2020 Missoula Marathon Newsletters

Plan Ahead For The Last Best Race: Click here to view Missoula Marathon Newsletter #1

Missoula Marathon Awards: Click here to view Missoula Marathon Newsletter #2

Missoula Marathon & Half Marathon are Target Races for Another Mother Runner: Click here to view Missoula Marathon Newsletter #3

WHY RUN MISSOULA…

The Missoula Marathon absolutely lives up to its reputation. This is a well organized, highly scenic and friendly race. I ran this race as my 50 States Montana race. The hospitality by race staff, volunteers and spectators were spectacular. The weather was perfect for the 2019 race. This is a point to point race so you get a real feel for the beauty of the area. This is a smaller, uncongested race. You must pass through a lot of intersections on the last part of the race, but they are well monitored. Race bib pick-up is very smooth. The shirt and medal are excellent.

HammerinHank

It was my first marathon and I am glad I ran this as my first. starting from the beautiful town and its fantastic people. Two runs the beer run and the 5K came perfectly with my plan for marathon training taper. The management of this race is amazing. The aid sections were fully staffed, cheering people, gatorade and water option which worked so well, strategic locations so I was never stressed about hydration, the porta potties at the beginning were plenty, shuttle services are amazing. I mean I can go on and on . The people of Missoula were so welcoming and cheering. They out their sprinklers on, had gummy bears , water stands, ” fireball bottle” and cheers all the way. Post race photos were free and were being taken with family. Pre race you could get free taping and for a minimum amount you could get post race massage from alpine physical therapy. Shout out to them for making my run so enjoyable for taping me. I loved the town. If I don’t run again I will definitely come to cheer to enjoy the experience and food and breweries of this town.

Naveen R. rom Richland, WA

My daughter and I have been running for 3 or so years and this was our destination ‘event’ for this year. Great job to Tony and team for doing a fantastic job of organizing the actual event and then getting the whole town behind him too. The race was beautiful. Even for the slow runners, like myself, the on course encouragement was great too. There was a lot of encouragement among the runners running a 5hr plus pace that you may not see in other places. I mean, where else do random strangers willingly help out and share body glide with a passing runner in need. It was also cool to pause at the finish line while some of the running ‘buddies’ you had passed finished and you got to congratulate them, separate from everyone else, for what they had done knowing that these guys had really gone through a lot to finish.

D.B. from St. Augustine, FL

I’ve done a handful of half marathons, but this was my first full, which I found on bibrave for its #1 rating. The race totally exceeded my expectations. The course was flat and fast—the first 2 hours flew by—the community of support was incredible, and the other runners are respectful, friendly, and fun. The views were breath-taking (or maybe that was just the one big hill?) and everything went smoothly. It’s wasn’t crowded, but you were never isolated. The team of pacers was encouraging, timely, and wonderful. Aid stations were spaced well and volunteers were on top of it. Truly the best first full marathon I could have chosen!

Emily B. from Louisville, KY

This race was top notch in all aspects. There were a lot of races this weekend in the great NW including an ever popular tunnel race in Snoqualmie and a Revel Race at Mt Hood, both beautiful courses. However, neither could match the excellent community and race organizer support of Missoula. Port o potties scattered every 1-2 miles, a lot with NO WAIT–that’s possible?? People with signs, on horseback, playing the piano, strumming the banjo, giving me free gummy bears, mimosas, Fireball shots, whiskey, M&Ms, cooling me off with sprinklers. Who are these people? Do I know them? I’ve never had so many fans. I was a pacer so I’m the one supposed to be calling out times and splits, telling jokes, making the long journey less arduous but the Missoulans provided far more luxuries than I could offer. Mile markers were spot on, Pacers were spot on across the board—which is rare. I was very proud to experience this run. Definitely top notch!

S.E. from Visialia, CA

This was my fourth time in Missoula to race. I did the half several years ago and chose this for my first marathon in 2015. I returned again in 2017 then just couldn’t stay away this summer. Not only do I love this town, but this marathon is still my favorite. Beautiful course with temps at perfect running conditions (especially with moving the race from July to June). We cross three bridges in the full with a doable hill halfway. The neighborhoods are a great way to finish – everyone is cheering with their own special goodies and sprinklers to cool you down. The best volunteers, from those directing traffic to running the aid stations. You can feel their energy push you through and their genuine encouragement motivate you! The Pacers are fun and truly there to help you have a super memorable experience. My goal was a sub 4 and I accomplished this one due to all the amazing course support. It is always so organized and easy, from packet pick -up to gear bag (they had mine ready before I even walked up all the way) to the food and photos. All I wanted was the watermelons and frozen fruit bars – yum!! A cold water and coke tasted amazing! The whole town and businesses welcome you entirely instead of making you feel like you inconvenienced their streets and way of life (I have done 3 other big city races that left this impression). Love this town, race, and people!!!!

Leslie D. from Mccall, ID

Some, or all, may agree that the age of fantastic customer service is long gone. The advent of the Amazon age makes it easy to forget that people are behind the products and services we want to purchase. If you’re a little ‘old school’ and want to spend a few bucks and enjoy a community sponsored event (this race is not put on by a big national chain) the Missoula Marathon delivers on all fronts. From the airport, hotel staff, public folks, race officials, and the crowd to cheer you on, it’s a masterpiece in race support that other events could learn from. This race is #1 for a reason, and if there are a few nit-picky things that a participant didn’t enjoy, they are probably never satisfied. You need to look hard to find the service and execution this race delivers, and for the effort it takes to get to this little town, it’s worth twice as much once you’ve spent the weekend there. Kudos to the organizers for a job very well done!

Torrey H. from Montana

Navigation

2020 Missoula Marathon Newsletters

SEARCH

About Run Wild Missoula and its signature event, the Missoula Marathon