Set for its 12th annual running through this gorgeous, rocky landscape that is home to historic stretches of the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trail, the Platte Valley Companies Monument Marathon features a 13.1-miler and 5-kilometer race in addition to its flagship 26.2-miler, all of which take runners through the 3,000-acre Scotts Bluff National Monument.
Known for its namesake bluff that towers some 800 feet over the North Platte River below, this national monument commemorates the area used by fur traders and expedition parties going all the way back to the early 1800s, where they served as a guide to travelers approaching the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the west.
This small race — just shy of 500 runners crossed the finish line in all three races combined last year — is known for the stark beauty of the park, in which those running the half marathon will spend most of their miles.
