First held in 2015 as a self-timed, glorified flash mob, the Millinocket Marathon & Half was started to bolster Maine’s most prominent mill town, which was devastated by the closing of their major employer, Great Northern Paper Company. Runner’s World Magazine picked up the story shortly after and the feel-good …
MORE
First held in 2015 as a self-timed, glorified flash mob, the Millinocket Marathon & Half was started to bolster Maine’s most prominent mill town, which was devastated by the closing of their major employer, Great Northern Paper Company. Runner’s World Magazine picked up the story shortly after and the feel-good race quickly gained in popularity. A donation drive allowed both courses to be measured and certified to USATF standards, creating qualifying avenues for major marathons including Boston and New York. Over the past decade, the Millinocket Marathon & Half has become a much-anticipated annual celebration of Maine’s Katahdin Region and life in the North Woods.
Help keep Millinocket running for years to come! Although there is no formal entry fee to run the Millinocket Marathon & Half, all participants are strongly encouraged to make a donation at the time of registration to support the bare minimum race expenses. These expenses include race timing, course certification, port-a-johns, bus transportation, and insurance. Anything raised above and beyond our essential race expenses will be donated to local charitable groups and organizations.
The Millinocket Marathon & Half is organized entirely by volunteers who are not compensated for their time. All donations go directly to supporting race expenses and the community.
LESS
Training for Antarctica
This is a free half or full marathon in the small town of Millinocket, Maine. All that is asked is that you support the community. As a result this was … MORE
This is a free half or full marathon in the small town of Millinocket, Maine. All that is asked is that you support the community. As a result this was a a very special race and I have not done any race quite like this one and I’ve done a lot of races. Of note before you sign up for the race because it is free, definitely look into logistics. Millinocket is way up there in Maine. It is about an hour from Bangor and 3 hours from Portland, ME so while you may save money on the race fee it’s a bit of a trek to get there. It’s also December in Northern, ME so the weather can be very, very cold. If you are willing to take the trek and handle the cold it is worth the trip. The race had good pre race communication including a detailed email and frequent updates on social media. You are encouraged to stay in town but I was only a few nights away from making diamond elite level at IHG so I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Bangor which was an hour away and en route to Millinocket from work. If you do decide to sign up late and can’t fine lodging in Millinocket staying in Bangor worked fine. There are events including a fun run in Millinocket that Friday so if you are able to come early it sounds fun but I was not able to so I arrived in Bangor the evening before the race and drove to Millinocket Saturday morning. The race starts at 10am though the bib pickup closed a bit early at 8:45 race day morning. The bib pickup is at a school and instead of an expo it is a crafts fair. Packet just included bib and the first 2000 runners to pick up their bibs got a $5 Dunkin’ gift card. As a regular consumer of Dunkin’ this was like being paid $5 to participate in the race. The craft fair has some nice products and crafts to buy and I bought a few things to make up for not staying in town. They also have a local woodworker make medals you can purchase which are really nice. The race starts in downtown Millinocket and there are several places to park and shuttles to bring you to the race. I just parked at the school where the packet pick up was. The shuttles were quite efficient and I didn’t wait too long. Luckily there is an indoor area to wait before the race because it was COLD. This was the coldest race I have every done. It was around 15 degrees for the race. In a normal year I would have saw the temperature and stayed home but since I have the Antarctica Half in March I needed to practice in the cold and try out my gear. The race was very well organized especially for a free race. It was chip timed. The start is lined with logging trucks. We sort of lined up by pace. I hung out near the back as I knew I would be taking it easy. I had another half the next day and my goal was survive and not get injured. The first half of this race is tough. It is on the golden road and the terrain was basically ice and it was mostly uphill the first half. This was similar to what I assume it will be like in Antarctica with the ice. I walked most of this section but had a good walking pace for the terrain. This part was miserable but beautiful with views of Mt Katahdin. It was too cold for me to fumble around with my phone and take photos. The second half of the course is much easier and on paved, ploughed roads and net downhill though none of this was easy in the cold. Everything was very well marked. There were beautiful mile markers by local artisans. However I believe they were sponsored and not every mile had a sponsor so there were a few missing mile markers (not a complaint for a free race just something to be aware of if you rely on mile markers). The marathon does the course twice. While the race had miserable conditions it was as fun as possible in the cold. While there are no official aid stations. There are a ton of unofficial aid stations with the typical things like water and gatorade but also fun things like maple syrup shots and if you drink alcohol lots and lots of fireball shots. This race probably has the highest ratio of fireball to runners of any race. There were also lots of snacks some healthy and some unhealthy. A few aid stations ran out of water and I don’t remember there being as much traditional nutrition like gels (again not a complaint that volunteer aid stations at a free race didn’t have these things just something to note if you are particular about on course nutrition). There are also a ton of walkers and back of packers in the half. The full does have a pretty tight time limit of 5:30 due to it being sunset so early but the half has a 5:20 time limit so very walker friendly. I was always around people despite walking most of the race. My finishing time was slower than I have been finishing lately but I just wanted to finish under 3:30 with the tough conditions which I did. Finish line had water and it looks like there were bananas but they ran out when I finished. I timed things out poorly and just missed a shuttle but another one came relatively quickly and I made it back to the school and into my warm car. Overall this was one of the harder and more miserable half marathons I completed but it was also one of the most special half marathons and such a unique race experience. I would definitely recommend trying to do this race once as there really isn’t anything quite like it. If you can handle the cold and don’t mind the trek this is an excellent choice for Maine for 50 staters. If you want a logistically easier race to get to in better weather I also really enjoyed the Maine Marathon in Portland but it was much more traditional than this. I would also highly recommend this race to any New Englanders running in Antarctica as a training run in cold weather. I’m gonna be honest while the race was great, the cold was kind of traumatizing and I don’t think I have it in me to make this an annual race but I could definitely be convinced to do it again and am very happy I got to do it this race once.
Hands down my favorite race of all time
This is like nothing you’ve ever seen unless you’ve been there. The Crankle 2K costume run the night before is hilarious low key fun. The race itself…I'm imagining it’s a … MORE
This is like nothing you’ve ever seen unless you’ve been there. The Crankle 2K costume run the night before is hilarious low key fun. The race itself…I’m imagining it’s a completely different experience depending on the weather. This year was 15 degrees and a bit windy, with a very slushy/slick uphill 6 miles and a smooth paved downhill second half. But really, who cares? I walked most of it to avoid falling, which meant partaking in the Fireball aid stations, homemade cookies, hot dogs, more Fireball, Bailey’s, and a massively huge chocolate donut while talking and laughing with new friends.
I gave the swag 5 stars but understand that there isn’t any included with the race – you can opt to buy a medal if you want one (which I love) and whatever shirts & other swag your heart desires at the artisan fair on Friday. The whole point is to help raise money for the town so I was happy to buy the swag I wanted.
The locals are amazing, the runners are so friendly and generous, and the scenery is incredible. I can’t wait to do it again.
If you do decide to go, book a room as far in advance as you can, lodging in town is limited and it was so nice to be right in the middle of everything.
Such a supportive community!
There is no race fee, but the director asks that you support local businesses in some way, giving back to the community. Absolutely loved this mindset and seeing the town … MORE
There is no race fee, but the director asks that you support local businesses in some way, giving back to the community. Absolutely loved this mindset and seeing the town work together, we need more of this in today’s world! I loved the expo where community members were selling their homemade products and runners were purchasing to help their families/local businesses! I bought so many cool things, from delicious honey, jams, and the best maple syrup ever! There were no “official” aid stations but pop up aid stations all along the course with community members aiding the runners!
It was my 13th consecutive marathon weekend in 13 different states. Crossed the finish line soaking wet and purple, shaking uncontrollably. That last 6 miles was miserable, but I fought to the end through that cold rain and the fog covered lots of the scenery. It was so heartwarming to see the local businesses allowing runners to come in and warm up, many served free hot chocolate! There was a warm fire in one right across from the finish line. It was truly amazing to see such a heartfelt community come together and help each other out! Be sure to purchase your handcrafted finisher’s medal from the wood craftsman as well. Would love to run this one again! Highly recommend!
RUN THIS RACE!
This is a must do race and ranks tied for my #1 slot in the race with the best "experience". The people of Millinocket are wonderful. Please be sure to … MORE
This is a must do race and ranks tied for my #1 slot in the race with the best “experience”. The people of Millinocket are wonderful. Please be sure to research the history of the race. There is no official entry fee but everyone is expected to support the town in some way. Options include donating to the local food bank, buying items at the artisan fair (which is actually the bib pick up), eat at local restaurants shop at local stores. There are no official aid stations but there are plenty of “pop up” stops with enthusiastic people serving everything from water, warm maple syrup shots, and lots of Fireball. Be prepared for any type of weather and have your own water and nutrition just in case. This year it was rainy but some years it can be bitterly cold. All of the mile marker signs are hand made and some are very fancy. Unfortunately we did not get the view of Mt Katahdin this year due to the rain. Be sure to participate in the Crankle 2K Friday night. A local aritsan has wood medals for sale and a local business offers shirts/hoodies. Book lodging early if you want to stay in town. I highly recommend the Baxter Park Inn. If you go please consider having dinner at the American Legion the night before the race for spaghetti and pancake dinner. Plenty of businesses offer warming stations before and after the race and there is a fire pit near the finish line. Do yourself a favor and RUN THIS RACE! It won’t be a PR but your heart will be filled by the end.
Beautiful race for a great cause
This race is FREE, which is what first drew my attention. The town of Millinocket has been hit hard economically, so this free race encourages runners to come to town … MORE
This race is FREE, which is what first drew my attention. The town of Millinocket has been hit hard economically, so this free race encourages runners to come to town and spend money. There were numerous opportuties to do that, including buying your own race shirt and/or medal. I was happy to buy the shirt, and the very last thing I need is another medal, so I skipped that. Ten of us rented a VRBO and ran the half–a scenically beautiful, challenging, but runnable race. The town was welcoming, and there were lots of pop-up aid stations on the course with everything from Fireball to cookies. The weather in Maine in early December was daunting (ten degrees at race start), but with enough layers, it was a comfortable outing. For a unique experience in a lovely area of the country, Millinocket is great!
Best free race you'll ever run
What a giving community! The race is free; they only ask that you stay local and help merchants by shopping, eating within Millinocket. It snowed the day prior and running … MORE
What a giving community! The race is free; they only ask that you stay local and help merchants by shopping, eating within Millinocket. It snowed the day prior and running up the mountain in the snow made me feeling like I was back home running on the Florida beaches… There is epic beauty as you reach the top of the logging road… majestic view of Mount Katahdin! The community offered great refreshments at the various mile markers and the backside of the race was all down hill… You’ll have to purchase your own finisher medal… but it’s part of giving back to this small community.
A Must-Run!
This race is small and remote. But totally worth the FREE registration and promise to support the local economy. Millinocket is in central Maine, a 1 hour drive North from … MORE
This race is small and remote. But totally worth the FREE registration and promise to support the local economy.
Millinocket is in central Maine, a 1 hour drive North from Bangor. The town is small and has lost several large employers in recent years. Gary Allen (MDI) created this event to draw tourists into the area and as a result created an event that the town 100% supports! The race has developed into a full-fledged Millinocket Town Festival that nearly all businesses get behind!
THE RACE: the race is free, but asks for donations for the local library and asks that you support the town by eating, sleeping and shopping there. The course is moderately hilly with a large majority along the Golden Road, an unpaved logging road. This year there was a winter storm a few days before and the road was covered with ice and a fresh layer of sand, which made running difficult. The marathoners do 2 loops on the course. Aid stations are manned by families, businesses and locals who provide anything from cookies, fireball, jello shots, pickle juice, to hamburgers, candy and hot soup. Several had fires burning in barrels or backyard firepits. One stop even had Hot Gatorade (like coffee hot!). Water cups would freeze over so most volunteers were pouring water/gatorade when you requested.
THE WEATHER: The weather is the key. The bartender we chatted with after the race told us that 2019 was the 2nd best year for weather. (The first year the temps were in the 30s-40s, which is HOT for them). For 2019, the temp at the start was around 15 and the high for the day was 22. This Mississippi girl got lucky! Keep in mind the sun goes down around 3:45-4pm this time of year, so the back-of-the-packers may be finishing their race in the dark.
The medal and other swag are not free. Runners must pre-order their medal on the race website (around $8). Several businesses in the downtown area were selling their own versions of race apparel.
Overall, this race was a great experience. For us southern folks, we went for the adventure and to experience Maine in the dead of winter. This is a definite MUST RUN for those who love small town races with unique touches. The community was super supportive and every person we met was friendly and thankful!
AMAZING
While this is a "Free Race" it's not, as Race Director Gary Allen says, "a free for all." This is a very well put together race, and the community is … MORE
While this is a “Free Race” it’s not, as Race Director Gary Allen says, “a free for all.” This is a very well put together race, and the community is very welcoming to the hundreds of crazy people who converge in this small mill-town in December to run up a 6.5 mile hill before coming down the backside that was created by MC Escher!