Malad Valley Half Marathon

The half marathon at the Malad Valley Marathon in Malad City, Idaho, runs one lap of the loop marathoners run twice and starts with every other distance from Malad City Park. The course is quiet and rural, with one climb out of town and a long downhill run back to the park.

The race is about 90 minutes north of Salt Lake City's airport and 50 minutes south of Pocatello, and finishers get chip timing, a custom medal and free race photos.

One 13.1-mile loop. The main climb comes early: about 500 feet out of town while legs are fresh, then a stretch along the ridge and a long descent back to Malad City Park, finishing near the elevation of the start. Patience on the way up buys a fast finish.

About half of the loop is hard-packed dirt county road and half is quiet paved farm road, with the Bannock Range to the east and the Sublett Range to the west. Four aid stations sit along the loop roughly every 2 to 3 miles, plus one at the finish, and yellow arrows on the left side of the road mark each turn. The 7-hour cutoff leaves plenty of room for walkers.

At about 4,500 feet, mid-September race mornings usually sit in the mid-40s°F at the 8:00 AM start and warm into the 60s by mid-morning, so bring a throwaway layer for the start and a hat and sunscreen for the back half. Runners from near sea level should start conservatively, since the altitude makes the early climb feel harder.