The dramatic scenery of the nearby snow-capped mountain peaks and the waters of the Cook Inlet form the backdrop for the annual summertime running of the Anchorage RunFest races, formerly known as the Big Wild Life Runs.

Organized by the Anchorage Running Club, the Humpy’s Marathon, Skinny Raven Half Marathon, Humpy’s Marathon Relay & Spenard Roadhouse 5K, offer a wide selection of races to accommodate participants at all levels of experience and athleticism.

Held the day before the main events, the Children’s Hospital at Providence Kids 2K is a no-pressure fun run on the Delaney Parkstrip. Parents are encouraged to run with their kids and afterward the whole family can enjoy a variety of activities. Just over 650 runners crossed the finish line in the half marathon in 2016.

All of the races in the event start at Humpy’s Ale House on 6th Avenue, near the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Anchorage.

The marathon, half marathon, and relay events all follow the same course for the first few miles; those running the half marathon follow H Street through a few city blocks before turning left onto 2nd Avenue, which they follow until it meets up with the trailhead of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Once on the trail, runners follow it as it winds along the channel waterfront toward Westchester Lagoon.

The half marathon route then heads off the road onto the Chester Creek Trail, following it through the city all the way into the forested East Chester Park and Goose Lake Park, as the tree-lined trail takes them to the turnaround point and turns the runners back through the park, making their way through the hilliest section of the race around the mid-point and the turnaround.

After heading back out along the Chester Creek Trail toward the coast again, those running the half marathon meet up again with the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and head northward back toward the finish line at the alehouse, hitting some of the only significant hills of the 13.1-mile course along this final stretch of the race.

08-20-2023, 08:00 am - 02:00 pm