Madison County will host the 2nd Annual Madison Marathon on Sunday, August 2, 2009.
Just like the inaugural run in 2008, The Madison will feature full, half, and team marathon road races through the Gravelly Mountains in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Southwest Montana. It will be the highest road marathon in America with a starting line at 9,160 feet and a race course that peaks out at 9,587 feet and finishes at 8,550 feet in elevation entirely on a good quality dirt road.
“We had a fantastic race last year even though it was our first attempt and quite honestly we were totally winging it. All the runners said the route was amazing and all of them said they would run the race again,” said Sam Korsmoe, Race Director for The Madison and the executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Council (MCEDC), the nonprofit organization that is managing the marathon.
Last year’s race was held over Labor Day Weekend. Korsmoe moved up this year’s race to August 2nd to have a better chance at good weather and to fit in better with other races in the region as well as for aesthetic reasons. “The wildflowers should still be in bloom in early August and so that mixed with the beautiful high alpine terrain and the incredible wildlife will make this race go from an amazing course to something beyond amazing. This is not your typical marathon,” said Korsmoe.
“I was intrigued by this race [last year] because it's considered to be the highest road marathon around,” says Steve Rumley from Helena who ran the inaugural race and has already signed up for the 2nd annual Madison on August 2nd. “Once into the run, I was astonished by its beauty, which rivals that of the Beartooths. This is a unique and beautiful race that's worth the trip” said Rumley.
The exact route of the race will be from near the base of Black Butte Mountain to Clover Meadows along Gravelly Range Road 290 in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The MCEDC is working closely with the US Forest Service in Ennis on the route which will be entirely on national forest land. Unlike other high altitude runs, the entire race will be run on a good quality gravel road and not on a trail. Runners who are accustomed to trail running in challenging environments as well as marathon enthusiasts who love running full or half marathon distances will be challenged by The Madison.
Every year, over 800 marathons are run throughout the world, an average of more than two per day. The world’s Major Marathons (Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and Chicago) sell out months ahead of race day even though runners must often qualify with low times to even sign up to run. In recent years, the extreme and unique runs such as the 20 Mile Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run in Bozeman or the Pikes Peak Marathon in Colorado quickly sell out. Last year’s Bridger Ridge Run capped out in just eight minutes.
Korsmoe has some definite goals for The Madison. “Within five years, I expect this race to be on the schedule of international professional runners. Our competitive edge is the very high altitude and incredible beauty of the race. The pros are going to need a high altitude run as part of their training regime so why not run it on a road in one of the most beautiful parts of America,” said Korsmoe.
The Madison will be capped at 200 runners on a first apply-first pay basis. Early registration is encouraged. On-line registration has begun on the MCEDC website at http://www.madcoedc.org/. Just follow the links. The fees for the race are: Full Marathon - $60 before June 30 and $70 after; Half Marathon - $35 before June 30 and $40 after; Team Marathon (4 runners maximum) - $100 per team until June 30 and $120 after. Registration will close on July 31.
The Madison Marathon is operated under a special use permit with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The race is open to all with no discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. For more information, call Sam Korsmoe at 682-5923 or Robin Blazer at 682-5907.
Just like the inaugural run in 2008, The Madison will feature full, half, and team marathon road races through the Gravelly Mountains in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Southwest Montana. It will be the highest road marathon in America with a starting line at 9,160 feet and a race course that peaks out at 9,587 feet and finishes at 8,550 feet in elevation entirely on a good quality dirt road.
“We had a fantastic race last year even though it was our first attempt and quite honestly we were totally winging it. All the runners said the route was amazing and all of them said they would run the race again,” said Sam Korsmoe, Race Director for The Madison and the executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Council (MCEDC), the nonprofit organization that is managing the marathon.
Last year’s race was held over Labor Day Weekend. Korsmoe moved up this year’s race to August 2nd to have a better chance at good weather and to fit in better with other races in the region as well as for aesthetic reasons. “The wildflowers should still be in bloom in early August and so that mixed with the beautiful high alpine terrain and the incredible wildlife will make this race go from an amazing course to something beyond amazing. This is not your typical marathon,” said Korsmoe.
“I was intrigued by this race [last year] because it's considered to be the highest road marathon around,” says Steve Rumley from Helena who ran the inaugural race and has already signed up for the 2nd annual Madison on August 2nd. “Once into the run, I was astonished by its beauty, which rivals that of the Beartooths. This is a unique and beautiful race that's worth the trip” said Rumley.
The exact route of the race will be from near the base of Black Butte Mountain to Clover Meadows along Gravelly Range Road 290 in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The MCEDC is working closely with the US Forest Service in Ennis on the route which will be entirely on national forest land. Unlike other high altitude runs, the entire race will be run on a good quality gravel road and not on a trail. Runners who are accustomed to trail running in challenging environments as well as marathon enthusiasts who love running full or half marathon distances will be challenged by The Madison.
Every year, over 800 marathons are run throughout the world, an average of more than two per day. The world’s Major Marathons (Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and Chicago) sell out months ahead of race day even though runners must often qualify with low times to even sign up to run. In recent years, the extreme and unique runs such as the 20 Mile Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run in Bozeman or the Pikes Peak Marathon in Colorado quickly sell out. Last year’s Bridger Ridge Run capped out in just eight minutes.
Korsmoe has some definite goals for The Madison. “Within five years, I expect this race to be on the schedule of international professional runners. Our competitive edge is the very high altitude and incredible beauty of the race. The pros are going to need a high altitude run as part of their training regime so why not run it on a road in one of the most beautiful parts of America,” said Korsmoe.
The Madison will be capped at 200 runners on a first apply-first pay basis. Early registration is encouraged. On-line registration has begun on the MCEDC website at http://www.madcoedc.org/. Just follow the links. The fees for the race are: Full Marathon - $60 before June 30 and $70 after; Half Marathon - $35 before June 30 and $40 after; Team Marathon (4 runners maximum) - $100 per team until June 30 and $120 after. Registration will close on July 31.
The Madison Marathon is operated under a special use permit with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The race is open to all with no discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. For more information, call Sam Korsmoe at 682-5923 or Robin Blazer at 682-5907.
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