Athlete Guide
Packet Pick-up:
Pre-race packet pick-up will be offered for participants on Friday, September 26, 2025. Location: TBD
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Race Day packet pick-up will be available at the Start/Finish area at East Portal. Packet pick-up will start at 6:30am PST on race morning. Please arrive early so you have time to park, get your packet, and board a shuttle bus if needed to head to the start line. The shuttle bus is only a 5 minute ride to the start.
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Race Start Location:
East Portal (See Parking information below)
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Parking:
Runners need to take Exit 5 on I-90 and take the road to east portal for the start. If you are typing the location into google maps please use "Taft, Montana" for the most accurate directions. You can also use 47.417972, -115.602181. Parking spots will be available at East Portal. There is limited parking near the Start/Finish area. Runners may park at East Portal on a fist come - first serve basis. There is overflow parking at the Taft parking lot off the I-90 exit and shuttle buses to the start line area will be available if needed.
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Start Times:
Remember Start times are in PACIFIC TIME since most of the trail is in Idaho.
7:00am - Marathon-Early Start (Runners are required to finish in 7 hours - before 2:00pm)
9:00am - Marathon (Runners are required to finish in 5 hours - before 2:00pm. If you plan to finish in over 4.5 hours, sign up for the Early Start option.)
9:30am - Half Marathon
10:00am - 10K
2:00pm - Courses Close
**Start times subject to change as we get closer to the event.
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Gear Check:
Gear check will be available for ALL runners at the start line at East Portal after you get off the shuttle bus. In an effort to reduce waste, we ask runners to please bring your own bag to put your belongings in. We will provide a tyvek hospital type wrist band to label your bag with your bib number. You will need your bib number showing when you drop off and pick-up your bag. Gear check is only available for athletes wearing bib numbers.
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Aid Stations / Nutrition:
THIS IS A CUP FREE EVENT! RUNNERS MUST BRING THEIR OWN CUP OR BOTTLE TO FILL AT OUR AID STATIONS.
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There is absolutely no littering on course. Please throw it away in garbage receptacles or pack out trash.
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Aid Stations will be equipped with water and sports drink, GU gels, and gummy bear chews. Water will be provided at the starting line.
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A limited supply of First Aid will be located at all Aid Stations on each course, and at the Finish Line.
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Marathon: There will be NINE Aid staions including additional sweet and salty options at Aid Station near Tunnel 28 and the Turnaround.
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25K: There will be SEVEN Aid Stations located along the course.
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10K: There will be THREE Aid Station located along the course.
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There will be NO toilets along the course.
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Awards:
Due to the staggered starts and lack of cell service, Awards will be distributed for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place overall for Male and Female for each distance. No Age group awards will be given. Awards will be announced after 12:30pm once everyone has finished.
If you are not able to stay for your award, they can be shipped to you for a $10 shipping and handling fee.
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Virtual:
The Virtual Run sign up is available between March 20, 2025 - September 27, 2025. Virtual runners complete and submit their information anytime between September 19, 2025 - October 05, 2025 to the virtual results page located here. Virtual runners will have their items mailed to them shortly after the live race (September 27, 2025). Runners can choose to earn a Marathon, Half Marathon, or 10K badge.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE:
MDT (Montana Department of Transportation) is doing work on I-90 and the East Bound Exit 5 at Taft is CLOSED. There is a detour in place that has East Bound drivers going past Exit 5 - down to Exit 10 Saltise, then go under the interstate and get back on I-90 going West Bound to get off at Exit 5 Taft, MT from the West Bound side.
Runners driving East on I-90 (From Spokane, CDA, etc) to get to the race please plan for it to take you an extra 15 minutes to get there due to the construction and detour.
Runners traveling West on I-90 (from Missoula, Helena, Saltese, MT) should not have any detour issues and can get off I-90 at Taft - Exit 5.
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Cutoff Times:
Marathon: Runners are required to finish in 5 hours (before 2:00pm). If you plan to finish in over 5 hours, sign up for the Early Start option.
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Marathon - Early Start: Runners are required to finish in 7 hours (before 2:00pm). If you plan to finish in under 4.5 hours, DO NOT sign up for the Early Start option as aid stations will not be available at the earlier times.
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There are not actual time checkpoints on course for the Marathon, but instead race officials will monitor athletes to make sure they are meeting the time requirements. Race officials will educate athletes if they start to fall behind and give athletes 2 warnings before making a decision to pull an athlete from the course or turning the athlete around before the turnaround point.
Half Marathon: Runners are required to finish in 4:30 hours (before 2:00pm). This assumes a Half Marathon runner averages roughly an 18:40 min per mile pace.
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There are not actual time checkpoints on course for the Half Marathon, but instead race officials will monitor athletes to make sure they are meeting the time requirements. Race officials will educate athletes if they start to fall behind and give athletes 2 warnings before making a decision to pull an athlete from the course or turning the athlete around before the turnaround point.
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Gear Drop:
Gear drop is available for ALL runners after the first tunnel, which is Aid Station One. We are NOT transporting gear after the event, all leftover gear at the gear drop will be donated. You are responsible for picking up your own gear dropped at the gear drop aid station.
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Headlamps:
Every runner will need to run with a headlamp - a cell phone or flash light is not adequate enough to run through the tunnel. We will be monitoring the start line & you are unable to cross the start line without a headlamp.
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Course Support:
There is ZERO CELL PHONE SERVICE during the event - we will have bike patrol throughout the course and volunteers at aid stations with communication systems & first aid supplies if needed. Turnaround volunteers will also be equipped with communication systems.
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