe the course was unique for this year. The course map advertised over 1700 feet of gain but my watch registered only 1500 feet. Should I feel cheated?? The … MORE
I believe the course was unique for this year. The course map advertised over 1700 feet of gain but my watch registered only 1500 feet. Should I feel cheated?? The first 2 1/2 miles were uphill (my calves were not happy with me) on this out and back, which meant the last 2 1/2 miles were downhill (my quads were so angry, they yelled at me for 3 days afterwards). The shirt was a nice tech shirt, though unisex. The medal was cool, featuring a gas lantern, with a light that flashes. Oh, one more thing…the 1500 (or 1700) feet of gain was for the half. The full marathon ran the out and back twice, for a gain of 3000 (or 3400) feet of gain. Ouch!
Running with the Blind.
This was a unique experience for me as I volunteered to be tethered to a Blind man for this Marathon. The tether was about 18 inches if I remember correctly. … MORE
This was a unique experience for me as I volunteered to be tethered to a Blind man for this Marathon. The tether was about 18 inches if I remember correctly. It was a very rewarding experience, albeit a little nerve wracking trying to call out all of the potholes and loose stone on the course. This is run in the PA grand canyon and I was disappointed because trees hid our view for the entirety of the course.