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Idaho > Mesa Falls Marathon & Half Marathon
Ashton, ID
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Date
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Event
Details
The comforts and friendliness of the small Idaho town of Ashton are
just one of the unique features that have earned this town's annual
Mesa Falls
Marathon & Half Marathon raves as one of the nation's 50 great
marathons by the authors of the book From Fairbanks to
Boston, 50 Great U.S. Marathons. Challenging and known for
the natural beauty of the nearby forests, the
peaks of the Grand Tetons off in the distance and wildlife native to
this area just west of Yellowstone National Park, the race offers
point-to-point courses for both its half and full marathons that start
in the mountainous areas just north of Ashton and finish in the town
center.
The half marathon starts at the midway point of the full marathon,
which begins in the Targhee National Forest north of town and makes its
way southward toward what is perhaps the local area's most well-known
natural landmark, the 110-ft. and 85-ft.-high upper and lower Mesa
Falls. Carved by volcanic
eruptions and river currents hundreds of thousands of years ago, the
falls offer a truly breathaking view just as runners are reaching the
11-mile marker, before the half-marathon starting line.
The event's half marathon starts at Mesa Falls' Bear Gulch, and for the
first three miles takes runners across packed trails, old railroad beds
and other natural surfaces alongside the scenic Warm River. For the
rest of the race (the last 10 miles), the surface is paved, and offers
views of the Teton Mountain Range and Idaho's potato farming
countryside. Though mostly a downhill course (with an overall elevation
drop of nearly 500 feet), the race includes one uphill area between
miles 4 and 6 (miles 17 and 19 in the full marathon).
Those running the 13.1-mile race won't miss out on the scenery,
however, as the
hills, trees and wildlife continue all the way down through the forest
-- and runners shouldn't be surprised to see a host of
wildlife including moose, elk, buffalo, wolves,
cougars, bears and more. As the race route unfolds through the Targhee
National Forest, runners will make their way along a long steady
downhill stretch, starting at roughly 5,800 feet above sea level at the
half starting line and finishing at about 5,200 feet above sea level at
the finish.
As an extra treat for out-of-town runners, the race organizers
introduced a host family program for the first time at the race's 2008
running, in which runners who traveled to Ashton just to run the race
were paired with local families for their entire stay, to help
introduce them to the town. Many of the roughly 500 runners who ran the
race in 2008 took
advantage of the program and got insights into the local community they
never would have had they stayed in a hotel.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located in eastern Idaho about 20 miles from the western edge of
Yellowstone National Park, the Mesa Falls area is closest to the city
of Ashton, Idaho, which
tends to see mild to warm weather this time of year, with August
temperatures that average between 44°F and 82°F. August
is also
the area's driest month, with just a hair over an inch of average
rainfall during the month.
Fees
$50 for the half marathon, if registered by August 15, 2010
$70 after Aug. 15
Registration
To reserve your spot in the summer 2010 running of Idaho's Mesa Falls
Marathon or Half Marathon, register online at Active.com
or print out and mail in this downloadable entry form.
Website
www.mesafallsmarathon.com
Half
Marathon Course Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Idaho's annual Mesa Falls Marathon or Half Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Mesa Falls Marathon
& Half
Marathon
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