Governor's Cup

The Governor's Cup is looking forward to welcoming runners to Helena on June 12-13, 2026. Make plans now to come to Montana's capital city, enjoy one of the state's longest-running events, and do a little exploring while you're here.

Established in 1974, the the Governor’s Cup caters to families, recreational runners and elite athletes looking for a great way to exercise their competitive spirit and celebrate the benefits of a health lifestyle in Helena, Montana. Staged in the picturesque backdrop of the Treasure State’s capital city and its surrounding countryside, the Governor's Cup features the half marathon, 10K, 5K and mile run.

Please visit our 10K page at govcupmt.com for complete race details, where we have maps and elevation profiles available.

• Participants will be electronically timed by Competitive Timing.
• Men’s Event Record: 30:49, David Morris, Eagle River, AK, 1991
• Women’s Event Record: 35:24, Heather Lieberg, Helena, 2015
• Dogs, bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades are not allowed on the courses. Watch for vehicles on the road at all times.
• Starts in downtown Helena behind the Holter Museum and finishes on the Walking Mall in historic Downtown Helena.

Participant Information

Starting Line-Up

All participants are asked to line up according to their anticipated finishing times. Please be considerate of your fellow runners: Slower runners, walkers, and baby stroller participants please start toward the end of the line to allow elite racers a smooth start.

Facilities

Portable restrooms will be located every 3 miles on the marathon and half marathon courses, frequently on all other races, and at the start and finish lines.

Water Stations

Water stations are available every three miles along the marathon and half marathon and frequently along all other courses. We highly encourage all participants to hydrate before, during, and after the race.

Please visit our 5K page at govcupmt.com for complete race details, where we have maps and elevation profiles available.

• Participants will be electronically timed by Competitive Timing.
• Men’s Event Record: 14:47, Shannon Butler, Eureka, 1988
• Women’s Event Record: 17:12, Nicole Hunt, Deer Lodge, 2003
• Dogs, bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades are not allowed on the courses. Watch for vehicles on the road at all times.
• Starts in downtown Helena behind the Holter Museum and finishes on the Walking Mall in historic Downtown Helena.

Participant Information

Starting Line-Up

All participants are asked to line up according to their anticipated finishing times. Please be considerate of your fellow runners: Slower runners, walkers, and baby stroller participants please start toward the end of the line to allow elite racers a smooth start.

Facilities

Portable restrooms will be located every 3 miles on the marathon and half marathon courses, frequently on all other races, and at the start and finish lines.

Water Stations

Water stations are available every three miles along the marathon and half marathon and frequently along all other courses. We highly encourage all participants to hydrate before, during, and after the race.

Awards Ceremony − 11 a.m. in Pioneer Park.

Break a Governor’s Cup record and win an additional $100!

Award categories for the 2026 Governor’s Cup are as follows for men and women with a total prize purse of $4,000.

Half Marathon Awards

All male and female runners will receive a commemorative finisher medal and top-three placers overall will receive specific awards along with a monetary award (detailed below) in the form of a Visa gift card.

• Overall
  • Champions, Governor’s Cup trophy and $500
  • Second place, $200
  • Third place, $150

• Prime Award
  • $250 awarded to a male runner and female runner. New this year is a $250 PRIME award for the male and female half marathon runner who completes the South Hills Road portion of the race the fastest.

• Total (x2) = $2,200

10K, 5K, and Mile

All male and female runners will receive a commemorative finisher medal and the top three male and female placers overall will receive specific awards along with a monetary award (detailed below) in the form of a Visa gift card.

• Overall
  • First place, $125
  • Second place, $100
  • Third place, $75
    
    
• Total (x6) = $1,800

Age Group Awards

The Governor’s Cup will be awarding runners with an age award medal for the top three male and female runners in the following age groups:

0-12
13-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+ 

Please note that age group awards will be mailed the week of June 22, 2026.

Elite Athletes

To be considered for an elite invitation to the Governor’s Cup, you must meet the qualification standards within the last two years. As an elite qualifier, Governor’s Cup organizers may offer complimentary entry into the race of your choice.

If you meet a standard, please send a running resume to elite coordinator Nate Wellington at nathan_wellington@bcbsmt.com. Include your age, gender, mailing address, email address, citizenship, and results from pertinent recent races. If possible, please provide a link to online results demonstrating that you’ve achieved a qualification standard.

NOTE: Masters (40+) and Seniors (50+) are encouraged to apply for elite status in their division and will be considered on a case by case basis. The standards presented below to not apply to Masters and Seniors.

• Full Marathon
  • Men: 2:40 or faster
  • Women: 3:10 or faster
    
    
• Half Marathon
  • Men: 1:15 or faster
  • Women: 1:26 or faster
    
    
• 10K
  • Men: 34:00
  • Women: 39:00
    
    
• 5K
  • Men: 16:15
  • Women: 18:30

To be considered for an elite invitation to the Governor’s Cup, you must meet the qualification standards within the last two years. As an elite qualifier, Governor’s Cup organizers may offer complimentary entry into the race of your choice.

If you meet a standard, please send a running resume to elite coordinator Nate Wellington at nathan_wellington@bcbsmt.com. Include your age, gender, mailing address, email address, citizenship, and results from pertinent recent races. If possible, please provide a link to online results demonstrating that you’ve achieved a qualification standard.

NOTE: Masters (40+) and Seniors (50+) are encouraged to apply for elite status in their division and will be considered on a case by case basis. The standards presented below to not apply to Masters and Seniors.

• Full Marathon
  • Men: 2:40 or faster
  • Women: 3:10 or faster
    
    
• Half Marathon
  • Men: 1:15 or faster
  • Women: 1:26 or faster
    
    
• 10K
  • Men: 34:00
  • Women: 39:00
• 5K
  • Men: 16:15
  • Women: 18:30

The Governor’s Cup half marathon course is moving back into Helena for 2025, sharing the starting line with our 5K and 10K events. The first three miles of the half marathon will be shared with the 10K course. From there, runners will head to South Hills Road, where spectacular views of the Helena valley await. The course will rejoin the 10K and 5K courses for a finishing kick up the walking mall. There will be no busing this year, and the half marathon is slated to start at 8 a.m. A detailed map and course video will posted soon. 

Please visit our half marathon page at govcupmt.com for complete race details, where we have maps and elevation profiles available.

• Participants will be electronically timed by Competitive Timing.
• Men’s Event Record: 1:07:48, Collin Mark Messmer, Missoula, 2019
• Women’s Event Record: 1:17:25, Heather Lieberg, Helena, 2014
• Dogs, bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades are not allowed on the courses. Watch for vehicles on the road at all times.
• Baby joggers are allowed, but please be advised that all participants are required to take a bus to the start and we ask that participants using a jogger start toward the back
• There will be no official time for anyone taking longer than six hours. Aid stations, traffic control, volunteers, etc. will relinquish their posts based upon the six-hour completion time. 

Participant Information

Starting Line-Up

All participants are asked to line up according to their anticipated finishing times. Please be considerate of your fellow runners: Slower runners, walkers, and baby stroller participants please start toward the end of the line to allow elite racers a smooth start.

Facilities

Portable restrooms will be located every 3 miles on the marathon and half marathon courses, frequently on all other races, and at the start and finish lines.

Water Stations

Water stations are available every three miles along the marathon and half marathon and frequently along all other courses. We highly encourage all participants to hydrate before, during, and after the race.

Click here to subscribe to our email list if you want to receive our newsletter and any additional updates from the Governor's Cup. We will periodically email discount coupons to our subscribers, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for savings. Happy running!