Jackson Hole Half Marathon
Jackson, WY
- Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Jackson Hole Half Marathon follows an amazing 13.1 mile course along the foot of the Tetons from just south of Teton Village to Phil Baux Park. You’ll follow a path that is a fast, net downhill route that has been described as one of the best altitude courses in … MORE
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In Love With Jackson Hole
This is a VERY small race in a beautiful area of the country. The course itself is pretty flat, but the elevation is around 6400’. I could feel it when … MORE
This is a VERY small race in a beautiful area of the country. The course itself is pretty flat, but the elevation is around 6400’. I could feel it when I exerted myself, so I made the smart decision to walk the half. Luckily, they had a generous finishing time limit. Even at the back of the pack, the aid stations still had plenty of water and power aid. I stayed in the area for 4 days and loved Grand Teton National Park (highly recommend).
Don’t expect crowd support or much communication from the race directors, but expect gorgeous views to make up for it.
My only complaint is the race shirt ran really small. I typically get a women’s large for a roomy fit, but the shirt fit like a small so I can’t wear it. Size up if you do the race!
PS – I loved the medal!
My most amazing race experience
I saw superb views of the grand Teton, and the scenery was breathtaking beautiful, the medal is super cool. I would highly recommend this race, since the scenery is so … MORE
I saw superb views of the grand Teton, and the scenery was breathtaking beautiful, the medal is super cool. I would highly recommend this race, since the scenery is so beautiful. This was the first time in a few years that I finished a half marathon in under 3:40:00, in a few years
Scenery was AMAZING!
The organizers were responsive, volunteers were great and the course was gorgeous! Small, point-to-point (free shuttle), very flat race, almost exclusivity on a paved bike path. Water stops every ~3 … MORE
The organizers were responsive, volunteers were great and the course was gorgeous! Small, point-to-point (free shuttle), very flat race, almost exclusivity on a paved bike path. Water stops every ~3 miles. If you’re not used to running at elevation (like me), that might be an issue but it allowed for many walk breaks to take photos. 🙂
A "Hole" Half!
When I signed up for the Jackson Hole Half Marathon, I fully intended to make a vacation out of the trip and took my parents along for the adventure. None … MORE
When I signed up for the Jackson Hole Half Marathon, I fully intended to make a vacation out of the trip and took my parents along for the adventure. None of us had ever been to Wyoming before – much less Jackson Hole – and I was excited to see the town and the surrounding area. I have to admit – neither disappointed!
The Jackson Hole trip was centered around the half marathon, but we did a lot of driving and sight-seeing before and after the race. We flew into Salt Lake City and stayed there a couple of nights before driving up to Jackson Hole. In retrospect, this was actually a pretty good strategy because it allowed us to adjust to the elevation before driving further into the mountains and up to Jackson Hole.
Jackson Hole is a lovely town with lots of cute shops and places to eat. However, it is EXPENSIVE. We only stayed there one night (the night before the race), and I used points to stay at the Hampton Inn (which would have been around $700/night otherwise). There is nothing special about this Hampton Inn other than it is in Jackson Hole, but by the time I made reservations, there weren’t many options left. Again – in retrospect, I think it would have been more affordable to stay in an AirBnB, but by the time I got around to reserving anything, there wasn’t much available. Of course, this could also be because the race was near the Fourth of July holiday in 2022. But, you’ve been fairly warned about securing accommodations!
When we arrived in town, we went straight to the packet pick-up, which took place at a local elementary school. It’s not really anything special; there is not an expo nor are there any vendors. I picked up my bib and t-shirt (not a tech shirt), and then we went to the hotel to check in. We walked around the downtown square (and got our picture taken with the famous antlers archway) and had dinner at Miazga’s for some good carb loading.
The start of the half marathon is several miles outside of Jackson Hole at Teton Village (a ski resort, I believe), and one has to catch the school bus (literally) from the finish line area, which is at the same elementary school where packet pick-up is, to be transported to the start line. When I say it is bare bones, I mean it is really bare bones. There weren’t too many people in the race itself – it seemed like less than 100 – and the race organizers let folks who thought they would need a little extra time or wanted to walk start early. It was very laid back. Again – in retrospect, given my slow pace, I should have started with the walkers, but it was fine. I just was one of the last few folks on the course.
The course itself is lovely, although not as scenic as I would have thought the Jackson Hole Half Marathon would be. The race doesn’t go through Jackson Hole itself at all. Rather, it’s outside of town, and the course mostly follows a highway into town. There are some streams along the way and nice views of the mountains. At one point, the course goes through a park (with no shade), and it’s pretty much out-and-back at that point. As I mentioned, I was one of the last few people to finish (since I didn’t start early), and I could see the rain clouds beginning to form as I approached Mile 8 or 9. I also kept checking my watch because I was worried that if it started lightning, they would call off the race (and there didn’t seem to be any place to easily seek shelter, if needed, on the course). Just as I was passing Mile Marker 13, the rain started, and I literally finished right before a big gust of wind (and rain) wreaked havoc on the finish line. I was glad (and fortunate!) to get this in before the storm hit!
After the race, we drove on to Yellowstone National Park and had an amazing time there seeing Old Faithful and wildlife. That was definitely the highlight of the trip.
Overall, I had a good experience with the Jackson Hole Half, but I would certainly plan things a bit differently if I had it to do over. And, I would also adjust my expectations. There really isn’t anything too special about this race other than it’s near Yellowstone, which is more than enough to make up for any lackluster race performance.
Beautiful course
The course is beautiful and the weather was perfect. The medal is pretty neat and made up a little bit for the lack of swag. Aid stations were a little … MORE
The course is beautiful and the weather was perfect. The medal is pretty neat and made up a little bit for the lack of swag. Aid stations were a little more spread out than I prefer. Overall it was well run and the scenery made it worth it.
Jackson Hole Half
Fun race! In a time where many races were cancelled I am thankful that this race was held. It was interesting that you could start on your own (if you … MORE
Fun race! In a time where many races were cancelled I am thankful that this race was held. It was interesting that you could start on your own (if you were not a highly competitive runner) and as such I appreciated the opportunity to be socially distant from others. That being said, putting all the runners on just a few buses negated some of that “safety.” There was nice support along the course, and water provided was adequate. The views are simply stunning! The price of the race was very affordable, swag bags were not much, but what more could you need than a view of the Tetons for miles!?!?
Very Fun Small Race
Not sure if this race has changed since I did it in 2017. However this was a very interesting race with one very big hiccup for my year. The pre-race … MORE
Not sure if this race has changed since I did it in 2017. However this was a very interesting race with one very big hiccup for my year.
The pre-race communication was sufficient in that I new where to go and when. If I recall right, the packet pick up was just a pick up and it was at a resort in town.
On the morning of the race you catch a school bus that takes you up into the mountains where there was snow. It was June and there was snow. It felt cold enough up there that it could snow additionally. In the pre-race announcement the director said that there had been some flooding on the course and they had to make a change around mile 12 but that it would be obvious. REMEMBER THIS FACT.
The course is basically you needing to find your way back to town after being taken into the hills. It was a mostly downhill course along trails and mountain roads. It was quite pretty and I would not be surprised if someone did see wildlife. There was one point that I thought I was grabbing water from an aid person. That was a mistake that I realized as I saw the blue Gatorade flying toward my face as I tried to splash the sweat off. :o)
Most of the race I was camped behind a guy that I was using for pacing. As we arrived at the area where mile 12 should likely be, we encountered a Y in the course. There was no signage and no volunteers. He literally came to a stop as did I. he asked me if I thought we should go left and I agreed that it seemed like the correct direction and if we are wrong, we are wrong together. We ended up being correct….. However that could have been a disaster if someone picked differently. This was reported to the race director. The race ends in town right near where we caught the bus. They had pizza and all the normal liquids. the medal was fun in that it was actually made of wood and shaped like a bison. I liked the fact that it was unique.
Overall I would say this is a great race. The hiccup was a specific year issue. Hopefully they have not changed the race much.
Great WY race!
We absolutely loved this race! It’s a small race, but run very well. Good swag. Beautiful scenery, of course!!!! Almost had a PR by less than a minute. MORE
We absolutely loved this race! It’s a small race, but run very well. Good swag. Beautiful scenery, of course!!!! Almost had a PR by less than a minute.
I saw a moose!
When the Grand Teton Half Marathon sold out, I registered for this one instead. I would do it every year if I lived closer! For such a small race, it … MORE
When the Grand Teton Half Marathon sold out, I registered for this one instead. I would do it every year if I lived closer! For such a small race, it was amazingly organized. I rode the bus to the start line and honestly did not have to think for myself even once! The team provided clear directions, and it felt like a small little community.
The scenery was gorgeous, although it basically just goes along a bike path. I saw a moose in person for the first time ever and it was INCREDIBLE! Seeing the mountains at the start and during the race was also pretty amazing.
Although at altitude, the race was not markedly more challenging for me. This was my second half marathon ever, and I was just happy to have completed it. An extra bonus was the free massages they offered at the end – definitely a plus! I enjoyed exploring Jackson Hole afterward, and even got to visit Grand Teton National Park.
beautiful scenery, flat course
2014 was my second time running this half marathon. Race production was just fine, except not nearly enough port-a-potties at the start. People were hopping the fence and peeing in … MORE
2014 was my second time running this half marathon. Race production was just fine, except not nearly enough port-a-potties at the start. People were hopping the fence and peeing in the golf course or having to start well after the race began. The course takes you from Teton Village to Jackson Hole, so of course the views are amazing. I believe it is net downhill. The volunteers were fantastic and enthusiastic, particularly at the end, where there was food and drink waiting, along with medals. The tshirt wasn’t great; it was cotton and covered in ads for the various race sponsors. I didn’t bother taking one.