Alaska Salmon Runs Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Saturday, July 20, 2024 • Cordova, AK • Course Map

Run along a route that offers spectacular views of the nearby glacier-carved mountains and the trees and wildflowers of the surrounding Chugach National Forest, the Alaska Salmon Runs take runners along a course that runs through the Copper River delta in this small town in Alaska’s southeastern corner.

The 13.1-mile race — officially titled the Sockeye Half Marathon (named in honor of the local fish celebrated by the Salmon Festival of which the race is a part) — runs about 40 miles from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the country’s largest national park.

Mostly flat and fast thanks to its location near sea level along the Orca Inlet of Prince William Sound and Eyat Lake, the race course takes runners along a combination of gravel and paved roads.

Both the full and the half marathon races feature small fields — more than 250 runners crossed the finish line in all four races combined in recent years, with just over 50 of those runners completing the half marathon.

While those running the full marathon start their race at the 27-Mile Bridge, those running in the event’s “Sockeye Half Marathon” start their race at the half-way point of the full marathon course, which is mostly paved all the way to the finish line.

Race Weather & Climate

Located along the waters of Prince William Sound’s Orca Inlet in southeastern Alaska, the town of Cordova typically experiences its warmest and driest weather of the year in mid-summer, as July has brought record temperatures here as low as 23 degrees (in 1971) and as high as 80 degrees (in 1971).

  • July 20 average low temp: 49ºF
  • July 20 average high temp: 59ºF

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Alaska Salmon Runs Sockeye Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

  • 7:00 AM – full marathon
  • 9:30 AM – half marathon
  • 10:30 AM – 10K
  • 10:45 AM – 5K
  • 11:15 AM – 1-mile fun run/walk

Fees

  • $50 and up – half marathon
  • $50 and up – full marathon
  • $20 and up – 10K
  • $20 and up – 5K
  • $20 and up – 1 mile fun run

Registration

To reserve your spot in the mid-summer 2024 running of Cordova’s Alaska Salmon Runs Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online here.

Official Race Website

salmonjam.org/ak-salmon-runs

Comments

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See more races in: July, Alaska

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