Saturday, July 29, 2023 • North Pole, AK • Course Map
The fast and flat terrain of the “North Pole” serves as the setting for the Santa Claus Half Marathon, which is run on a combination of paved roads, dirt trails and bicycle paths through this small Alaska town, which receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa each December from children around the world (though it lies more than 1,000 miles from the actual North Pole).
Sponsored by the Alaska-based Usibelli Coal Mine, the race is part of a series of eight local running events the company sponsors, including the Midnight Sun Run and the Equinox Marathon, which takes place in nearby Fairbanks in the early fall.
From the starting line in the Chena Lake Recreation Area, the race begins officially at 9:00 AM (with an early 8:00 AM start for slower runners) and lasts until 12 noon.
While in town, runners will no doubt catch some of the Christmas spirit — it will be pretty much unavoidable (!), as the town receives visitors year-round to see its world-famous Santa Claus House and travel along holiday-themed streets like St. Nicholas Drive, Kris Kringle Drive and Snowman Lane.
Race Weather & Climate
Nestled between the banks of the Tanana and the Little Chena Rivers in central Alaska, about 15 miles southeast of Fairbanks, North Pole typically sees some of its rainiest weather of the year in July, which has brought record temperatures here as low as 21ºF (in 1986) and as high as 90ºF (in 1994).
- Jul. 29 average low temp: 51ºF
- Jul. 29 average high temp: 66ºF
Course Map
See the race route map for the Santa Claus Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
8:00 AM
Fees
See race website
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of North Pole’s Santa Claus Half Marathon race, visit the event website below.
Official Race Website
Comments
Ever run in the Santa Claus Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.
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