Montana Marathon

Opportunity Bank of Montana presents the 46th running of the Montana Marathon!!

The Montana Marathon course is one of the fastest and most scenic in the region, making it a favorite for runners chasing personal bests or a Boston Qualifier. Starting high on the rolling plains outside Billings in the small town of Molt, the route follows a gradual downhill descent (1,000' Net Drop) into the Magic City, showcasing wide-open skies, mountain views, and the beauty of Big Sky Country. This Point-to-Point race will have you picking up the 1/2 Marathon, 10K and 5K runners along the way; adding to the energy as you approach the finish line in downtown Billings. 

• The Montana Marathon is famous for being a FAST and beautiful Boston qualifier course! While the first ten miles feature scenic rolling green hills, the final 16 treat you to a loss of 1,000 vertical feet. YouTube Video of the course: Montana Marathon Course
  • Marathon racers will be shuttled to the start line from Senior High School Parking Lot.
    • Shuttles Load up at 5:30AM. The Last shuttle will depart at 6:00AM
  • The Marathon starts at 7:00am
  • Marathon cut-off time: 6.5 hrs (16 min mile) Course Closes at 1:30 pm 
  • Walkers are not allowed to start early. 
• The Half Marathon was selected again by Road Runners Club of America as the Montana State Championship Race!  
  • Additional awards will be given by RRCA. YouTube Video of course: Montana Marathon Half Course
  • Please note there is NO parking at the Half Marathon start and racers will be required to take the shuttle.
    • Half Marathon racers will be shuttled to the start line from Senior High School Parking lot.
      • Half Marathon will begin loading buses at ~6:45AM. The last shuttle leaves at 7:15AM
  • The Half Marathon begins at 8:00AM
  • Course Closes at 1:30 pm
• The 10K starts at the Rimrock West Park and finishes at Pioneer Park
  •  Check out the course on our YouTube Video: 10K Course 
  • 10K racers will be shuttled to the start line from Senior High School Parking lot.
    • 10K Runners will begin loading at 8:30AM. The last shuttle leaves at 9:00AM.
  • The 10K starts at 9:30AM
• The 5K Starts at Rose Park and finishes at Pioneer Park.
  • Check out this flat course on our YouTube Video: 5K Course 
  • 5K Racers will need to drive to the start line. We have YMCA buses available to shuttle you back to your car after the race. 
    • Post-Race shuttles will go every 15 minutes from Senior High School Parking lot to Rose Park. First shuttle is at 10:45. The last shuttle back to Rose Park is at 12:00pm

Finisher Medals for all participants.
F/M Age Group Awards: Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k
F/M Overall Awards: Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k & 5k

IMPORTANT NOTES: For the safety of all participants:

• Strollers are not permitted on the Marathon or Half Marathon Courses. 
• Dogs are not permitted on any of the race courses. 
• The course is marked well, but it is open to traffic.
• There will be volunteers at most intersections.
  • Please remain on the right side of the road, unless otherwise directed. Because the course is open to traffic, we recommend that all participants wear bright colored clothing to improve visibility. Music devices and earbuds/earphones are strongly discouraged. 
• If you decide to leave the course, please let a staff or volunteer know so we don’t wonder where you are.

Packet Pick-up Information -
Where: TBD
When: Saturday, September 19th
Times: 12:00 - 5:00pm

**ONLY OUT OF TOWN Participants who did not make it to the packet pick up on Saturday will be allowed to pick up Race Gear on Race Day**
Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K: | Time: 5:15am - 7:30am | Senior High School Parking Lot behind school 
5K: Time: 8:00am - 9:00am | Rose Park by Pool Parking Area

PORTAPOTTIES

• We understand the urge to go before, during and after a race. We want all of our runners to be comfortable along the course. 
• Portapotties will be available at these locations: 
  • Bus loading area at Senior High School parking lot
  • The start of each race
  • Approximately miles 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24
  • Finish line at Pioneer Park.

Aid Stations:
There are thirteen aid stations throughout the course at approximately marathon miles 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. There is also an aid station at the start of Marathon and Half Marathon. 

Each station will supply water. HEED electrolyte drink mix and Hammer Gel will be offered at Marathon miles 6, 13, 18 and 23.

Porta- potties:
Porta-potties will be available at the bus loading area at Senior High School parking lot, the start of each race and approximately miles 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24 and at the finish line in Pioneer Park.

Course Safety and Emergency:

• The course is marked well, but it is open to traffic.
• There will be volunteers at most intersections.
• Please remain on the right side of the road, unless otherwise directed.
• Because the course is open to traffic, we recommend that all participants wear bright colored clothing to improve visibility. Music
  devices and earbuds/earphones are strongly discouraged.
• If you experience or witness a medical emergency while on the course, please inform a volunteer and/or call
  911. Ham Radio volunteers will be providing communications throughout the race course.
• There limited cell phone coverage for the first 13 miles of the Marathon. There is a fully staffed medical tent at the finish line and Billings Clinic medical vehicles at certain points along the course.
• If you decide to leave the course, please let a staff or volunteer know so we can track your BIB number. 

Start Times:
MARATHON 7:00 am 
HALF MARATHON 8:00 am 
10K 9:00 am
5K 9:15 am

Shuttle Times
MARATHON - 5:30 am to 5:45 am (~40 Minute Drive)
HALF MARATHON - 6:45 am to 7:00 am (~20 Minute Drive)
10K - 8:15 am to 9:00 am

Shuttles will depart from the Senior High School parking lot located at 425 Grand Avenue. The parking lot is to the north of the school building just off of Virginia Lane. Parking is limited at the start of the Marathon and 10k races. There is absolutely NO parking available at the start of the half marathon. We recommend taking the provided transportation to the start of each race in order to keep the course clear and safe for all participants; the race is not on a closed course. You must be on the bus by the above posted time to ensure arrival at your respective race
by its start time.  Please arrive early so we can get you to the start line with plenty of time to stretch, use the potty and get ready!!

5K - Runners will park at Rose Park. We will have shuttles to provide you a ride BACK to your vehicle after the race. Those shuttles will be in the Senior High Parking Lot. These are YMCA buses. 

Course Closure:

The course closes at 2:00PM 
All participants must be capable of completing the Marathon in 7 hours. For the sake of our volunteers, there will be no support along the
course past the cutoff times, runners may choose to run at their own risk. Runners, who choose to finish after the 2:00 cut off time, will not receive an official time.

SWEEP - We will have a sweep on the course. Please stay in front of them to finish during the designated time frame. 

MARATHON - MapMyRun Link

HALF MARATHON - MapMyRun - Link

10K - MapMyRun Link

5K - MapMyRun Link