The Run Crazy Horse Marathon events begin in the shadow of the world’s largest mountain carving, Crazy Horse Memorial, and finishes in the heart of the Black Hills… Hill City, South Dakota. The Run Crazy Horse Half Marathon is a point to point course, beginning at the Visitor’s Center at …
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The Run Crazy Horse Marathon events begin in the shadow of the world’s largest mountain carving, Crazy Horse Memorial, and finishes in the heart of the Black Hills… Hill City, South Dakota.
The Run Crazy Horse Half Marathon is a point to point course, beginning at the Visitor’s Center at Crazy Horse Memorial. The first 3 miles are within the Memorial Grounds on both paved and gravel roads. Participants will pass by the old schoolhouse and loop out to the bus turnaround at the base of the Crazy Horse Carving. At mile 3, the course becomes the Mickelson Trail. For the Half Marathoners, the last 10 miles are a mixture of downhill and flat terrain. Half Marathoners will finish on Main Street in Hill City in front of the Bumpin’ Buffalo bar and grill.
Miles 3-16 of the Full Marathon will be an out and back mainly on the Mickelson Trail. Outside of Crazy Horse Memorial, marathoner runners will turn South on the Mickelson trail to the turnaround in Custer. At Mile 16, it will be downhill back into Hill City to finish on Main Street.
The 5 person Marathon Relay will follow the same course as the Full Marathon. The relay exchange points will be between 5-7 miles apart. Exact distances are posted on the Relay Information Page.
Bus transportation from our Host Hotel, Palmer Gulch, and Downtown Hill City is provided. Parking will be available at Crazy Horse Memorial on race day, and shuttle service will be provided from the finish back to Crazy Horse Memorial after the race.
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Beautiful Fall Course
I loved the scenery of this course. It was beautiful. The marathon is a small field of runners (~140 full marathoners). Expo: More of a bib pickup at the Boys … MORE
I loved the scenery of this course. It was beautiful. The marathon is a small field of runners (~140 full marathoners).
Expo: More of a bib pickup at the Boys & Girls Club in Hill City. Very easy parking. There were a couple of vendors for any necessities. It was a breeze. Took me only 10 mins.
Race Day: The race was at 8am. It was a cold day with temps low 40F, cloudy, and a couple sprinkles throughout the day. I opted to be dropped directly off at Crazy Horse Memorial. Otherwise, you can drive or take a bus. It is free parking before 8am at the start. It was nice to be able to stay warm prior to the race in the visitor center.
Course: Trail (mostly) The majority of the race takes place on Mickelson Trail which was crushed limestone and gravel. It was a smooth trail. All runners (marathon, 1/2, and relay) start together by the sound of a drum and singing. The course loops around Crazy Horse Memorial for the first few miles. Then the 1/2 marathoners and full marathoners split. You descend to into Custer, SD until Mile 10. This was the most beautiful part of the trail. Many golden leaf birch trees, forest, open meadows, rock hills, horses, and some cows. At Custer, you have to turn around and go back up what you came down. The ascent was tough for me, but gradual enough that I pushed through slowly. Around Mile 18 you descend again to Hill City. It flattens out a bit before you finish on Main Street. This was a tough course for me either lots of down for miles and miles or lots of up for miles and miles.
Fuel/Hydration: No issues. Every few miles there was water & Powerade. Fuel on course bananas, pretzels, and occasionally m&ms.
Other: Crowd support was the volunteers. The trail is tucked away and makes it hard for others to find a good spot for access. Volunteers were all amazing. They all had smiles and I made sure to thank them. My family was able to cheer for me in Custer around mile 9 and then back again at mile 11.
Travel: I drove to Custer, SD and stayed in a rental near the main street. But, staying near Hill City would be better if you don’t have access to a car.
A beautiful race!!
Well organized and mostly downhill
A point-to-point course with all the hills in the first three miles. After that, it's a pretty run, albeit next to a highway, all the way to the heart of … MORE
A point-to-point course with all the hills in the first three miles. After that, it’s a pretty run, albeit next to a highway, all the way to the heart of old town Hill City. They shut down the main street for the finish line party. I always appreciate that.
It was a cool morning and I was nervous about having to kill an hour at the start line, but we were allowed inside the Crazy Horse Visitor Center. It was warm inside and had flush toilets. Plus, an hour isn’t even enough time to see everything on display.
The gentle downgrade on the rail trail was an improvement over running on pavement, but be aware the gypsum that covers the trail will turn your shoes white! I was wearing black shoes and they looked like ghost shoes when I finished! Fortunately, most of it washed off.
The medals are unique, and the age group awards are pretty awesome: small dream catchers! So get out there and place in your age group!
Beat Me Up!
Beautiful scenery and very well run race production. Course was hilly and took its toll on me for my current fitness level. Running by Crazy Horse is pretty moving. Course … MORE
Beautiful scenery and very well run race production. Course was hilly and took its toll on me for my current fitness level. Running by Crazy Horse is pretty moving. Course doesn’t lend itself to crowd support but volunteers were still amazing. Finishes in a cute small little town. Definitely worth doing but not a PR course.
Fun race. Miles 10-16 killed me.
Awesome scenery. People were great. Loved the trail run. They could use more first aid. As a diabetic I nearly bottomed out at 16 (my fault) but would be good … MORE
Awesome scenery. People were great. Loved the trail run. They could use more first aid. As a diabetic I nearly bottomed out at 16 (my fault) but would be good to know first aid is available.
Good Race-A Bit Challenging
The Crazy Horse Marathon was a bit more challenging than I originally thought dealing with altitude and long gradual climbs. The expo was just a bib pick up, easy and … MORE
The Crazy Horse Marathon was a bit more challenging than I originally thought dealing with altitude and long gradual climbs.
The expo was just a bib pick up, easy and fast! I was able to score free socks from a sports store promotion that was a short distance from the expo in Hill City.
The race offered a pasta buffet dinner the night before the race at the Crazy Horse Lodge. It was a bit disappointing as the pasta was bland, but they did include a salad bar that was very good. I should note not many folks attended the dinner.
Race day started with a bus ride from Hill City to the start line. I stayed at the Comfort Inn in Hill City and was just about a 1/2 mile walk to get to the bus. You got to enter the bus as soon as you arrived, so no waiting outside in the cold. Also, when you arrived at the start line, you could go inside the Crazy Horse visitor center and wait for the race to begin. The center was warm, had some seats as well as indoor bathrooms.
The race started with a drum beat and a Native American chant, much better than a gun shot! No real corrals, just line up near a pace marker.
The first few miles are on gravel roads with 3 hill climbs. You get great views of the Crazy Horse monument! Then the race takes you on the Mickleson Trail for most of the course. The trail is a fine crushed stone surface, excellent for running. It should be noted there is not much to see, but very peaceful. Water stops were about every 3 miles, so it is best to bring a bottle with you when you run. No Gu shots at the water stops, just some pretzels and M/M’s. The course has gradual long inclines which wore me out! It is not a steep climb, just long.
The finish was on Main Street in Hill City which was very nice. There was no real food at the end, just a Granola bar, water and chocolate milk.
The medal was awesome, handmade ceramic and the awards were handmade dream catchers , very nice indeed! They also provided free pictures.
Overall I liked this event and would recommend it. It was nice to have a more relaxed atmosphere versus a larger race. I would have liked more water stops and food on the course. Hill City was nice with several motels and numerous restaurants . I also took a ride on the 1880 steam train that was fun.
So Much Fun!
I participated in the marathon relay and ran the final leg. My entire team had such an amazing time!! Everybody had fun and made it to their exchange points with … MORE
I participated in the marathon relay and ran the final leg. My entire team had such an amazing time!! Everybody had fun and made it to their exchange points with smiles on their faces! The course was pretty and the weather was great! I can’t speak for the entire race, but my stretch at least seemed to have plenty of aid stations. The medals are also super cute!
Running in the Black Hills
Run Crazy Horse was my South Dakota race and it was wonderful. Bib Pick Up: It was located in Hill City - very simple and quick. You receive a drawstring … MORE
Run Crazy Horse was my South Dakota race and it was wonderful.
Bib Pick Up: It was located in Hill City – very simple and quick. You receive a drawstring bag and they will write your number on so it will also be your bag check. The shirt is fun – there was a buffalo on it this year – expected given the price of the race.
Race Day Transportation & Starting:
I stayed at the affiliated accommodations – KOA Palmer Gulch. There was a bus provided to transport you to the start (and also available at the finish to bring you back). The start is at the Crazy Horse Memorial – you are allowed to wait in the museum for the race to start which I found very cool because you get to learn about Crazy Horse and the Lakota tribe. It was also nice to keep warm as the morning was chilly (mid 40Fs). The race starts in the parking lot and there are designated pace flags. It’s chipped time race.
The Race:
The race starts off with Native American drumming (not the traditional gun shot)- which was awesome as the race directors/collaborators wanted to include the Native American culture in this race.
The race immediately starts off hilly – initially a downhill and uphill and several more rolling hills on the side of the museum which brings you closer to the actual Crazy Horse Memorial – this part of the race is trail and has larger rocks which make it semi-unsteady. By mile 3.5, you’re on Mickelson trail making your way DOWNHILL to Hill City if running the half or towards Custer if running the full. There is a net down hill for this race. This was my first downhill race and my legs were feeling it half way through (and several days after). There are some uphill and flat areas that provide a break from the downhill pounding.
It is a beautiful course on a nice, dirt/gravel packed trail. The sun is up but still behind the mountains so it’s a bit chilly. The trail isn’t easily accessible so there are limited spectators for majority of the race and the water stations are also every couple miles. You are able to use a water pack or a handheld.
The finish is in Hill City – they do a great job stopping traffic when you transition off the trail and on to Main street. There’s a small uphill after the trail but down hill again to the finish.
The medal is an easy favorite – it’s ceramic like but keeps to the Crazy Horse theme.
I definitely enjoyed this race. My family had a great time exploring the towns near by too.
Nice race to ease back into doing halves
Glad a brought along my trail shoes. The route was dirt road, crushed gravel, and pavement. There were a few bridges that were slick because of morning dew. Scenic. Peaceful. … MORE
Glad a brought along my trail shoes. The route was dirt road, crushed gravel, and pavement. There were a few bridges that were slick because of morning dew. Scenic. Peaceful. Very gradual downhill.
Meaningful, gorgeous, well run
This was a phenomenal race. From the shuttle busses, excellent communication, indoor waiting area, and course this was a fantastic experience. I loved the medals and the Lakota drum at … MORE
This was a phenomenal race. From the shuttle busses, excellent communication, indoor waiting area, and course this was a fantastic experience. I loved the medals and the Lakota drum at the start. The first three miles are rolling hills but then smooth sailing from there. Do this race!
Small Marathon with Hills & Views
The race overall was rather well put together, and makes for a very good race vacation. You have to do packet pick up the day before but it is a … MORE
The race overall was rather well put together, and makes for a very good race vacation. You have to do packet pick up the day before but it is a very smooth quick process. Race morning started out at well, you can wait inside of the heated building which is much appreciated. The half and full marathon only run together for about 3 1/2 miles and then the split occurs, and the field thins out vastly. I normally do not run with music, but I found it to be very beneficial for this race as there’s a very high chance that you’ll be running it alone. It is a gradual downhill for about the first 5 miles then uphill for the next 5 miles and then gradual downhill for the last 10. I started out on track for a solid time, but the hills caught me in the second half. The views are great and the course is mainly crushed gravel with some shade. If you do not like running in a smaller field I would recommend doing the half marathon over the full. There are lots of attractions in a fairly close range so I would recommend making a long weekend out of it and checking out some of the sites (we saw Mammoth Site, Mt Rushmore, Wind Cave and Custer state park)!
Mostly downhill
Well organized and very scenic. Great place to spend a few extra days and explore. The race is mostly on packed gravel trails and downhill. The start has a couple … MORE
Well organized and very scenic. Great place to spend a few extra days and explore. The race is mostly on packed gravel trails and downhill. The start has a couple of good hills , but not too bad. Would do again.
Best runcation yet!
I loved this race! The race starts at the Crazy Horse Memorial then finishes down the scenic Mickelson Trail. The leaves has already turned and the foliage was pretty. The … MORE
I loved this race! The race starts at the Crazy Horse Memorial then finishes down the scenic Mickelson Trail. The leaves has already turned and the foliage was pretty. The course is hilly for only the first three miles or so, and the rest was a gradual downhill. Walker friendly and I walked this race with a friend that was completing her first half marathon. I loved the race shirt and medal. Did I mention free race photos? South Dakota was beautiful with so many wonderful parks and scenic drives. Highly recommend!
Crazy Horse is Deceptive but lots of fun
It’s a very well ran event with lots of aid stations, nice people, and great scenery. It’s definitely worth making the trip. I did 10 days in the area and … MORE
It’s a very well ran event with lots of aid stations, nice people, and great scenery. It’s definitely worth making the trip. I did 10 days in the area and visited Mount Rushmore, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, and so much more. The trip is phenomenal and the cherry on top was finishing my trip with the Crazy Horse Marathon! Downside is that the course is a tad deceptive. Reason: for around 10 miles you’re on one part of the Mickelson Trail that you do an out and back on. Going down, it feels flat but coming back you realize it’s actually an incline. Lol. Otherwise, this race is phenomenal! Loved it!
Uphill Battle
The scenery of the black hills was amazing during the race. You also got to get up close and personal with crazy horse. The start of the race had mixed … MORE
The scenery of the black hills was amazing during the race. You also got to get up close and personal with crazy horse. The start of the race had mixed elevation and a loop that brought through the starting line 3 times. This was nice for water and shedding clothes. After leaving this area the race was downhill until mile 10ish. This was an extremely relaxing and peaceful portion of the race. It was easy to take the sights in. Then you have to turn around and run back up the trail you just came down. Along the way there were plenty of water stops, Gatorade, and bananas. The only people to cheer you on though were the people waiting for their relay partners and the volunteers working the water stations and road crossings. After mile 16ish, the map showed a net down hill. I was very excited for this, but after a few miles it seemed like all I was doing was going uphill again. If you are up for a challenge this is a great race. It is defiantly not a PR race, but the black hills are great.
Would do this again
You get to run on the George S Michelson Trail. lots of tree line, bridges, views, babbling brooks.. and you get to see the Crazy Horse memorial, plus inside the … MORE
You get to run on the George S Michelson Trail. lots of tree line, bridges, views, babbling brooks.. and you get to see the Crazy Horse memorial, plus inside the visitor center. Weather was perfect.
Great Racecation - one of my favorites!
I loved everything about the weekend. We went on hikes, went to Mt.Rushmore, and the train museum. I only wish we had more time. The race itself is exceptional. Before … MORE
I loved everything about the weekend. We went on hikes, went to Mt.Rushmore, and the train museum. I only wish we had more time. The race itself is exceptional. Before the race we looked at the exhibits at the visitors center. Then the race! Some hills, but the beauty and perfect weather made it one of my favorites. There is a lot to do for non runners as well. We will be back!
Well produced run, wonderful scenery
A very well produced event, logistics ran like clockwork, awesome venue and course scenery. Weather tends to be very clear and dry at this time of year and it didn't … MORE
A very well produced event, logistics ran like clockwork, awesome venue and course scenery. Weather tends to be very clear and dry at this time of year and it didn’t disappoint on race day!
Add to your bucket list!
This race had all the things I like: Cool temps, not many hills, INDOOR waiting area and INDOOR bathrooms, well run, well marked, great scenery, just enough spectators and no … MORE
This race had all the things I like: Cool temps, not many hills, INDOOR waiting area and INDOOR bathrooms, well run, well marked, great scenery, just enough spectators and no issues with parking or hotels.
I stayed at Palmer Gulch they have a nice lodge/hotel and cabins. There is a bus that picks you up and returns you. If I did it again, I would drive to Hill City (Where the race ends) and park and take the bus from there to Crazy Horse (the start). This avoids one bus ride and when the race is over you can leave when you want; only issue I had was the busses were supposed to begin leaving at 10am and at 10:40 only 10 people were ready to go. Luckily the bus driver was willing to leave with few people so I didn’t miss mu flight home.
I went to Crazy Horse the day before to check things out, you do not need to do this as you have about an hour there before the race and you get to run up to the base of the monument.
Recommendations on clothing…. It was 27 degrees when I left my room, about 35 when the race started and 50 after 2 hours. Since you can wait inside up until about 5 minutes before the race, dress for the warmer temps. The last 10 miles are mostly shaded and cooler, but there are spots where the sun peaks out to warm you. Most of the run is hard packed gravel.
Eat at the Powder House!
Absolutely beautiful trail course!
The course is hilly about the first 3 miles, and the last 10 miles are a very comfortable downhill trail (does not require trail shoes) course from crazy horse to … MORE
The course is hilly about the first 3 miles, and the last 10 miles are a very comfortable downhill trail (does not require trail shoes) course from crazy horse to Hill City. Shaded course though, so I was happy with long sleeves. Loved the medal and shirt design. Well organized and every aid station had water, powerade and fruit. Visiting the area also gave me a chance to visit 3 National Parks and Custer State Park. Gorgeous scenery and wildlife. The only tough part was that it’s considered off-season there, so many restaurants/shops were closed or closed early.
Loved it & think you will too
After coming off an injury this is my 1st half of the year so I'm not sure if my excitement is driven by my completion or the race itself (obviously, … MORE
After coming off an injury this is my 1st half of the year so I’m not sure if my excitement is driven by my completion or the race itself (obviously, the race). There have been very few races I’ve wanted to return to and this one is high on the list of returns.
Course: The course was beautiful and for the most part downhill. The first 3 miles are rolling hills in an upward trajectory then after leaving the Crazy Horse Memorial you start the gentle downhill portion. The course is mostly on the Michelson Trail which is 95% finely crushed gravel with a couple places where water created ruts and exposed larger rocks. Nothing technical about this trail and very easy to navigate. The course was absolutely beautiful to see. The Aspens were bright yellow lining the scenery and seeing the Crazy Horse memorial along the way was amazing.
Volunteers: Volunteers were plentiful, supportive, and happy to be out supporting the racers.
Fuel: The race provided fueling stations about every two miles. Each station had water, powerade, bananas, oranges, pretzels, and a couple had m&ms. They had plenty of supplies and enough volunteers to hand items to the runners. Post race fuel was the normal, bananas, bagels, pretzels, chocolate milk, and water. They did have watermelon and oranges, which were great additions.
Swag: The swag consisted of a t-shirt (there was an option to purchase a tech shirt), sling bag (to be used as your gear drop bag), and medal. I’m not sure what happened but all who registered did not get a shirt, no matter when you registered (I registered a long time ago). Not sure if they gave away shirts to late registrants or if they had a shirt ordering problem, it was never made very clear. With that said I cannot officially mention anything about the t-shirt as I was one who did not get one. I was told they would order more and mail one to me. I was allowed to try other sizes that they did have on hand but the size I needed, in all versions, was out. I feel another great option would have been to give us a tech shirt or slash the price to prevent from ordering new shirts and then paying to mail them. Will update this when I receive the shirt. The medal was a clay medal with rawhide string, unique and quality construction. If you were speedy enough to win a category they had unique, Native American themed awards. *Update: I realize I never updated this review that I did indeed receive my shirt in the mail several weeks after the event.
Bonus items: Pasta dinner was held at the restaurant on the grounds of the Crazy Horse Memorial. The dinner ticket was $20 for an all you can eat pasta buffet, with salad, breadsticks, meatballs, chicken, red and white pasta sauces, green beans, cookies, blueberry cheesecake, another dessert, and drink. For someone who does not eat a lot, I felt $20 was a lot but it was nice to eat and talk about the race with other runners from around the country. When you enter the Memorial site you get a ticket to the museum as part of the race. I recommend paying the $4 to take the bus to the highest point allowable of the Monument.
The host hotel has wi-fi but unless you have At&t, you will not have cell service. The hotel’s phone was not answered when people called from outside due to no cell service. If you need to be contacted, I would not recommend this place to stay, if you have no issues being off the grid, it’s perfect. The hotel staff was very considerate of the runners and extended the normal checkout time if you requested.
Shuttles ran exactly as specified. They ran from 10:30-3:00 to three locations.
I know this is long but one other thing to keep in mind. Many businesses in the area are closed for the season when the race occurs. Google maps doesn’t do a great job of specifying that so be aware, the things you want to see may or may not be open.