sport
Anchorage's Trails and Venues Draw Hundreds to Local Running Events
The city's maintained paths, pickup sites and rotating courses keep a range of races accessible for participants this season.
How we reported this
The Anchorage RunFest is set for August 15-16, 2026, at venues that include the 1st United Methodist Church for bib pickup and the network of local trails that host its marathon, half marathon, 5K, 49K ultra, Anchorage Mile and Kids' 2K Fun Run.
The event marks the 30th anniversary of the Humpy's Marathon and serves as the largest fundraiser for the Anchorage Running Club, which directs proceeds to college scholarships for high school runners and free kids' races. Runners and spectators rely on the same fixed locations and trail corridors each year, which reduces setup costs and keeps events open to a wide range of abilities without new construction.
Named sites and trail corridors in use
Bib pickup occurs at the 1st United Methodist Church ahead of the RunFest weekend. The Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon follows the Coastal Trail in late June, while the Crow Pass Crossing covers 22.5 miles through Chugach State Park between Girdwood and Eagle River. The Bonny Sosa Tuesday Night Races shift among different trailheads each week for distances from 1 to 12 kilometers, with starts at 6:30 p.m. Skinny Raven Sports store events add road and trail options in July, including the Half and 10K. These sites and the city's more than 130 miles of maintained trails form the fixed backbone for the calendar.
Dates and participation range
RunFest falls on August 15-16, 2026. The Skinny Raven Half and 10K occur in July 2026, and the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon takes place in June. The full set of distances from the 2K kids' run to the 49K ultra draws entrants across age groups and experience levels, supported by the Anchorage Running Club's scholarship and free-race programs. Organizers rotate start points for the Tuesday night series to spread wear on individual paths while keeping the same overall trail inventory in service.
Participants can check the anchoragerunfest.org and runsignup.com sites for registration details and trail access rules ahead of each listed date. The same venues and corridors will host the next cycle of events once the current summer series concludes.