Racing the Jackson Hole Marathon

The Jackson Hole valley, which is home to the Jackson Hole Marathon, is stunning. The Grand Tetons frame the skyline to the northwest, and the Snake River cuts through the center of the valley. Visitors can see elk, pronghorn, bears, mountain goats, and bison along the roadways. The mountains, river, and wildlife together with the wild west atmosphere in the town of Jackson give the entire region a distinct adventurous spirit.

Jackson Hole is almost beautiful enough to distract runners from the altitude.

Almost.

But in the final few miles of the my marathon last week, I felt every single one of the 6,300 feet above sea level.

I would recommend racing the Jackson Hole Marathon to anyone looking for a challenge and beautiful scenery. If you are hoping for a PR or for a time goal, maybe stay away.

I was slightly worried about this race. Three straight years I scheduled my Wyoming race with three straight DNS results. I was signed up for the 2019 Casper Marathon but injured my hamstring the month before and couldn’t run.

In 2020, I signed up for the Jackson Hole Marathon for the first time. The Covid-19 pandemic forced the race to cancel. So I deferred to 2021 … and then had a hiatal hernia a week out from race day, which forced me to defer again.

So I crossed my fingers and prayed for a smooth trip as I traveled to Wyoming this year along with my wife and 3-year-old. Thankfully I made it to the starting line healthy.

We stayed in Teton Village, which is the ski resort area where the race finishes. The village is about 25 minutes north of the town of Jackson and the starting line, so on race morning I had to ride a shuttle to the start.

The race starts next to Jackson town square and its famous elk antler arches. The sun wasn’t quite up yet (I ran without the sun hitting me for the first hour and 15 minutes), and a light layer of fog hugged the nearby foothills. I absolutely loved the 36 degree weather at the start.

The views were amazing in every direction. The race runs north through town, then back south and onto paved bike/running paths around mile two. Mile three was along a flowing creek, and then the race shot south of the city along the main highway (all on the running trail) until mile eight.

In mile nine, the course cut west, and then we headed north for a long slow climb up to Teton Village. The final 17 miles are almost all gradually uphill.

Just looking at the running path, the course looks flat. But mile after mile of slight uphill, especially at altitude, has a multiplying effect.

On the positive side, crossing the Snake River around mile 16 and views of the Tetons make the miles inspiring. Any time I felt rough (and it happened a lot in the final 10K), I tried to lift my eyes to the mountains and soak up the beauty.

My hope was to hit a 2024 Boston Qualifier, and I was close to being on pace through 20 miles. But the cumulative uphill and altitude was too much to overcome. I knew at mile 22 that it wouldn’t happen. So I just tried to keep moving forward. The result was a determined shuffle that got me to the finish in 3:10.

We spent a week in Wyoming, and briefly in Montana, visiting Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Our days were full of amazing views of natural beauty and wildlife.

Wyoming was my 45th sub-four-hour marathon state, and the Jackson Hole Marathon was my 70th overall marathon. It was almost completely opposite of running Boston or New York City. But it was perfect in its own way.

There is something special about struggling to breathe thin air while laboring along the road headed into the mountains.

And after three years of missing out on a Wyoming race experience, I am fortunate to experience the altitude, hills, and natural beauty.