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 halfway point of the full marathon course, which is mostly paved all the way to the finish line.
