Girdwood Marathon 2026

Giddy up! 

This trail marathon covers some of the amazing trails in Girdwood, Alaska. Our town is known for over 30 plus meandering trails through the beautiful temperate rain forest. This is NOT the race to run if it's your first marathon. "This marathon feels like an ultra run" say marathon finishers, so perhaps volunteer to sweep race course, or work at an Aid Station your first year. Volunteers are guaranteed a spot the following year! OR...sign up for the 5K Family-Friendly Race and then volunteer and cheer on the finishers!

The route includes the infamous Winner Creek Trail, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Iditarod Trails, Nordic 5K Loop, Tiny Trail, Athabascan Trail, California Creek Trail, Abe's Trail, Beaver Pond Trail, Bird-to-Gird Trail, Winner Creek Extension Trail, Alyeska Bike Path, and various Alyeska Resort mountain trails including the newest Kettle Pond Trail.

This Marathon is the brain-child of Brian Burnett who is constantly connecting trails for a fun day outside. He ran a solid 26 miles one day and thought, "More people should experience this fun...we should have a trails marathon." So if you love soggy October runs through Alaskan forests and perhaps losing the feeling in your toes running through glacial creeks...come join us on OCTOBER 3rd, 9:00AM for Full Marathon, and 10:00AM for Half Marathon (fewer cold toes), or 10:30am for a 5K trot.  If you have someone coming to watch, or if you both want to check out the course and have unlimited access to Aid Station Gummy Bears - then volunteer your first year...or "volun-tell" your cheerleader to help out.  (leave dogs at home)  Seriously - even spectators - leave dogs at home.

AID STATIONS:  1) Alyeska Daylodge, 2) Bird-to-Gird Path Trailhead, 3) Crow Creek Rd at California Creek Trailhead, 4) Middle Iditarod Trail at USFS parking lot, and 5) Nordic 5K Loop / Winner Creek Trail connection.

Choose the full 26.2 (ish) mile marathon or 13.1 (ish) mile half-marathon, or - the 5K Race. The races start and end at the Alyeska Daylodge in Girdwood.  Aid stations? Yes, we will have FIVE stations stocked with snacks and water! WE have listened...more water. Got it. But we will have pitchers to fill YOUR hydration packs or bottles. Carry your H2O! Carry your food!

This is also a BYOBS race (Bring Your Own Bear Spray), so along with your OWN hydration, snacks, and a smile, be prepared for wildlife encounters.  We will start each race with ONE WAVE from the Alyeska Daylodge. Parking is available, as well as bathrooms, and a place to store warm gear. 

THERE ARE NO REFUNDS OFFERED. (Yes, even if the race is cancelled due to weather)

THERE ARE NO BIB TRANSFERS. 

PLEASE leave your dogs at home. You can tell them about the race later. Thanks.

AGAIN THIS YEAR!  There will be a time cut off for the Marathon. Marathon ONLY - not half marathon. The marathon cutoff time will be 3.0 hours at the USFS Middle Iditarod Trail Aid Station / Parking Lot (approximately 12 mile mark). This cut off time will be in place for the safety of runners and sanity of volunteers who help create a fun day for all participants. Really, it's safety. These are wet trails in October and we encourage you to budget time navigating a few areas.  If you are interested in walking the course, then sign up as a volunteer course sweep instead of racing. 

AIRPODS are discouraged: BE alert of wildlife and other runners.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR DOGS AT HOME. If you missed it the first three times, this applies to racers AND spectators since they tend to stand & cheer close to the finish line and food tables. 

Race Day schedule and updated maps will be emailed to all Race Participants and Wait List Participants. If you are on the Wait List, you have a 51% chance of running, so keep that Saturday open.  We will notify you as space opens.

We will decide if Marathon Racers are running across Glacier Creek 5 days prior to the race. If the water level is too dangerous, we will choose Plan B.

After the race will feature yummy Bake Shop sweet rolls, cookies, and Bake Shop soup to reward your efforts and keep you warm for the awards!! Keep cheering finishers!

This is a fundraiser for the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club. We use the funds to maintain our snow machines for winter grooming, maintain trails, and create trail signage.  We will also dedicate funds to help maintain trails on this marathon course.  We do not offer refunds unless you have a really really good reason like being deployed, or volunteering instead of racing. EVEN DUE TO WEATHER. We appreciate all of you coming to play outside in Girdwood and sharing our love for the Girdwood trail system.  We will have three categories for each race: Men's, Women's, and Non-Binary Divisions.

See you soon!

HALF MARATHON COURSE 2026  (clockwise) 

MAP ARROWS/ELEVATON MAY BE INCORRECT.  READ DESCRIPTION!!

Starting at the Alyeska Daylodge, run past Alpenglow and Powder Hound to join the Alyeska Bike Path, then cruising toward the Glacier Creek Bridge. Hanging a tight right, circle UNDER the bridge to pass Lion’s Park and head south down the National Historic Iditarod Trail, which turns RIGHT to meet the Alyeska Highway (Flagger on site). Cross the Alyeska Highway toward the USFS driveway (LEFT) and continue south along Alyeska Bike Path, turning right toward Alaska Railroad Depot and to the Gird-to-Bird Bike Path. There will be an Aid Station at the Bird-to-Gird Bike Path trailhead. Continue on Bird-to-Gird Pathway and turn right at the Beaver Pond Trail, running north along Beaver Pond Trail until taking a LEFT on Abe’s Trail (up) to California Creek Trail (down) merging back onto Beaver Pond Trail to briefly meet Crow Creek Road. (Flagger and Aid Station) here. Cross Crow Creek Road to take Athabascan Trail toward Girdwood School and parking lot to Tiny Trail, then cross the road to Chair 5 restaurant and turn right to run through Town Square and then left to Hightower Rd, cross Hightower (Flagger on site) and run up Alyeska Bike Path toward Alyeska DayLodge. Cross Arlberg Road (Flagger on site) past Powder Hound and up grassy area toward Alyeska Daylodge (Aid Station) turn LEFT towards The Bake Shop and Sitzmark parking lot and swing left downhill and turn RIGHT on White Pass Road and then right to Crystal Mountain Rd.to Verbier Way bike path to Winner Creek Extension Trail, then tright hand turn to the base of Chair 7, BIG U-TURN turning uphill to shift into lowest gear, cranking up Chair 7 Road and accelerate down Chair 3 road ... to FINISH at Alyeska Daylodge!!

(Link to Garmin map by Lauren O'Connor)  https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/166964209

WE REVERSE DIRECTION EVERY YEAR SO READ DIRECTIONS...

MAP PROFILE IS CLOCKWISE PROFILE. 

MARATHON COURSE 2026 (clockwise) -  PLAN A   (Crossing Glacier Creek)

**AGAIN this year - cut off time 3.0 Hours at (USFS Winner Creek Trailhead at north end of Middle Iditarod Trail along Crow Creek Rd.)

Starting at the Alyeska Daylodge, run past Alpenglow Coffee Haus and Powder Hound across Arlberg Ave (Flagger) to the Alyeska Bike Path toward Glacier Creek Bridge. Next, circling UNDER the bridge to pass Lion’s Park, runners head southward on the National Historic Iditarod Trail, which turns RIGHT and rises to meet the Alyeska Highway (Flagger on site). Cross the Alyeska Highway and then toward the USFS driveway, continuing on Alyeska Bike Path and turning right toward the Alaska Railroad Depot to Gird-to-Bird Bike Path. There will be an Aid Station at the Bird-to-Gird Bike Path trailhead. Continue on bike path and turn right on the Beaver Pond Trail, running north on the Beaver Pond Trail until taking a LEFT on Abe’s Trail (up) to California Creek Trail (down) and merging with Beaver Pond trail (LEFT) to meet Crow Creek Road (Flagger and Aid Station). Cross Crow Creek Road to take Athabascan Trail behind Girdwood School and to the AWWU water road, to the Middle Iditarod Trail. Run north on Middle Iditarod Trail, crossing Crow Creek Road again and to the USFS parking lot and Winner Creek Trailhead parking lot. Aid Station and 3hr time cut-off station.**

Race participants meeting the cut-off requirement (< 3hrs) will run down Winner Creek Trail to fjord Glacier Creek. Cross Glacier Creek on foot (Safety crew on site under old Hand Tram area) and continue up Winner Creek Trail toward Berry Pass. See a TURN AROUND SIGN at the far end of the "Rock Garden" (rocky area) on Upper Winner Creek Trail. After the turn around, run back on Winner Creek Trail and turn LEFT at the T and run toward Alyeska Hotel to cut-through trail to the 5K Loop (Aid Station). Run the 5K Loop clockwise to the SAME Aid Station. Continue (RIGHT) on Winner Creek Trail toward Alyeska Hotel /Tram area and shift into your low gear to crank up Chair 7 Road and cruise down Chair 3 Road to FINISH at the Daylodge!!

**(If you do not make the 3hr cut off time, you will give your bib to the Aid Station and be required to reverse back on flagged course to Alyeska Daylodge. The Girdwood Trail Marathon will not have Glacier Creek crossing volunteers past this time, and will not be responsible for any DNF participants continuing on course).

(links from Zach Behney)    https://caltopo.com/m/MN6VT         https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3070156686

(Link by Zach Behney from 2018 Clockwise)  https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/73299369

COURSE CHANGE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION:  This race will start and end at the Alyeska Daylodge. From the Alyeska Daylodge, runners head north across the footbridge toward The Bake Shop and arch around the Sitzmark parking lot to White Pass, turn right onto Crystal Mountain road that merges with Verbier Way and at top of the hill run onto the bike path, to Winner Creek Extension Trail,  turn right on Alyeska Maintenance Road toward the base of Chair 7, and then up The North Face Trail to the first cut-off turning RIGHT running clockwise around the Kettle Pond Trail. Exit the Kettle Pond Trail near Chair 7 base, taking a LEFT and begin running up the Chair 7 Road slope along flagging and then down Chair 3 road toward finish area. Fast and Fun! 

*The Winner Creek Extension Trail has a wood bridge that can be slippery in October.  Watch your step!!