The Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival 2023

Join us in this gorgeous mountain town for one of the most beautiful runs in the Northeast! The full marathon is a point-to-point BOSTON QUALIFIER with a steady 1-2% downgrade nearly the entire way!!
Saturday: Half Marathon @ 8 amSunday: 7-miler (train leaves @ 6:30 am)Sunday: Full Marathon with two starting times @ 7:15 am & 8:00 am. (train leaves @6:30 am and riders start at 8:00 am)
Half Marathon (Sat. 4/29) 8 am:The 2023 half marathon will be run on the same gorgeous, out-and-back course as 2022. Participants will start in the parking lot at the Jim Thorpe Train Station and run the FLAT, FAST rail-trail into Lehigh Gorge State Park. The route runs parallel to and even crosses over the Lehigh River and into breathtaking scenery of Lehigh Gorge. 
Boston Qualifying Full Marathon (two start corrals: 7:15 am and 8 am): (Sun. 4/30)The full marathon is an ABSOLUTE DREAM for runners a spectators alike, a POINT-TO-POINT BOSTON QUALIFIER with a SLIGHT, STEADY 0.5% to 1% DOWNGRADE nearly the ENTIRE WAY. 7:15 am runners can get dropped off or park near the start and take a free shuttle bus back to their cars after the race. 8 am runners can take the scenic train from Jim Thorpe to White Haven (train leaves at 6:30 am).  
7-Miler With Scenic Train Rides to the Start (Sun. 4/30): (train leaves at 6:30 am)The final 7-miles of our gorgeous marathon course! All 7-Mile runners must take the train that leaves Jim Thorpe Station at 6:30 am. 7-Mile runners will have the option to start early (when the train first stops on the way to the marathon start) or later (after training to the marathon start and back again).
PARKING: Runners have two options for parking1. Premium Parking in the Jim Thorpe Train Station Lot next to the finish line. This is the BEST option, but spots are limited and MUST be pre-purchased from the Carbon County Parking Website. CLICK HERE TO PRE-PURCHASE PREMIUM PARKING FROM CARBON COUNTY.  (Once on the site, click "VIEW PERMITS" and select the correct day). 2. Free, Off-site Parking will be available at the Jim Thorpe Area High School. A 7-minute shuttle bus will take you to and from the start/finish area next to the Jim Thorpe Train Station. 
Spectator Train TicketsFamily and friends can accompany 7-Mile and 8 am marathon runners on the scenic train! They'll take a round-trip on THE FAMOUS READING & NORTHERN RAILWAY from Jim Thorpe to White Haven, PA. A VERY LIMITED number of spectator tickets is available for 2023. 
Swag!2023 JTARF tee-shirt (register by 4/1). Unique 2023 JTARF finisher's medal (different for each event).FREE downloadable professional photographs with bib-tagsCustomized event bib (register by 4/1)
AwardsTop 3 Overall M/F in all three events Top 3 Overall Masters (40+) in the half and full marathonsTop 3 M/F for all events in the following age groups: 19&U, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Bib PickupTHERE IS NO DAY-OF PACKET PICKUP! Those who cannot pick up their bibs in person MUST elect to have them mailed before the race. All runners can pick up bibs on Friday April 28th from noon to 6 pm at Muggles' Mug Coffee Shoppe (79 Broadway, Jim Thorpe). Marathon and 7-Mile runners can pick up their bibs on Saturday April 29th from 10am to 2pm in front of the Jim Thorpe Train Station. A friend may pick up your bib with a copy of your ID. A picture on a phone will suffice.If you're wondering whether or not you selected bib pickup when you registered, you can check by logging into Run Signup, clicking on "my profile," and then clicking on "Manage Registration" next to the Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival. If you opted for packing mailing, you will see the line: "Add-ons: packet mailing (1)"If you did not opt for packet mailing but need to do so, this link will explain how to complete that add-on: Add-On Management : RunSignup Helpdesk
DEFERRALS FROM PREVIOUS YEARSThose who deferred from a previous year MUST CLAIM THEIR DEFERRAL BY JANUARY 1st, 2023. To claim your deferral, follow the instructions on THIS PAGE (click here).Charity PartnersA portion of your registration fees and 100% of any donations you make will benefit Together With Veterans, a vital Jim Thorpe area charity that empowers Veterans to lead community-based and evidence-informed planning efforts to address Veteran suicide locally and discuss implementation strategies.. We will also make donations to the Jim Thorpe and White Haven Police Departments, The D&L Canal Association, Hickory Run State Park, and the White Haven Library. 
Course FuelWe are pleased to announce that UCAN will be our exclusive sponsor for on-course hydration and fuel. For more information and an EXLUSIVE DISCOUNT on UCAN's no-sugar, superstarch products, CLICK HERE. For the half marathon, we will have water and UCAN hydrate roughly every 2 miles on course.  For the full marathon, we will have stations at miles 2, 4, 6.5, 9, 11.75, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. Every station will have a first aid kit for basic needs and water. UCAN hydrate will be provided at every other station starting at mile 4. UCAN energy gel will be provided at miles 6.5 and 16.
For 7-Mile Runners: Same as the last 3 stations for the marathon.REMOTE COURSE! Cell phones will not work on the trail. For the marathon, bikers will be monitoring miles 12-26. Flag them down if you have an issue and need to be picked up. They will alert our ATV team or the closest stationed EMS team. Marathon Bag Drop For Train RidersWhen you exit the train, place a small bag marked with your name in the front row of the train car. It will be taken back to the finish area. We ask that you shed any clothing when you run past the starting line again at mile 2. Those items will be collected and brought back to the finish area as well. These drops are a courtesy for our runners and we cannot guarantee the safety of any items. We strongly advise against leaving anything of value in your bag. Course Elevation MapsThe up-and-down elevation profiles on the MapMyRun links below are misleading. The trail is an old railroad bed, so it absolutely does not go up and down like that. It runs through a gorge and the MapMyRun lines don’t follow the trail perfectly, so it makes it look like the elevation goes up and down. It does not and is a smooth, slight, barely noticeable downhill the majority of the full marathon (and slightly up and then slightly down for the out-and-back half). PARKING FOR BOTH DAYS WILL BE IN THE MUNICIPAL LOT NEXT TO THE JIM THORPE TRAIN STATION (AND FINISH AREA). To park in the train station lot next to the finish area (the most convenient place to park), runners MUST pre-pay for parking when they register. Free parking with a free shuttle ride will be available off-site.On SATURDAY THE LOT WILL OPEN AT 6:30 am for the half marathon. THE LOT WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL 6:30 am. The starting line will open at 8am. Runners will be allowed to start at 8am. The race is chip timed, so your time will not start until you cross the starting mat. On SUNDAY THE LOT WILL OPEN AT 5:30 am for the full marathon and 7-miler. We ask all runners to board the train by 6:30 am.
PORTABLE TOILETSThe Lehigh Gorge Trail is a remote trail through the beautiful wilderness. Restrooms will be limited. For the half marathon, they will be located at the start/finish and at miles 2 and 11.
For the marathon, they will be located at the start/finish areas and (roughly) miles 4, 12, and 24.For the 7-miler, they will be located at the finish area and mile 6.
SPECTATING SPOTSFor the half marathon, spectators can safely watch runners pass through the Glen Onoko parking area at Lehigh Gorge State Park in Jim Thorpe (miles 2 and 11) and at the start/finish area. 
For the full marathon, spectators who do not take the train can drive to the Rockport Road trailhead in Lehigh Township and watch runners pass at roughly mile 12. They can also watch runners pass through the Glen Onoko parking area at Lehigh Gorge State Park in Jim Thorpe (mile 24) and at the start/finish area.
For the 7-miler, spectators can watch runners pass through the Glen Onoko parking area at Lehigh Gorge State Park in Jim Thorpe (mile 5) and at the start/finish area.  
TIME LIMITSHalf Marathon: 4 hoursMarathon: 7 hours
RUNNING SURFACEThe Full Marathon will take you down the D&L and Lehigh Gorge rail trails. These wide, smooth trails are hard-packed earth and gravel and, because they are former railroad lines, maintain a steady downgrade of 1-2% nearly the entire length of the marathon. One of our RUNegades’ ultra runners ran the course and says trail shoes are not necessary, but runners may want to wear gaiters to prevent small pebbles from entering their shoes.  
Half Marathon and 7-Miler will take you through the last portion of the Full Marathon course, on the wide, smooth, hard-packed Lehigh Gorge Trail.
VOLUNTEERINGWant to be a part of the fun but don't want to run? Contact Mike and Tristan at [email protected] to sign on as a volunteer! All volunteers will get a unique race T-shirt and other race perks and goodies!MAPSPlease see note above on the elevation profiles. The elevation profiles on these maps are inaccurate. Map for the full marathon (the last 7 miles are the 7-miler): https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/2627845921Map for the half marathon: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/4027008553Map for the 2022 FULL MARATHON DETOUR (The start is the same, the detour is miles 2-4 along River Road). https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/4913946760/
 
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