Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Deadwood, SD
- Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon is a point to point course, beginning in the hamlet of Rochford, the first 1.5 miles are on the road. At this point, the course becomes the Mickelson Trail. The next 12 miles are a mixture of gentle uphill and flat terrain. From there to … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Jun 06):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 93 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 61 |
| L (°F) | 66 | 41 | 48 | 56 | 47 |
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Beautiful! Prepare for heat and uphill
Absolutely stunning course and scenery. The heat and first 13 miles uphill was challenging and I was wishing the run had started an hour earlier, especially since there was little … MORE
Absolutely stunning course and scenery. The heat and first 13 miles uphill was challenging and I was wishing the run had started an hour earlier, especially since there was little shade and full sun exposure in the 80+ degree heat. The race also seemed to be catered to half marathoners. A few of the later stations were out of electrolyte drinks by the time marathon runners came through. I was handed a bottle of water at the finish, but the volunteers had already packed up the refreshment tent by the time middle of the pack marathoners finished. The signage along the route was spotty the last few miles and had me questioning whether I was still on the course. It also would have been nice to have an aid or med tent earlier in the course, maybe around mile 18 when I found myself needing a reapplication of sunblock and vaseline.
Great race, but definitely plan ahead to be completely self-sufficient and carry any supplies you think you may need if you are a marathoner.
Gorgeous scenery
The first half is almost entirely uphill, then the second half is almost entirely downhill. While there is some shade from time to time, when there isn't, you're really in … MORE
The first half is almost entirely uphill, then the second half is almost entirely downhill. While there is some shade from time to time, when there isn’t, you’re really in the open sun, and it was in the 80s by the finish. Must hydrate! The course is all soft gravel, so for someone like me who gets pebbles in shoes all the time, I’m glad I had my gaiters. Nothing special before or after, but the scenery makes it all worthwhile.
It's all downhill
The scenery is great, and yes, it really is (almost) all downhill. Everything worked as advertised (shuttle buses to the start, water stations, etc.). Because it's on a rail trail, … MORE
The scenery is great, and yes, it really is (almost) all downhill. Everything worked as advertised (shuttle buses to the start, water stations, etc.). Because it’s on a rail trail, cheering spectators were few and far between, but that didn’t matter to me. My only mistake was not realizing how high the start is at elevation (over 6,000 feet).
Start Earlier!
Fairly no frills event, with a small expo, little swag, ordinary medal, and not much in the way of post-race amenities. The Mickelson Trail, however, is absolutely spectacular, and I … MORE
Fairly no frills event, with a small expo, little swag, ordinary medal, and not much in the way of post-race amenities. The Mickelson Trail, however, is absolutely spectacular, and I would rank this marathon second only to Big Sur in terms of scenery.
The only problem, as Ravers have been noting for years, is the start time. An 8:00 AM start time in South Dakota in June means that the sun will be high in the sky from the start. In 2026, race temps began in the 70s and got well into the 80s. This makes it tough to fully appreciate the scenery.
Beautiful Setting - Hot, Late Start
This is a gorgeous run and a great surface. Flatlanders will be at a disadvantage because of the elevation and the 14-mile climb, but it's worth it. The late start, … MORE
This is a gorgeous run and a great surface. Flatlanders will be at a disadvantage because of the elevation and the 14-mile climb, but it’s worth it. The late start, however, meant we cooked in the 80+ degree heat because there is very little shade on this trail. Maybe there is an issue with getting volunteers earlier? But 8:00 is a very late start all things considered. We spent 45 minutes at the start just waiting to begin. Shuttles are a little confusing for first timers – where would each race shuttle be at the rodeo grounds, e.g. I think the trolley is just the town trolley. Not sure if you have to pay to use it the morning of the race. That info could be more clear. To avoid any issues, I stayed across the street and walked to the shuttle bus. Aid stations were spaced at good intervals as were the porta-potties. The volunteers were fantastic. However, for us slow folks, there were no refreshments (just water) left at the finish and we probably needed it more than anyone.
Hot hot hot!
2025 was a hot one!! Loved the scenery, full marathon was challenging the first half. Post race ran out of free beers by the time the marathoners arrived :( MORE
2025 was a hot one!! Loved the scenery, full marathon was challenging the first half. Post race ran out of free beers by the time the marathoners arrived 🙁
1700 feet of descent
I ran the half marathon, which started at the halfway point of the marathon course, since both distances are point to point. The course was mostly crushed stone, with some … MORE
I ran the half marathon, which started at the halfway point of the marathon course, since both distances are point to point. The course was mostly crushed stone, with some paved trail. It was also almost all downhill, with one little uphill around mile 6. Some of the descents were quite steep. There was also a lot of sun exposure and I got a little sunburnt. Not being used to the altitude and this being the 2nd day of back to back half marathons (I ran the Fargo half on Saturday), my performance was not that good. There were some snacks after the race, but if you wanted beer, you had to go somewhere else. I never did figure out quite where, as we had to drive back to Fargo.
Gorgeous scenery, fun destination
I ran both the 5k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. The good: course was beautiful! Although I struggled with the heat, the aid stations were well stocked … MORE
I ran both the 5k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday.
The good: course was beautiful! Although I struggled with the heat, the aid stations were well stocked and well placed. The finish line area had a medical tent where a LOT of people were hooked up to IVs, likely due to the heat. Great selection of post race recovery snacks.
The surrounding area has so much to see and do, we spent 6 days there. Stayed at the Lodge at Deadwood, super convenient for the race, not so convenient if you want to hang out in Deadwood (though not horrible either, just kinda far from town).
Like previous reviews, I believe the 1/2 and marathon start too late (8:00 am). It was quite hot on race day, and with the late start, slower half runners (and probably most of the full runners) were exposed to the intense sun as it rose above the treeline. On the bright side, with a late pickup and start, we didn’t have to stand around at the start line for a long time.
The not so good:
There was really no communication for the 5k. No signage anywhere. We had to ask where to go to get the bus. No water/aid stations on course, no visible finish line or mile markers. It’s only a 5k but it was held at 1pm and it was hot out so water would have been nice (I did carry a bottle with me).
Packet pickup was weird if you did both the 5k and another race. The marathon/ 1/2 marathon pickup was at Deadwood lodge all day Saturday. 5k packet pickup was 1 hour before the 5k at the finish line area. If you signed up for multiple races, it asked your shirt choice for each race, but you only get 1 shirt (no discount for not getting a 2nd shirt). I felt bad for the volunteers because so many people were upset about the 1 shirt thing and yelling at them. Don’t yell at the volunteers, they didn’t make the policy!
If you only do the 5k, you would need to carry your bag and shirt with you during the race unless you have someone there to hold it for you. Very strange to me. Also a kind of odd (but positive bonus) there was a medal for the 5k.
The race Facebook page posted often to build excitement but never responded to any of the questions they received which was disappointing. People asked what type of shoes are needed (road/trail- I took trail shoes but IMHO road would have been fine as the trail is crushed rock so not technical at all); weather at beginning (obviously varies), which shirt was which (same shirt and medal for all the distances, different ribbon to hang the medal and different color for men/unisex versus women’s shirts)
The spaghetti dinner was not worth it. They had salad, fruit, and spaghetti but you only get 1 plate per ticket so all your food had to touch. If only 1 trip through, at least have a separate salad plate. Who wants spaghetti sauce touching your salad and fruit? Ick! Table next to us got a plate of salad then tried to go back for spaghetti and were told no. After enough of a confrontation with the workers they finally let them get spaghetti. Again, don’t yell at the workers. Only beverages offered were coffee or water. No dessert.
Also, I wasn’t a fan of Deadwood-clearly focused on drinking and gambling rather than history. Just not my thing but lots of people live it so definitely worth checking out at least once.
One for the bucket list
Somewhat challenging course, uphill the first half and depending on the weather the sun can be an issue. I'd like to run Deadwood again sometime, the trail was fun to … MORE
Somewhat challenging course, uphill the first half and depending on the weather the sun can be an issue. I’d like to run Deadwood again sometime, the trail was fun to run!
Beautiful Downhill
The course has good aid stations about every 2-3 miles. Spectators are also maybe every 3 miles. The trail finely crushed loose gravel for the most part. There is a … MORE
The course has good aid stations about every 2-3 miles. Spectators are also maybe every 3 miles. The trail finely crushed loose gravel for the most part. There is a slight incline for maybe the first mile. Then it’s mostly downhill or flat until around mile 6. Then about .5 miles maybe it’s a slight incline, then flat and maybe around mile 7-8 there are two steeper short downhill sections.
If you like downhill races this will be your jam! Depending on the weather the end of the trail seemed pretty exposed to sun. This year was hot to me, but that’s all relative.
It was a nice race and staying at the Lodge at Deadwood made race morning shuttle service really easy, as well as the shuttle back. They also extended the checkout time until 2pm this year for runners!
Fun race overall.
Deadwood didn’t disappoint
Black Hills of South Dakota are gorgeous. Beautiful scenery on this course. Only thing about this marathon I wish was different is they didn’t start the race until 8 AM … MORE
Black Hills of South Dakota are gorgeous. Beautiful scenery on this course. Only thing about this marathon I wish was different is they didn’t start the race until 8 AM and wish they started it earlier as it got quite warm during the second half of the race. You get bused out to the starting line and run back to Deadwood. The Deadwood Mickelson Marathon is run along a portion of the Mickelson Trail which is over a hundred miles long. It was formerly a railroad track which was converted to a trail and is made up of crushed limestone so don’t let trail make you think it’s a single track technical trail race as it is not. First half of the marathon is a gradual ascent (over 1000’ of elevation gain) and the second half of the marathon is a gradual descent. Deadwood, SD is a historic town and well worth the visit. This was a well run marathon and I would recommend it if you’re looking to run a marathon in South Dakota.
Highly recommend this underrated race!
This race was recommended to me by someone who had completed their 50 states. Knowing nothing about South Dakota, I went for it, and so happy I did! South Dakota … MORE
This race was recommended to me by someone who had completed their 50 states. Knowing nothing about South Dakota, I went for it, and so happy I did! South Dakota blew my expectations away – beautiful state, deadwood is a super cool/cute kind of kitschy old western town. We got bussed to the start and it was a rolling start, which helped with congestion of runners. Absolutely beautiful trail – I didn’t even use music to take in everything, truly stunning. Net downhill made it pretty easy but there were some hills in there too. Recommend for sure! I visited the badlands and Mount Rushmore too
Amazing scenery, long downhill course
Extremely downhill course was rough on quads. Also dealing with high altitude if not from the Mountain time zone. Well organized. Open HM start line, go when you are ready … MORE
Extremely downhill course was rough on quads. Also dealing with high altitude if not from the Mountain time zone. Well organized. Open HM start line, go when you are ready which made sense since over 1400 runners would be hard to have a mass start on a trail. 30 porta-Johns near bus drop but long walk to start-line. Didn’t feel alone out there at all as I started 12 min into open startline. Didn’t notice much of a medical team presence, would be perfect for bicycle medics as an ambulance not gonna get there in remote areas
Aces and Eights
Expo was small, but they did offer free rock taping. Overall good race, nice atmosphere just wish the race would have started a little earlier. Walk to start line was … MORE
Expo was small, but they did offer free rock taping. Overall good race, nice atmosphere just wish the race would have started a little earlier. Walk to start line was a good warm up after a long bus ride that seemed to take forever. The rolling start was a plus, you didn’t have to stand around and could start when you were ready.
The course was scenic and had a good surface of hard packed crushed gravel with the exception of a couple areas. The weather was fantastic, but it did start to warm up as the day went on, the reason I wish it would have started an hour earlier.
Beautiful Course! Not Easy!
I was impressed with the beauty of the area, and the course was one of the more scenic ones I've done for the 50 states. The production was excellent, the … MORE
I was impressed with the beauty of the area, and the course was one of the more scenic ones I’ve done for the 50 states. The production was excellent, the expo and swag better than most races of this size. Pasta dinner was really good. I love point-to-points and the opportunity to talk to fellow runners on the bus. Staging area was great and just the right ratio of porto-potties to runners so that the lines moved quickly.
Now, I had not done my homework and didn’t realize that this race started at 5500 ft and rose 1000 ft. My body definitely felt the altitude and climb. The downhill at mile 13.5 was a welcome relief and I immediately gained about a minute per mile without extra effort. Still, the overall effects of the sun, altitude, and climbing eventually took their toll on me and many other runners so the last 7 miles was a struggle. Support was great throughout the race and no complaints. The only thing that I wish were different was the start time. 8am is a late start for this course. 7am or even 6am would be much nicer from a running perspective, and it would give us visitors more time to check-out of our motel. I was late checking out but lucky for me the Holiday Inn Express was very forgiving and hospitable.
Overall – beautiful course and production, grateful to have run it.
Great Trail Run
Pre race communication was sufficient Expo was small with several vendors, packet pickup was easy Pre race spaghetti supper was top notch with spaghetti, salad, bread, and fruit I was … MORE
Pre race communication was sufficient
Expo was small with several vendors, packet pickup was easy
Pre race spaghetti supper was top notch with spaghetti, salad, bread, and fruit
I was not a fan of the start, it didn’t have an official start, runners just started whenever between 7:30 and 8. No National Anthem and pre race excitement.
Course was on a trial, was mostly downhill, course support was sufficient. Scenery was awesome!
Post race snacks were adequate
Massage tables was a nice feature $1 per minute
Race swag was okay
We spent 5 days exploring the area, so much to do. Great destination race!
I would recommend this race.
Beautiful, but train for downhill
Gorgeous course, and nice smooth gravel to run on. The staff and volunteers were great. This was my 6th half and I was killing it until about mile 11. The … MORE
Gorgeous course, and nice smooth gravel to run on. The staff and volunteers were great. This was my 6th half and I was killing it until about mile 11. The downhill really got to my knees and I limped across the finish line. I will definitely come back tho, with some more downhill training. Definitely recommend
What goes up must come down!
Logistics: Deadwood is a cool little town. Parking at the rodeo grounds to catch the shuttle buses was easy. However, there are a few hotels directly across the street from … MORE
Logistics: Deadwood is a cool little town. Parking at the rodeo grounds to catch the shuttle buses was easy. However, there are a few hotels directly across the street from marathon parking (rodeo grounds), so it would be easy to walk to the shuttle buses, if you prefer.
Races: Except for the first 1.5 miles of the full marathon (on the roads), the entire course is point-to-point on a crushed gravel rail-trail. The Half marathon is WAY more popular than the full marathon. The biggest benefit of the half is that it’s the downhill half of the course! The marathon goes uphill for the first 14 miles, then goes down for the remaining 12. As expected, I had a significant negative split (about 10 minutes). However, even being conservative, the first 14 miles definitely took a lot out of me. This is a beautiful course, but it’s not a place to set a PR.
Swag: Medals and short-sleeve t-shirts are very nice. Free race photos are also a nice bonus. If it’s important to you, the shirts and medals are not race specific (even the 5K runners got the same shirt)
Finish line: Having the race director in a tuxedo to high-five you is an awesome touch! I also enjoyed the chocolate milk and beef jerky. Shuttle buses back to the parking lot were prompt and efficient. Overall, a very well organized event.
Beautiful Downhill Race
This was a wonderful race. The course was downhill and beautiful. It was in the 50s as well which was very nice. Don't let "trail race" scare you most of … MORE
This was a wonderful race. The course was downhill and beautiful. It was in the 50s as well which was very nice. Don’t let “trail race” scare you most of the course is well packed and cleared trail. There is one small down hill section that gets a little rockier, but only for a short time.
The swag was really just the t-shirt and medal which are nice, just no extras. There is great food and water at the finish line and then a fun after (with beer) part in town when the marathon finished.
If you are looking for a fun South Dakota race this is a good choice!
Great race!
This was my first half marathon and it helped me realize my love for running! The course was beautiful and was a nice course for a first-timer. There was a … MORE
This was my first half marathon and it helped me realize my love for running! The course was beautiful and was a nice course for a first-timer. There was a lot of community support and the after race celebration was great.