The Prince of Wales Island Marathon is a destination race for both runners and walkers in Southeast Alaska. We are the race venue for those seeking a challenge and stunning scenery in a unique locale.
The out-and-back course starts at the backdrop of the Sunnahae Mountain at Craig High School and heads north along the Klawock Channel, through the village of Klawock, turning left at the Native clan house, and proceeding along Boundary Road, which turns into Big Salt Lake Highway, and affords views of some of our most majestic lakes, clear streams, and muskeg areas. The middle, more mountainous portion of the full marathon course presents challenges, but equally inspires participants with Southeast Alaska’s natural beauty. The out-and-back half marathon course follows the full marathon course but does not venture into this more mountainous portion. Wildlife sightings are not uncommon on race day. Aid stations on the course will close at 4:00 p.m. on race day. The Prince of Wales Island Marathon is the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles and is USATF certified. Race times may be used as time qualifiers for the Boston Marathon.
There are eight aid stations located along the out-and-back marathon course, providing intensive support in the form of hydration as well as lemon drops, fruit, other forms of nutrition, along with an abundance of moral support and good cheer. Aid stations are also supplied with basic first aid supplies and clothing drop bags. Aid stations compete for the coveted traveling trophy each year, making their efforts to serve all participants go way beyond that proverbial extra mile. Support vans constantly cover the course and provide rides to relay participants along with other needed support.
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My favorite race yet
This is a very special race. Not only is the scenery incredible, but the entire community treats each runner like family. From the welcome mats to the incredibly jam-packed swag … MORE
This is a very special race. Not only is the scenery incredible, but the entire community treats each runner like family. From the welcome mats to the incredibly jam-packed swag bag to the shirts and medals, every detail was meticulously executed. The marathon store at packet pickup was small but had anything you might need – bandaids, anti-chafe sticks, fuel, all kinds of things. It felt like everyone in town was out cheering on the racers.
The motivational speaker was Robert Key this year, he was so inspiring and open. We saw him several times over race weekend (on our flight, around town, at the race & afterwards) and was genuinely excited to be there and meet everyone. Spaghetti dinner the night before was a bargain and very good.
While I prefer point to point races, the course was beautiful. We saw tons of bald eagles along the way. Rolling hills along the coast. It rained for a bit which is to be expected at this time of year so definitely bring a rain layer. Temps were in the upper 40s so it would have been pretty miserable to also be wet.
A few things to keep in mind if you choose this race (which you absolutely should) –
* You should stay in either Craig or Klawock if you’re visiting from out of town, and book early since lodging is limited.
* If taking the Interisland Ferry, there is one boat to POW per day and one back to Ketchikan so you’ll need to pad your trip on either side to allow enough time for travel logistics. The ferry takes 3 hours and you have to be there an hour before departure. You can also fly in but it’s a lot more expensive.
* Rental cars are pricy and options are limited. Some rental agencies will not allow you to take the car to POW so read the fine print. I rented at the airport in Ketchikan which worked out well.
* Everything is super expensive in Alaska in general but especially on POW. The snack packs of nuts that I paid $1/ea for back home were $7 on the island – bring anything you might need from home or at the very least stock up in Ketchikan.
You will not regret choosing this race.
Beautiful scenery
The Alaska scenery running along the water at beginning and end. Lots of uphill and downhill mostly gradual. Not super congested, gives you space to find your pace and keep … MORE
The Alaska scenery running along the water at beginning and end. Lots of uphill and downhill mostly gradual. Not super congested, gives you space to find your pace and keep it.
A New Favorite Race!
Everything about this race is amazing. It feels like a celebration of community and like every single person there is proud of you for finishing. The course is mostly rolling … MORE
Everything about this race is amazing. It feels like a celebration of community and like every single person there is proud of you for finishing. The course is mostly rolling hills, but the scenery is so stunning that you won’t even notice! The swag bag is generous and there are bonus items for out-of-state runners. There are plenty of aid stations. The aid stations compete for a trophy that declares them as the best aid station for that year, so they all cheer loudly and are ready with water and Gatorade (and sometimes other things like bananas or pickle juice). There are plenty of activities/gatherings the day before and then the afternoon after the race. They had a free slice of pizza for runners post-race and homemade cookies too! The only downside is that transport from either the ferry or the small airport to Craig is hard if you don’t have connections on the island. We had family that dropped off a car at the ferry terminal, but I’m not sure how other out-of-state/off-island runners get to Craig. But don’t let that deter you from this amazing race! If you are going to run a race in Alaska, make it this one!!
Great run… lots of coordination required
-difficulty: not steep hills… but lots of them! Elevation pic for half uploaded - scenery: was great! Mostly along a coast line. Would have been better if it wasn’t raining. … MORE
-difficulty: not steep hills… but lots of them! Elevation pic for half uploaded
– scenery: was great! Mostly along a coast line. Would have been better if it wasn’t raining. But I won’t hold that against them🙃
-swag: got a insulated drawstring bag with a toiletries (toothbrush, hand sanitizer, muscle cream, Vaseline, chapstick, bandaids, nail file, hand soap paper), canned salmon, post card and luggage tag. Out of staters will get a coin. Shirt is long sleeve tech shirt. Finishers get medal and pin. After meal was a slice of pizza and trail mix, Gatorade, fruit, bagels, PB. I was told there was less this yr than others.
– ok… organization. Organization for the run itself was not lacking. But I think for being an island that takes a LOT of coordination to get to, they could have done better helping out of Towners with coordination. I saw multiple folks walking to the run… from 2-5 miles away. In addition, for those that came in on the ferry … cabs were like $80 to get from ferry to area of run as many stated they couldn’t find rental cars. Everyone who travels knows costs accumulate. But for here- there isn’t just costs, there’s lack of resources.
I rented a car in Ketchikan and put it on the ferry to have a vehicle here. Highly advised. Plus then you can explore the island!!
Over all I would love to do it again, and would suggest anyone do it ONLY if you have transportation. I would not recommend it otherwise as I don’t think you can get the true experience if the race weekends and island. Community was great!!! Just needs transportation coordination
Forget Mayor's...do this race
My favorite US race. As an out-of-towner, treatment is second to none. You get a "welcome mat." They pick a spirit animal, then someone in town colors in the spirit … MORE
My favorite US race. As an out-of-towner, treatment is second to none. You get a “welcome mat.” They pick a spirit animal, then someone in town colors in the spirit animal with your name and hometown. The goody bag is a real goody bag. This year it was a dry bag (waterproof) filled with all kinds of stuff. The scenery was spectacular. But it is a tough race, uphill on the way out and rollers when it isn’t uphill. Post race “snack” was salmon or a burger with salads and desert. The winners got hand crafted wood paddles. They had an ice cream social with door prizes for those who could stay around. You got one ticket for running and could buy more. The drawing took almost an hour they had so much to give away. And the people couldn’t have been nicer. They made me feel like I was a local. I really think because of the location (it is definitely hard to get to, the last leg into Klawok is via a single engine Cessna Caravan or the ferry) they are looking for any excuse to have a party. Anyway, this is a great race!!!
Stunning!
The scenery is stunning. However it is a challenge to get to this race. It was a very delightful race but has the feel of a small town 5K. MORE
The scenery is stunning. However it is a challenge to get to this race. It was a very delightful race but has the feel of a small town 5K.
A must do, especially for 50 Staters
My second time to POW for the marathon. This is not easy to get to, but an absolute must for anyone looking to check off Alaska or just in the … MORE
My second time to POW for the marathon. This is not easy to get to, but an absolute must for anyone looking to check off Alaska or just in the mood for a destination race. The community and organization are second to none.