Missoula Marathon
Missoula, MT
- Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon, Half Marathon, Wheelchair Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Missoula Marathon is the brainchild of a group of local, dedicated members of Run Wild Missoula who want to share the area’s beauty and Missoula’s unique feel with runners from all over. Run Wild Missoula is a non-profit, 501(c)3 running club with the mission to support and promote running … MORE
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Missoula hosts a great marathon weekend
Beautiful marathon course. You get bused out to the starting line and run back to Missoula. We had great Marathon weather. Course is fairly kind and fast with the exception … MORE
Beautiful marathon course. You get bused out to the starting line and run back to Missoula. We had great Marathon weather. Course is fairly kind and fast with the exception of a 150’ climb around the half marathon part of the course. Missoula is a beautiful town with the Clark Fork River running through it and does a fantastic job of hosting their marathon weekend. They offer a free beer run (3 miles) on Friday evening which I would recommend participating in. And a popular 5K on Saturday. Anyone interested in running a marathon in Montana should consider the Missoula Marathon.
It was nice
State #39. I liked the shirt. It’s good quality. It was a decent race but nothing particularly memorable along the course. Cute town. I did hike the “M” the day … MORE
State #39. I liked the shirt. It’s good quality. It was a decent race but nothing particularly memorable along the course. Cute town. I did hike the “M” the day before because why not lol. Thankful for switchbacks, we go t have those back home. Ps. Take Lyft instead of Uber from the airport and it’s cheaper.
Simply the Best!
Third time running the Missoula Marathon races. It is hands down the best produced race weekend out there. Do yourself a favor and make the trip to Missoula next summer! MORE
Third time running the Missoula Marathon races. It is hands down the best produced race weekend out there. Do yourself a favor and make the trip to Missoula next summer!
Awesome city and well run event
Missoula was awesome, weather was perfect, and the course had a little bit of everything. I did the 3 mile beer run on Friday night. It was a little crowded … MORE
Missoula was awesome, weather was perfect, and the course had a little bit of everything. I did the 3 mile beer run on Friday night. It was a little crowded and tight at the start but opened up after the first half mile. The raced the 5k Saturday morning followed by the half on Sunday. Everything was well organized and all the courses were well marked.
I forget I’m running and then BAM, done.
Amazing course. You start the race not even realizing that you’re running in a race due getting lost in the scenery of the surrounding area! MORE
Amazing course. You start the race not even realizing that you’re running in a race due getting lost in the scenery of the surrounding area!
Montana Half Marathon
Outdoor expo & finish line in downtown Caras Park was great (riverfront, hotels, and restaurants)...very walkable downtown area...my hotel was next to Caras Park...walked over the bridge to check out … MORE
Outdoor expo & finish line in downtown Caras Park was great (riverfront, hotels, and restaurants)…very walkable downtown area…my hotel was next to Caras Park…walked over the bridge to check out the shuttle bus location next to the stadium on University of Montana campus (note: the Holiday Inn provided shuttle service on race morning)…point-to-point course was mainly varying degrees of downhill to flat with a couple of short sections of incline that I barely remember…best views to me were the first four miles along base of Blue Mountain along Bitterroot River…enjoyed the finish over the Beartracks Bridge with the crowd energy…nice finish line energy at Caras Park…plenty of space to cool down in the park and enjoy the river view…HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
This is a great event
This run is awesome. It starts with the volunteers and the community. Missoula is a small city. This is not a massive run like Chicago, New York or LA. It … MORE
This run is awesome. It starts with the volunteers and the community. Missoula is a small city. This is not a massive run like Chicago, New York or LA. It is a great running community and the marathon is capped at 1,500. Yet, people who live in the area cheer on the runners, even a sloth like me. The race has a generous 7:30 finish time, so it’s walker friendly, if that is your thing. About the expo, the free swag is nice. The available to purchase swag is abundant. The pre-marathon “beer run” is fun and free! The course is beautiful. Watch out for the hill at mile 13. It’s significant. I loved running in the country, the forest, along the river, though the neighborhoods and finishing in downtown Missoula. Well organized and executed by the entire community. Highly recommended.
A good choice for a Montana Marathon
There is a big hill at mile 13! But that said this was a fun, very well organized race. A small expo, but pretty much any last minute items you … MORE
There is a big hill at mile 13! But that said this was a fun, very well organized race. A small expo, but pretty much any last minute items you might need for the race. Race morning was very organized, getting us on our bus ride ot to the start in Frenchville. A really nice fireworks display at the race start. Plenty of water and electrolytes on the route. Gu energy gels were available, i bring my own. Not much of an afterparty, but there are plenty of good restaurants within walking distance of the finish, and a community farmers market in the adjoining parking lot. Huckleberry products everywhere!
This was my first half marathon!
This race was perfect for a beginner like me. The course started out with a nice easy downhill road, and the scenery was beautiful. Ran next to the river and … MORE
This race was perfect for a beginner like me. The course started out with a nice easy downhill road, and the scenery was beautiful. Ran next to the river and mountains, and the energy was great! There wasn’t any hard uphill roads and it was a generally flat course. There was plenty of aid areas throughout the course and I would recommend this race to anyone thinking about getting into running!
Great race in a beautiful location
The Missoula Marathon was something I looked forward to since Covid hit and I was not disappointed (apart from my result). The weekend starts on Friday with a decent expo … MORE
The Missoula Marathon was something I looked forward to since Covid hit and I was not disappointed (apart from my result). The weekend starts on Friday with a decent expo and a beer run (with beer supplied by Big Sky). You can sign up for a post race massage at the expo, for $35 this year. There are a decent amount of hotels walking distance from the finish area. if you stay there you will have around a mile walk on race morning to get to the shuttle buses that take you to the start (this is a point to point race). The scenery for the first 16 miles or so is great, lots of views of mountains no matter which way you turn, after that you end up running through residential areas. The trade off for that is there is actually some crowd support in the later stages of the race. There are port-a-potties at both the shuttle pick up area and the start line.
For a small race (around 1100 runners) there are a myriad of pace groups, pretty much every 10 minutes, so there is a pace group for just about anyone. The aid stations are sparse for the first 20 miles, about 2.5 to 3 miles apart, after that there is one every mile. Every aid station had both PowerAde and water, plus many also had gels if you don’t bring your own (I did not use these). The course, though net elevation gain, is fairly flat for most of the way, but starting on mile 13 there is a significant climb for two miles, and another one on mile 16. Hold back there if you want to protect your legs (I attacked it like an idiot, and killed my legs at mile 14, and topped off by a wonky hamstring, I spent about a third of the last 7 miles walking). The finish comes over a bridge back into the main downtown area, with ample room so that you don’t get trampled by other finishers. What really put this race above lots of others for me was the chocolate milk at the finish. This was the first of the 15 marathons I’ve done that had it! Also another free beer from Big Sky.
Finally, the townsfolk are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Every business was a pleasure to walk into. I highly recommend a nice river tube outing with the Clark Fork Yacht Club for some relaxation the day before the race. Since I’m a 50 state attempter I will not do this marathon again but I would definitely consider coming back out to this town, whether it’s to spend more time in the area or to do the half. And to top it off, the main downtown is only about 12 minutes from the airport. We didn’t see any taxis there so we Ubered to and from the hotel.
A worthwhile race
The course is great. It starts out with some pretty scenery, you get a grand piano performance around mile 3, the volunteers are oh so good, people sit outside their … MORE
The course is great. It starts out with some pretty scenery, you get a grand piano performance around mile 3, the volunteers are oh so good, people sit outside their homes to cheer you on, there are frequent aid stations and porta-potties, and there are a ton of people there to cheer you across the finish line. The expo is fun, it was pretty efficient to pick up your bibs and shirts. All in all a fun event and a nice course.
Fantastic experience
I had a great experience from start to finish. The race expo was fun and inviting. The prerace logistics were easy and there were plenty of restrooms. Free beer at … MORE
I had a great experience from start to finish. The race expo was fun and inviting. The prerace logistics were easy and there were plenty of restrooms. Free beer at the end was essential.
Beautiful scenery, weather, and communit
This was an all-around lovely experience where you could choose your own adventure. Anyone can guess (correctly) that the weather (cool, low humidity) and scenery is fantastic, and there was … MORE
This was an all-around lovely experience where you could choose your own adventure. Anyone can guess (correctly) that the weather (cool, low humidity) and scenery is fantastic, and there was a perfect amount of cheering crowds for my taste- not constant, but sprinkled in to boost the morale.
The shuttle process was super smooth and easy, and waiting 45-60 min at the start felt lovely because of the great vibes and free coffee and water to fuel up.
Would highly recommend!
Missoula Marathon weekend is the best!
I have participated in the Missoula Marathon weekend since 2015. I have ran the half marathon three times and the full marathon four times. I have also done the Friday … MORE
I have participated in the Missoula Marathon weekend since 2015. I have ran the half marathon three times and the full marathon four times. I have also done the Friday night beer run and Saturday 5k. I love everything about this event: the community, scenery, course support, swag, etc. I highly recommend it!
Great run in Missoula
Had an amazing time running my first marathon in Montana. Great course, amazing volunteers, very well maintained course. The crowds were great and the aid stations were well organized and … MORE
Had an amazing time running my first marathon in Montana. Great course, amazing volunteers, very well maintained course. The crowds were great and the aid stations were well organized and had the best volunteers. I have participated in over 15 marathons, and this one is my favorite!
What a race!!
This was my first road marathon and I was very impressed by everything. It is very well organized and runs like a well oiled machine. The volunteers were all fabulous … MORE
This was my first road marathon and I was very impressed by everything. It is very well organized and runs like a well oiled machine. The volunteers were all fabulous and I was impressed with the number and placement of aid stations and porta potties.
Given that the race started so early, I was also impressed with the seamless shuttle system.
All around great event, beautiful route, love the positive welcoming vibe of the Missoula run community.
I have always run trail marathons and shied away from road races. I’d love to come back!!
Great race
First off, porta potties GALORE at the start line, no waiting for an eternity in a line for one of the 10 destroyed portas as per usual. The organization of … MORE
First off, porta potties GALORE at the start line, no waiting for an eternity in a line for one of the 10 destroyed portas as per usual. The organization of the race was just great, everything was well thought out, planned and executed correctly. Police and volunteers to direct traffic, locked and loaded aid stations and pacers. There were shuttle buses to the start line and racers were provided with drop bags that were shuttled back to the start line, awesome. I loved how helpful and energetic the volunteers were. There was even fireworks to kick off the start, electric! The scenery is so lovely as well. There is only one small hill at about mile 13-14, phew! The only thing that was mid about the race was the “award” for completing the big 3 challenge. It was a little bag I had to look up to see what it was even supposed to be, apparently it’s a bathroom essentials travel case? Kind of disappointing. Otherwise an awesome event and I will be back.
Great experience!
Very well organized, entire downtown seems dedicated to its success. Lots of volunteers, great aid stations during race, music and fun for families all weekend. Multiple races during weekend include … MORE
Very well organized, entire downtown seems dedicated to its success. Lots of volunteers, great aid stations during race, music and fun for families all weekend. Multiple races during weekend include a fun kids race. Post race food was really nice to have. Expo was legit and the restaurants and hotels were great. Will do again!
My first marathon was in Missoula!
I’m proud to say that the Missoula Marathon was my first marathon. I’ve ran the half a few times and the organization and level effort planning this race is prestige! … MORE
I’m proud to say that the Missoula Marathon was my first marathon. I’ve ran the half a few times and the organization and level effort planning this race is prestige!
Five star marathon experience
Great logistics - airport 5 miles from downtown; hotels less than 1 mile from bus loading to start; expo and finish near downtown hotels. Crazy number of portapotties at start … MORE
Great logistics – airport 5 miles from downtown; hotels less than 1 mile from bus loading to start; expo and finish near downtown hotels. Crazy number of portapotties at start lines. Course well attended by volunteers. Scenic course, generous time limit and nice area restaurants. I would definitely go back!