The Yellowstone 1/2 marathon was fantastic. Running in the forest on the soft dirt felt so good! This was my first 1/2 as a trail run and I absolutely loved … MORE
The Yellowstone 1/2 marathon was fantastic. Running in the forest on the soft dirt felt so good! This was my first 1/2 as a trail run and I absolutely loved the challenge. There were plenty of aid stations to hydrate, and I really appreciate the efforts to have eco-friendly pottys on the course. The scenery was good, but I found myself concentrating on my feet to try to avoid ruts in the trail and trippy river stones (I wiped out around mile 9 but there was an awesome runner who helped me get right back up and keep going). The race and the people who organize/run are fantastic. I can’t wait until I can go on another Vacation Race!
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My feet have never felt so good!
The Yellowstone 1/2 marathon was fantastic. Running in the forest on the soft dirt felt so good! This was my first 1/2 as a trail run and I absolutely loved … MORE
The Yellowstone 1/2 marathon was fantastic. Running in the forest on the soft dirt felt so good! This was my first 1/2 as a trail run and I absolutely loved the challenge. There were plenty of aid stations to hydrate, and I really appreciate the efforts to have eco-friendly pottys on the course. The scenery was good, but I found myself concentrating on my feet to try to avoid ruts in the trail and trippy river stones (I wiped out around mile 9 but there was an awesome runner who helped me get right back up and keep going). The race and the people who organize/run are fantastic. I can’t wait until I can go on another Vacation Race!
Good race, muddy, rocky course
Well organized race. Course was difficult with lots of rain in the spring making several miles mud. Construction made one area full of broken tree trimmings. Another area full of … MORE
Well organized race. Course was difficult with lots of rain in the spring making several miles mud. Construction made one area full of broken tree trimmings. Another area full of rocks. A good challenge for a trail race and the race organizer prepared us well for what to expect and kept us safe.
Tough course with beautiful scenery
This course was definitely challenging as I am not a trail runner. The inclines, hills, and mud also made it tough. I definitely felt like I really earned that medal … MORE
This course was definitely challenging as I am not a trail runner. The inclines, hills, and mud also made it tough. I definitely felt like I really earned that medal after crossing the finish line. Vacation Races did an amazing job organizing this event.
Tough course but great race
This was a muddy tough, rough terrain course. Scenery wasn’t great as it was mostly on a logging road the 2nd half of the course was better. A couple of … MORE
This was a muddy tough, rough terrain course. Scenery wasn’t great as it was mostly on a logging road the 2nd half of the course was better. A couple of tough climbs. Great race company though- love Vacation Races!!
Beautiful and Challenging
This was the final race for the Grand Quad race with a 5K and Half-Marathon in the Grand Tetons and the 5K and Half-Marathon at West Yellowstone. The start & … MORE
This was the final race for the Grand Quad race with a 5K and Half-Marathon in the Grand Tetons and the 5K and Half-Marathon at West Yellowstone. The start & finish line was perfect as it was located in the same place with minimal logistics and easily accessible from our Madison Campground site. It was nice to have parking right there to easily get dropped off and picked up. I already had my bib from the Grand Tetons but we still did the expo so I could purchase a few items and look at the vendors. We drove around, with another racer and her husband, to find the Buffalo statues in town before the 5K which was fun. It was a great venue and town for both races. The 5K had very hot weather and the half-marathon Saturday morning was overcast and perfect. It started to drizzle right after I finished.
We had been exploring Yellowstone since Sunday after the Grand Tetons run to enjoy all the sights. The Yellowstone course was beautiful and challenging! Not as scenic as the Grand Tetons but I enjoyed being in the woods and run next to the river at times. I kept my eyes open for moose and bear but didn’t see any. The trail description was right on par and delivered the challenge promised! Some of the trail followed a crushed gravel trail while the rest was snowmobile/ATV trails. Additionally, they had a backhoe and other equipment cleanup and work on the trail. It made for a more challenging trail with all the ruts, mud, broken trees/branches and such. My knee acted up at mile 4 causing me to walk fast for a great portion of miles 5-7 with the hill and mud though it was a great break. My knee was ready to take on some running but then the rocks and tree branches resulted in a lot of ankle twisting steps that I had to face the fact I would not be under 3 hours finish time in order to not injure myself. I was disappointed but accepting it. The whole way I kept thinking it’s all good, I’m going to finish stronger and feel proud of my accomplishment and my time due to the challenging course and my knee. I had trained on some trails but not as rut and rock filled as this route. Definitely will be more prepared for future “trail” races.
While running, I focused on the experience and sense of success for my accomplishments. I received the email, when I had reception within the park (which was limited in many places) regarding the Grand Tetons Double Moose medals shortage. I felt grateful I received mine. I read that there was going to be another “200” short for the Double Bison and the Grizzly Double. I kept looking forward to celebrating my Grand Quad challenge completed and to get a medal since I knew I wasn’t going to be one of the last 200 runners. I pushed running and fast walking to finish and crossed the finish line, took a selfie and a runner let me know the double medals already were not available. I felt a bit deflated realizing my hard work would not be 100% celebrated at the end. I was grateful to get the Grand Quad medal but disappointed about the Double Bison and Grizzly Double. I texted a runner I had met during the Grand Tetons shuttle bus from the finish to the start. She got them and offered to let me take photos with them so I could get a post-race photo. It was such a nice offer! I met her at her accommodations and we took a few photos. I received an email early the next week to ensure they had my information correct from the finish line to send the medals. Their medals are amazing! The Yellowstone one had the 150th Anniversary banner which is special. The Quad and Double medals had spinners with the relevant runs for the Grand Tetons 5K and Half-Marathon (Double Moose), Yellowstone 5K and Half-Marathon (Double Bison), Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Half-Marathons (Grizzly Double) and Grand Quad both parks 5K and Half-Marathons displayed.
I was introduced to VR by a friend that recommended I sign-up for Mt. Rainier since we live within an hour away. I saw the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone medals and scenery photos from 2021 participants and wanted to experience the races! VR does a great job with their races from promoting, communications, organizing logistics and pre-race details, expo, announcements, during race aid stations, finish line logistics of meals handed to you in a National Park branded box full of snacks, chocolate milk and bananas, receiving your medals, vendors and race merchandise and the big National Park run series signs for photo ops. I’d highly recommend their races and look forward to doing more!
We were able to enjoy the park for one final day having driven around the entire park several times. I was also able to take some photos in the park with my medals and run into other racers and congratulate them. I met the friendliest people on these races and enjoyed the experience! Wearing your medals and/or shorts post-race really connects you in such a big park. We drove up to LaMar Valley and headed back to camp with winds up to 40 mph and pouring rain producing rivers of water in the ditches and loosening rocks on Dunraven Pass. We camped one last night in Madison Campground before we packed up Sunday morning and explored West Yellowstone again before heading home. We drove all the way home mostly in torrential rain all the way but grateful once we got home. We were especially grateful that we made it out of the park right before the flooding and closure of the park. We hope everyone made it out and home safe!
Bring the trail shoes!
They had a wet spring so it was veryuddy and soupy. There were also some technical rocky parts. I recommend bringing your trail shoes if you have some. MORE
They had a wet spring so it was veryuddy and soupy. There were also some technical rocky parts. I recommend bringing your trail shoes if you have some.
Trails & Trees
I ran this as part of the Grand Quad with vacation races. It is 1 week after Grand Teton. I did a whole bunch of hiking and nature viewing in … MORE
I ran this as part of the Grand Quad with vacation races. It is 1 week after Grand Teton. I did a whole bunch of hiking and nature viewing in between and even saw several bears. For this race I stayed in West Yellowstone. I drove up after the Bear Lake Idaho half on Thursday and stayed for 2 nights. I also did the 5K Friday. Since I picked up my packet at Teton I didn’t go to this expo. I splurged on lodging in West Yellowstone since I was only staying for 2 nights. I stayed at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone and for not much more a night got a room with a hot tub. It was more than I usually pay for a hotel but really, really nice. If you can afford it I would recommend it. The race starts and ends a few blocks from the Holiday Inn and most of the hotels in West Yellowstone so it is very convenient. I knew this was a trail race and my foot was starting to hurt from the other 4 races and the hiking this week and I wanted to make sure I can complete my half next weekend in Indiana so I was planning on walking most of this race and before the race said this was going to be my second slowest half marathon (my slowest being a crazy hard trail race in NJ). It is a loop and I walked to the race but there was plenty of parking. Logistically this was a very easy race with no shuttles. It is a trail race. If you have only run road races this will be the hardest race you have done. However if you have done trail running, this was an average difficulty/pretty fun trail course. I marked it 4 for difficulty but compared to road races it is a 5. The first ~1 mile is on the road to the trail and the first maybe 3 to 4 mile was pretty non-technical and quite runnable. I did run the road portion to bank some time to make sure I finished in 4 hours (though vacation races is generally not strict with the time cut off) and walked most of the rest just running a bit of the flatter and downhill sections. At mile 6 there is a very long, steep hill. Afterwards the next couple miles are a bit more technical with some rocks and mud. I thought it was less technical than the slick rock in Zion. It was very similar technicality to the trails I usually train on in Mendon Park near Rochester. I was walking today so it wasn’t hard to walk but some sections would be tough to run. If you are the type who never walks in a race you should know most trail races require a bit of walking in the technical sections even for the fast runners as I’ve seen them walk after passing me in some multiple loop trail courses. If you never ran a trail race just set expectations that you will probably be about 20 minutes slower and need to walk a couple short sections. If you have run a trail race this a nice, not super technical but technical enough to keep it interesting type of trail race. The scenery is very pretty but like Yosemite it is mostly forest. There are a few pretty mountain views and a view of a creek but you are mostly looking at trees. I do really enjoy running around trees just don’t sign up the race expecting to run past geysers. Aid stations were frequent though given how isolated areas of the trail were some just had water and some interesting pop up toilets. At the finish line you get your medal. Vacation Races medals are always nice but I think this was the nicest with the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone NP. You also get the snack box. Again they did not have enough challenge medals but took our bib numbers and emailed a form so we would get them. They did send out an email before the race so it wasn’t as disappointing in the moment. They still had the Grand Quad medal which is really cool so I did go home with one extra medal. For the swag for the races I took away a sneaker because of the missing medals but if they were there it would be 5 sneakers. As I expected and planned this was my second slowest half marathon but it was on purpose. I also did this in road shoes even though I had trail shoes because my road shoes were old and I just bought new ones for after the trip and my trail shoes were newish and the course was muddy and I just threw out my muddy road shoes after. It was fine (especially mostly walking) in road shoes but if you want a competitive time or to run most of the course trail shoes would be better. Overall I really enjoyed this race. It was not as scenic as Grand Teton but still a very pretty race. Personally I like the challenge of trail but if you don’t this wouldn’t be my first choice for Montana unless you are planning to combine with other races. If you do like trail races, then definitely run this race. Much like Teton I’m not sure I will do it again given the remote location and expense of the trip but I may come back another year once I finish my race travel goals. I was also lucky I left West Yellowstone a few hours after the race just when it started drizzling and missed the terrible weather that closed the park down. I hope everyone involved with the race and all the other people visiting and living in the Yellowstone area are safe.
Very well organized event!
Everything from registration to bib pickup to pre-race staging to aid stations, to finsh line etc. was very well done. Volunteers were amazing. Looking forward to my next Vacation Race!! MORE
Everything from registration to bib pickup to pre-race staging to aid stations, to finsh line etc. was very well done. Volunteers were amazing. Looking forward to my next Vacation Race!!
That was tough but what an experience!
If you’re not used to running at high elevation then you may think this will make things tough. Suffice to say, if you pace yourself, it’s ok. A gentle loop … MORE
If you’re not used to running at high elevation then you may think this will make things tough. Suffice to say, if you pace yourself, it’s ok.
A gentle loop around West Yellowstone before you head off into the forest. You are running on trail so expect roots, rocks, mud, puddles and people who make it look easy! To be fair it is all pretty good until you hit mile 6 when someone decided to put a long killer hill in. Some may say it is a greater power, personally I blame the race director who could have chosen a flatter route.
Admittedly that would have made things a lot easier and half the fun of running is testing yourself. It doesn’t matter how long you take, everyone runs the same distance. The scenery was phenomenal, the volunteers were top rate and the organization was second to none.
The sheer joy when you get within sight of the finish line makes all of the pain and suffering disappear as joy, self belief and satisfaction sweep over you.
I’ve run nearly 170 half marathon‘s and this is easily in the top 3 with the organization the best I have experienced across a number of countries. Add in the surprise of medals for age group placing and I was over the moon. My wife wasn’t so happy as I was smug for a little too long for here liking!
I will be back for another Vacation Race and will encourage all I know to fly across the pond to take part. The combination of location and organization make these races unbeatable.
Scenic Trail Half
This is a trail half on dirt and 4x4 roads. This year there was a lot of rain so the ground was soggy and there were lots of puddles to … MORE
This is a trail half on dirt and 4×4 roads. This year there was a lot of rain so the ground was soggy and there were lots of puddles to navigate around. The race is a beautiful loop course. Parking was easy. There could have been more porta potties at the start.
Altitude got me
This was a slow one for me, coming from sea level, the elevation was tough. I hit a wall around mile 6. The views were gorgeous though and the atmosphere … MORE
This was a slow one for me, coming from sea level, the elevation was tough. I hit a wall around mile 6. The views were gorgeous though and the atmosphere was amazing! I will absolutely be registering for another Vacation Races race!
Awesome Trail Race Near Yellowstone!
This was my first ever experience on trails. I bought trail shoes specifically for this race, and was very glad I had them. The race directors sent out plenty of … MORE
This was my first ever experience on trails. I bought trail shoes specifically for this race, and was very glad I had them. The race directors sent out plenty of emails to warn us about the wet terrain (Yellowstone would flood days after the race!)
The race was challenging, but so much fun!!! The hill around mile 4-6 was no joke and I, along with almost everyone else, ended up power hiking it. The downhills were fun, but also involved jumping from rock to rock. I almost completely ate it, somehow regained my balance halfway through the fall. I would recommend this as part of the back to back with Grand Teton. Great way to see the National Park!
Iconic Yellowstone Run
The course is a bit tough running through the woods. The trail was muddy and rocky but the views are gorgeous. Nice medal and the swag items for the double … MORE
The course is a bit tough running through the woods. The trail was muddy and rocky but the views are gorgeous. Nice medal and the swag items for the double and quad were quality items.
Fun event before the Half
This was a fun little 5K on the evening before the Half Marathon. The whole course was mostly on an unpaved service road and was packed dirt and gravel. The … MORE
This was a fun little 5K on the evening before the Half Marathon. The whole course was mostly on an unpaved service road and was packed dirt and gravel. The scenery was amongst cleared trees and a little bit in the main town. Loved that the swag and snack box was the same as the Half Marathon and we got a medal that was a smaller version of the Half medals. Not a PR course, but definitely a fun, family event.
Great and Incredibly Scenic Race
This was a very scenic race! My only recommendation is be prepared for anything, since this is mixed trail. There were some rough spots with exposed rocks, and some soft … MORE
This was a very scenic race! My only recommendation is be prepared for anything, since this is mixed trail. There were some rough spots with exposed rocks, and some soft areas so be careful depending on how their weather has been!
Fantastic race at Altitude
I had been looking forward to my first Vacation Races experience for months. It was a great opportunity to see Yellowstone with the kids for the first time and what … MORE
I had been looking forward to my first Vacation Races experience for months. It was a great opportunity to see Yellowstone with the kids for the first time and what a brilliant way to see to it. I did not expect the difference in altitude as I live and run at sea level so this ended up being my slowest half marathon time. However that should not deter anybody from this race as the overall experience was fantastic. I mostly run trails and I really enjoyed how muddy this course was. I lost a shoe in the mud at one point! That was a real laugh as I had to get down and pull it out from the mud with both hands! I wore trail shoes but still lost a shoe! It was a lot of fun and I was smiling for the rest of the race. The course is beautiful and there is one section where you run by beautiful South Fork Madison River toward the end. There is a tough, unrelenting hill at mile 6 which was challenging due to the altitude. Vacation Races does a great job organizing this event. The podcast was very helpful. West Yellowstone was a fun place to stay prior the race with some great places to eat.
Pretty warm-up 5K
I did this as part of the Quad and you can read my review of the Yellowstone half for more details. The 5K is 6pm on Friday. I just walked … MORE
I did this as part of the Quad and you can read my review of the Yellowstone half for more details. The 5K is 6pm on Friday. I just walked over from my hotel around 5pm and it was easy. As I said in the half review, my foot was hurting a bit so I made the decision to just speed walk this 5K. It is similar to the first couple miles of the half with the beginning on road and the rest on non-technical trail. This had the same issue of the Teton 5K with not having a wave start with too much of a mix of pacing but the sectioned coned off on the road and the trail were both really wide so it didn’t affect this race much. There was almost nothing technical in the 5K and it was flat. I wanted to walk it in under 50 minutes and I did that. At the end you get your medal and box of snacks. Again the medal is a baby version of the half medal and is cute to have them side by side.
Beautiful scenic run
These races are absolutely beautiful. And so much fun. The people really put in such an amazing effort to make a memorable experience. The course was a little challenging but … MORE
These races are absolutely beautiful. And so much fun. The people really put in such an amazing effort to make a memorable experience. The course was a little challenging but you wouldn’t even notice being in such a beautiful place, with such friendly runners around you.
Experts only
This was my second worse half marathon. I literally only signed up for this knowing it was a trail race because I wanted to do the Grand Quad, which is … MORE
This was my second worse half marathon. I literally only signed up for this knowing it was a trail race because I wanted to do the Grand Quad, which is the 5K and Half in Grand Teton the week before and then the 5K and Half in Yellowstone.
Their production is among the best in the country (and I’m a 50 stater nearing 100 completed half’s–I’ve seen a lot of productions!). Their communication is outstanding, their deferral policy is forgiving, you can even legally transfer your bib.
This is not a course for a novice or someone just starting to run half marathons. This was a highly technical trail that was brutal and had more than a few walking wounded as a result. The race starts out the same as the 5K on tiny bit of pavement, then chat/gravel and rapidly deteriorates onto Forest Service Roads. The roads were deeply rutted, badly water logged (wet spring) with standing water, deep mud or marsh and no good route through it. Then, they had heavy equipment on the course that had chewed up the road making soft powder, loose rocks, dangerous sticks/branches/logs strewn everywhere you had to pick your way through. I wiped out badly at mile 9 (along with many others apparently, having witnessed at least 2 other wipe outs personally and seeing the bloody mess at the finish line of many more). Mile 9 was rock/boulder/sand and there was no place to pick a path that wasn’t sketchy. The hill from mile 5-7 (no lie, that long) was not runnable, and I live at altitude and train in the foothills. If you’re a flat lander, it’s gonna hurt BAD. I literally NEVER walk in a race and I decided survival required power hiking that.
I took second AG (which tells you something with that time) (I took home a total of 12 medals for the two weekends of running). Snack box was great (actually went online and to the store to buy more of some of the things in there they were so good) and chocolate milk at the finish is always bonus. They do awards 5 deep at every category which is amazing. The shirts are great too.
Advice–get your housing situation squared away a year in advance. I was originally registered for 2020 but you know…Covid…When I booked that housing, I waited till maybe 6 months before and there was NOTHING anywhere near the start which would have meant camping and I’m too old to camp before/after a race. This time I learned my lesson and booked a year in advance and found an incredible condo within walking distance of the start and a couple blocks from the park entrance.
While I loved the production and I loved the medals, I will not run this race again. I will literally have scars to show for it and I prefer to run fast on pavement.
VR put on a helluva party
I ran the Grand Quad, which is the 5K and Half in Grand Teton the week before and then the 5K and Half in Yellowstone. These were my first Vacation … MORE
I ran the Grand Quad, which is the 5K and Half in Grand Teton the week before and then the 5K and Half in Yellowstone. These were my first Vacation Races and they did not disappoint. Their production is among the best in the country (and I’m a 50 stater nearing 100 completed half’s–I’ve seen a lot of productions!). Their communication is outstanding, their deferral policy is forgiving, you can even legally transfer your bib.
This course is tiny bit of pavement followed by chat/gravel, then dirt with some mud. The 5K is essentially flat but you do have to run through a dry culvert with rocks and soft dirt that requires caution to not break a leg. Coming into the finish is a sharp turn on loose gravel that nearly caused me to wipe out. I took second female masters which gets you more bling and an annual park pass (I took home a total of 12 medals for the two weekends of running). Snack box was great (actually went online and to the store to buy more of some of the things in there they were so good) and chocolate milk at the finish is always bonus. They do awards 5 deep at every category which is amazing. The shirts are great too.
Advice–get your housing situation squared away a year in advance. I was originally registered for 2020 but you know…Covid…When I booked that housing, I waited till maybe 6 months before and there was NOTHING anywhere near the start which would have meant camping and I’m too old to camp before/after a race. This time I learned my lesson and booked a year in advance and found an incredible condo within walking distance of the start and a couple blocks from the park entrance.
I can’t say enough good about VR. Highly recommend.