The Grand Teton Half Marathon & 5K features possibly Vacation Races’ prettiest course ever….you’ll run a flat, paved road over the Snake River and through scenic pastures. A peaceful, well-packed dirt road in the final miles leading up to a stunning reveal of the Grand Teton mountain range and a …
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The Grand Teton Half Marathon & 5K features possibly Vacation Races’ prettiest course ever….you’ll run a flat, paved road over the Snake River and through scenic pastures. A peaceful, well-packed dirt road in the final miles leading up to a stunning reveal of the Grand Teton mountain range and a picture-perfect finish line.
The Grand Teton Half Marathon takes place in the town of Jackson, Wyoming, just outside the entrance to Grand Teton National Park. It’s a beautiful course with captivating views of snow capped mountain peaks, huge gulps of crisp fresh air, and maybe even some wildlife.
The race starts at 6:30 AM with groups starting according to your bib wave. All runners (and even walkers) will have 4 full hours to take in the scenery and make your way to the finish line.
This is a GREAT course! Possibly our prettiest ever! It’s very scenic and the finish line has some amazing views of the Teton range! You don’t want to miss out on running this.
The race will begin in Wilson, WY. The start line is at the Stilson Lot just off the Teton Pass Hwy at Beckley Park Way. We’ll begin by running west with traffic along Teton Pass Hwy (hwy 22) for a little over a mile. We will then take a right on 3rd Street, followed by an immediate right onto Main street crossing HHR Ranch road and jump onto the jogging trail.
We will stay on this beautiful and flat paved trail until we come to Moose Wilson Rd, which we will cross, and run over Snake River using the pedestrian bridge. After crossing the bridge, we will run east against traffic on Teton Pass Hwy (hwy 22) until about mile 6.25. We will then take a left onto Spring Gulch Road where we will stay for the remainder of the race, 4 miles of which is on a packed dirt road.
The elevation change on the course is marginal. The chart makes it look like a beast, but it is only over a few hundred feet. This will be a slightly challenging, but overwhelmingly beautiful course! You’ll gain 583 feet, with a max elevation at 6,383 feet.
All runners will have 4 hours to finish the race. That is an 18 minute mile – plenty of time for walkers! If at anytime we deem it unsafe and need to pull a runner off the course we would hope for understanding and immediate cooperation.
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They did it again
Vacation Races delivered once again - just an excellent race! The day was overcast so not as stunning of views but nothing they could control. Course was relatively flat (especially … MORE
Vacation Races delivered once again – just an excellent race! The day was overcast so not as stunning of views but nothing they could control. Course was relatively flat (especially for their races) but be warned the elevation may get to you if you’re not acclimated. Great swag, ample aid stations, pacers, and an overall. amazing event.
Well organized, smooth road race.
VR is a well oiled machine; everything went off without a hitch. Great race support, organization and photo ops. On a clear day, I'm sure the course is stunning, with … MORE
VR is a well oiled machine; everything went off without a hitch. Great race support, organization and photo ops. On a clear day, I’m sure the course is stunning, with low overcast and no view of the mountains, I found it a bit boring. That said, weather and temp was perfect for race day! I struggled dealing with the elevation coming from sea level.
Early but worth it!
I really enjoyed this race. The weather could have been better for us and the clouds blocked the view of the Grand Teton mountain range but other than that, the … MORE
I really enjoyed this race. The weather could have been better for us and the clouds blocked the view of the Grand Teton mountain range but other than that, the course was awesome!
I appreciated that the road the course is run on is very well maintained and doesn’t dramatically slope. The run from Wilson to Teton Village is slightly uphill but it wasn’t very noticeable after mile 6. The first 6 miles were rolling hills on a paved trail. The course also had plenty of room for runners to spread out. I never felt overly crowded on the course.
Overall, I would do this run again!
Beautiful high altitude run
This was my 3rd Vacation Races race. These folks really do a solid job on these events. They offer lots of fuel during and after your race. The views are … MORE
This was my 3rd Vacation Races race. These folks really do a solid job on these events. They offer lots of fuel during and after your race. The views are fantastic too. With plenty of bathrooms on the course you never have to worry about much besides running your race, your way. I will continue to run in these events as long as I am capable. If I had one complaint it would be that the course always seems to be about a 10th of a mile short. I notice this in my previous races and have talked to other participants about it, they agree. If, they could make it a true 13.1, it would be fantastic!
Cloudy Day
The 2023 Grand Teton half marathon was a very nice race. The course was relatively flat; however I struggled a little with the elevation because I’m not used to it, … MORE
The 2023 Grand Teton half marathon was a very nice race. The course was relatively flat; however I struggled a little with the elevation because I’m not used to it, but it only slowed me down a little bit.
Starting out, the course runs on the narrow shoulder of the highway, so there is not much room for passing. However, after a short distance the course turns off the highway and the runners were able to spread out a bit more. The course runs along a nice pedestrian path for a while and then turns onto a two-lane highway where the runners are in the left lane of the road and two-way traffic is in the right lane for ~6 miles of the run. It did get a little interesting with some impatient drives trying to get through, but most drivers were patient and drove slowly. Unfortunately, this year the mountains were completely covered by clouds and were not visible at all, so we missed out on the beautiful Teton views along the course. It was still a very pleasant run and had some nice scenery along the way.
There is no parking at the finish line, so all runners and spectators must ride a shuttle bus to get back to the parking lot. The shuttle took an indirect route to get back to the parking lot, assuming to avoid the race route, and it took about 30-45 minutes to get back after the race was over.
Vacation Races should be on your list!
I would highly recommend doing at least one Vacation Race! Grand Teton Half was a tough course for me because of the elevation, but the scenery of the mountain views … MORE
I would highly recommend doing at least one Vacation Race! Grand Teton Half was a tough course for me because of the elevation, but the scenery of the mountain views were so nice! Well organized race including packet pickup, start/ finish shuttles, and aid stations. Absolutely love the medal, and i highly recommend doing the Grizzly Double with the Yellowstone Half, if that’s an option. I wish I had more time to the Quad (5k& Halfs) but there was just so much to see in the National Parks, esp with my non-running fam. 🙂 The course had a nice mix of rolling hills, and it was mostly on a paved bike path or wide shoulders. All the volunteers and VR staff were great too! oh free photos too! Thanks VR!
Great first VR experience!
I ran both the 5K and Half as part of the Grand Teton/Yellowstone Grand Quad series. This was my first Vacation Races event, and I was very pleased with the … MORE
I ran both the 5K and Half as part of the Grand Teton/Yellowstone Grand Quad series. This was my first Vacation Races event, and I was very pleased with the entire experience! It was also my first visit to Jackson, and here are some details I would want to know in preparation for the trip.
* Date/weather: Early June is cool in Jackson—low 40s in the morning and highs in the mid-60s. It was overcast this year with rain on the morning of the 5K, which made it feel cooler. Glad I brought plenty of clothing options!
* Location: The site of the packet pick-up, 5K race, and half-marathon start is about 20 minutes outside of downtown Jackson. I had transportation, so this was not an issue, but might be worth noting if you do not have a rental car. There was a shuttle to the start of the half from downtown that had only 1 departure time—4:30am for a 6:30am start. I got there about 4:20am and got on the 2nd bus. Easy peasy.
* Expo: Not really an expo, the packet pick-up is held in the field at the site of the 5K race/half-marathon start. Although other vendors don’t participate, VR has a TON of merch available, just in case you forget your Goodr sunglasses or Nathan personal hydration device. Lots of nice apparel options, too!
* Start line: I arrived at the half-marathon start line around 4:45am. I had prepared for wet, chilly conditions by bringing a garbage bag to use for sitting in the grass. This was key! I was able to close my eyes for a bit before dropping my sweats at the gear check and waiting for one last porto break. The nearly 3000 runners made for long lines, but I’ve seen worse!
* Course: The 5K loop was easy and flat, about half of the route being on the shoulder of a decently busy road. It started and ended at the packet pick-up site, which had decent parking and good visibility for spectators. The half route also started at the same site, but ended at the Jackson Golf and Tennis club. The half route started along the same road as the half, which wasn’t very busy early in the morning, but soon moved to a trail for a few miles before turning north on a quiet country road along the Snake River. Even though the overcast skies hid the Grand Tetons for most of the run, the scenery of the farms along the river was absolutely beautiful. The route was a gradual uphill to the finish, but I didn’t notice it. The biggest challenge for this flatlander was adapting to the 5K increase in altitude. I adjusted my time expectations accordingly, and I was not disappointed.
* Aid stations: I appreciated the cup-less aid stations, which were about every-other mile along the course. I carried 16 oz in a hand-held and nutrition, and due to the cool, humid weather, didn’t need any additional hydration until mile 11. Each aid station looked to be fully stocked, and the volunteers were friendly and encouraging. Portos were readily available at aid stations, as well.
* Finish: The finish area was very well executed, with plenty of volunteers helping with medals and nutrition, which included a nice snack box. There were great photo ops and plenty of shuttles back to your point of origination. The finish was not ideal for spectators, however—due to lack of parking, they were required to ride shuttles to/from the finish site. Luckily, the shuttles were plentiful and easy to navigate.
* Swag: I can’t speak to the virtual swag bag, but the tech race shirts are nice. Because I ran both the 5K and half, I received 3 very nice medals that my kids found very impressive!
* Overall: I really enjoyed the Grand Teton 5K/Half races. Jackson is an awesome town with a great food and shopping scene, and the Grand Tetons are absolutely breathtaking. It’s not an inexpensive family vacation, but I’m thrilled that we made the trip, and I hope to return in the future!
Spectacular scenery and a flat course
This race is well designed and executed, with lush scenery and the Tetons as backdrop. The course is flat, fast and easy to navigate. And with only a few thousand … MORE
This race is well designed and executed, with lush scenery and the Tetons as backdrop. The course is flat, fast and easy to navigate. And with only a few thousand runners, it never feels crowded or uncomfortable. Spending a few days exploring Jackson and Grand Teton National Park was the icing on the cake.
Beautiful course
Great location. Course with beautiful views, a few rolling hills. The change in elevation from the east coast was more noticeable than I expected but not overly limiting. Race was … MORE
Great location. Course with beautiful views, a few rolling hills. The change in elevation from the east coast was more noticeable than I expected but not overly limiting. Race was well organized and didn’t mind running in a few areas with continuing traffic. Friendly and helpful staff and volunteers. Shuttles to and from start were convenient. Well stocked and placed aid stations. Overall recommend.
Incredible
The views are hard to beat and Vacation Races does a top notch job at making sure everyone has a good time. Organized, well-planned, well marked course and SO BEAUTIFUL! MORE
The views are hard to beat and Vacation Races does a top notch job at making sure everyone has a good time. Organized, well-planned, well marked course and SO BEAUTIFUL!
Amazing Views and Fantastic Staff
Absolutely top notch organization and delivery by the staff for this race. The expo is outdoors and it was raining but the staff at vendors were all smiles and made … MORE
Absolutely top notch organization and delivery by the staff for this race. The expo is outdoors and it was raining but the staff at vendors were all smiles and made it a nice experience. The swag is great and the race itself is stunning! Nice and relatively flat but still pretty difficult for an Ohioan. This race is challenging on the lungs for those of us not used to running in altitude! I came with a large group of runners from Ohio and every person commented about the difficulty breathing from the race. My Oura ring has been yelling at me for days about my lower than normal blood oxygen level and my higher than normal heart rate and respiration rate. Metrics aside, this was my first run with Vacation Races and will not be my last! Thank you to the fantastic team for setting up a stellar race. It was a great way to experience one of the country’s national parks in a fun way.
Beautiful race
This was my first half marathon; it was so well-coordinated and everything went so smoothly. The course was fantastic and pretty flat which was great. I was really happy with … MORE
This was my first half marathon; it was so well-coordinated and everything went so smoothly. The course was fantastic and pretty flat which was great. I was really happy with the race and I’m already planning on doing it next year too.
Great race, well organized, fun!
Great race, easy and relatively flat, beautiful mountain scenery! I would love to do this one again. Well spaced aid stations with good hydration and fueling. Great expo and finish … MORE
Great race, easy and relatively flat, beautiful mountain scenery! I would love to do this one again. Well spaced aid stations with good hydration and fueling. Great expo and finish line fun!
Gorgeous Flat 1/2 Marathon Course
The map looks like it is hilly but it was very flat. Beautiful run thru rolling pastures and wildlife. We saw a Moose! We had perfect running weather but unfortunately … MORE
The map looks like it is hilly but it was very flat. Beautiful run thru rolling pastures and wildlife. We saw a Moose! We had perfect running weather but unfortunately the Tetons were hiding in the clouds at the end of our race. Amazing hiking trails close by. We stayed in the Teton Village and it was a great location near a shuttle to the start line.
Beautiful course, well organized
The mostly flat course was absolutely beautiful, with only a small uphill section around mile 4-6, and the race was organized very well. The gnarly hydrate drink at the aid … MORE
The mostly flat course was absolutely beautiful, with only a small uphill section around mile 4-6, and the race was organized very well. The gnarly hydrate drink at the aid stations is delicious. My only complaint is that the tetons were obscured by clouds (obviously not the race organizers’ fault)!
Well organized run, with great scenery.
With over 1,000 runners, this race still felt like a small-town race. The actual run was a slow and gradual incline, but mostly flat. The aid stations were well placed … MORE
With over 1,000 runners, this race still felt like a small-town race. The actual run was a slow and gradual incline, but mostly flat. The aid stations were well placed and marked and each mile was marked for motivation.
Absolutely beautiful
This race was absolutely beautiful and stunning. The course was flat and smooth. Most beautiful race I’ve ever race. Every about the race was so inviting and great. MORE
This race was absolutely beautiful and stunning. The course was flat and smooth. Most beautiful race I’ve ever race. Every about the race was so inviting and great.
Great expo, great announcer, great swag!
Beautiful scenery on this nearly flat course. Great expo with s’mores, gnarley to sample, fun photo ops in front of VR national park sign, 13.1 sign and place to sign … MORE
Beautiful scenery on this nearly flat course. Great expo with s’mores, gnarley to sample, fun photo ops in front of VR national park sign, 13.1 sign and place to sign your name. Shirts were very pretty and medals were great design. Announcer was fun. Free pics and free finish line video! Great treat box post race.
Nice easy course with lovely views
This was a nice easy 5K with views of ranches and horses once we passed the road section. It was cold, especially with the wind blowing quite a bit while … MORE
This was a nice easy 5K with views of ranches and horses once we passed the road section. It was cold, especially with the wind blowing quite a bit while we were waiting for the start but pretty 5K with great organization, swag and treat box 🙂
Beautiful paved course along mountains.
Again, wonderful VR race! We got lucky it didn't rain on us, despite the weather forecast calling for rain the whole week. It was cold but doable. The scenery was … MORE
Again, wonderful VR race! We got lucky it didn’t rain on us, despite the weather forecast calling for rain the whole week. It was cold but doable. The scenery was beautiful, I had to stop quite a few times to take some pics. Loved running along the pastures and seeing the cows and horses, stables, ranches. It was truly beautiful with amazing swag and treat box at the end 🙂