Athlete Guide
Parking
Please arrive plenty early. To reach the parking areas, take exit 5 off of I-90 in Montana. If you are putting the location into google maps, please type in Taft, MT. The parking option for the Sept. running of the Hiawatha trail will be different then June. Parking will be available at East Portal. If possible, please try to car pool as we will not have overflow parking or shuttle buses.
Packet Pick-up
Packet pick-up (Race Day) will be available at the Start / Finish area at East Portal of the Hiawatha Trail (exit 5 off I-90 on the Montana side of Lookout Pass). If you are typing the location into google maps please use "Taft, Montana" for the most accurate directions. Packet pick-up will start at 6:30am PST on race morning. Please arrive plenty early so you have plenty of time to park, get your packet, and board a shuttle bus if needed to head to the start line.
Start Times
Remember Start times are in PACIFIC TIME since most of the trail is in Idaho.
- 7:00am ~ Marathon - early start (athletes needing 5-7 hours to finish)
- 9:00am ~ Marathon - regular start (athletes able to finish under 5 hours)
- 9:30am ~ Half marathon start
- 10:00am ~ 10k start
Cutoff Times
ALL COURSES CLOSE AT 2PM.
- Marathon early start - must finish between 5-7 hours (you cannot start early if you will finish faster than this just because you want to, if you are on the fence and hope to finish in 4 hours and 55mins, choose the early start option so you make the 2pm cutoff.)
- Marathon regular start - finishing under 5 hours
- Half Marathon - 4.5 hour cutoff
- 10k - 4 hour cutoff
Gear Check
Gear check will be available at the start line at east portal. 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.
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.
Aid Stations / Nutrition
THIS IS A CUP FREE EVENT DUE TO THE FOREST LOCATION OF IT. RUNNERS MUST BRING THEIR OWN BOTTLE, OR REUSABLE RUNNING CUP TO FILL AT OUR AID STATIONS. Aid Stations will be equipped water and electrolyte fill stations, GU gels, and gummy bear chews. Marathon runners will have additional sweet and salty options at the aid stations near tunnel 28 and the turnaround. There is absolutely no littering on course. Please throw it away in garbage receptacles or pack out trash. Aid stations will also have a limited supply of emergency items (headlamp batteries, first aid, cups, vaseline, etc.) As we make this shift toward cup free racing, we realize this is a more challenging shift for some runners. We will have a limited amount of cups available to aid stations only as an emergency back-up.
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.
Gear Drop
Gear drop is available for all runners after the first tunnel, which is aid station one at Roland trailhead at mile 2. 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.
Awards
We will offer 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place over all awards for each distance male and female. We will also offer 1st place age group awards for the winners of each age groups. Age 1-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+.
Virtual
Virtual runners can post their results anytime between September 29 - October 8, 2023. Results can be posted to the virtual results page. Simply run your race distance and post your results!
