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Marathon Details - Whitefish Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MT > Whitefish > Whitefish Marathon

Whitefish Marathon

Whitefish Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Whitefish, MT USA

May 17, 2025

http://www.whitefishmarathon.com

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Race Details

Mountain views of Glacier National Park

Contact Information

Name:	Todd Oliver
Address:	Carmel Road Racing Group 4000 West 106th Street Suite 125, Box 408 Carmel, IN 46032
Phone Number:	317-407-8489
Email:	Email the organizers

More Information

These details were last updated by the race director on 1/24/24 and may be out of date.
Number of Runners:	1,000
Number of Spectators:	500
Fees & Deadlines:	50-90
Start Time:	8:00
Course Highlights:	Start finish in the same location. Scenic marathon run on mix of paved trails & pavement through one of the most beautiful corners of NW Montana.
Course Refreshments:	Hammer-Gel, Heed Sports Drink, water, finishers food and beer garden.
Certified? Certification:	Yes, USATF
Race Day Registration:	yes
Online Registration:	https://runsignup.com/Race/MT/Whitefish/marathon2022
Packet Pickup Info:	Pick up day prior at the Wave, 1250 Baker Ave. Whitefish, MT 59937
Marathon Ratings:	Course Scenery/Beauty/Interest: Good for First Timers: Crowd Support: Course Speed:

Race Organizer

website info (1/8/07)

Gayle Weinberg

Check out www.twobearmarathon.org for what we think is one of the best, most informative marathon websites around! We think this is one of the most scenic marathons in the country. Plan your vacation around Two Bear and enjoy nearby Glacier Park!

Runner Reviews (33)

Course 4.6

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.7

Write a review

Number of comments: 33 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

C. V. from Westborough, MA (5/21/2023) "Pretty first half& second ok" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I'm working toward crossing off my 50 states and picked this marathon due to the lower elevation and proximity to Glacier National Park. The first half was a beautiful course running through the scenic country side. The second half was not as pretty and a bit boring. Mile 20-26 are on unshaded highway and due to the weather being around 80 degrees that was tough and there were limited water supplies at that point in the course when it was most needed. It was known several days in advance that it would be unseasonably warm and offering an early race start would have made a big difference. This is overall a smaller race only 126 ended up completing the full marathon this year so it is to be expected limited frills and amenities.
Jeff Newcorn from Chicago (9/18/2016) "Run for the beauty of the wilderness" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Course is quite challenging as it circles Whitefish Lake. Great trails. Great fall foliage. Water every 2.5 or so. However the Heed drink is simply nasty. Suggest they upgrade to Gatorade. Some course markings are hard to see. You really have to pay close attention whether you're in the woods or on local streets. Trail shoes recommended as the footing in the first 15 miles is somewhat uneven and slippery in places. The official website says 4,600 feet of ascent. That is simply incorrect. My Garrmin showed 2,345 ft of ascent. Refreshments at finish extremely skimpy.. Bottom line, I'm a 50-stater and I highly recommend making this your Montana race.
J. F. from Dunellen, New Jersey (10/25/2014) "Scenic Trail Marathon with Beautiful Weather" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Prompt 7am start with cool crisp air around 42F with two costumed bears send the runners off on their uphill climb thru the woods. The first 15 miles of the course are a mixture of rock, root and well packed dirt with very little loose gravel. Runners are treated to spectacular views as the early morning sun and mist rise off Whitefish Lake. One is tempted to stop and look at this postcard like view. Towards the 15 mile point the well marked single track trail widens to jeep trails, preparing you for the departure to the rolling asphalt road by the Grizzly Pair Ranch. The remaining course rolls around the lake with views of the water and contemporary homes surrounding it. Friendly helpful volunteers assisted runners with water, Heed, Hammergel, fruit, pretzels and gummy bears. Some runners were even luck enough to receive a personal cheer for encouragement. The final 2 miles are on the bike path, a welcome relief for those screaming quads. As you pass thru town and crest the hill you can see the finish line at the Wave. The party begins at the finish line with runner's names, finishing times and hometowns being announced. Plenty of bottled water is available and a handsome stone two bears finishers medal with black cord is placed around each marathoner's neck. The awards ceremony has a wonderful assortment of microbrews generously provided by Tamarack (Blackberry Porter & IPA )and Big Barn (Honey Summer & Apricot) and Piggyback BBQ supplied the perfect companion delicious pulled pork sandwiches with slaw. Wonderful massages were provide by the Wave during the awards ceremony. Marathoners received etched black stone two bear awards in 10 yr. divisions. All runners received a handsome L/S tech black shirt with the two bears design, date and location of race on shirt front. And if you still haven't had enough exercise you can visit the Wave for swimming, workout, sauna, steam room or simply a nice hot shower. The swim was perfect! You can extend your Montana adventures by exploring Flathead Lake, The Bison Range or Glacier/Waterton International Peace Park. Animal sightings and weather will not disappoint you, but be sure to bring winter clothing. If you are lucky, you may even see the first snowfall of the season in Glacier. I experienced it on a hike led by Ranger Kelsea to Avalanche Lake.
P. S. from Jacksonville, Florida (9/30/2013) "Bruising Trail Marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The organization was great. Kudos to the race director. I would have preferred cooler temps since not much shade on the road and not being injured 3 weeks prior to the race. Came in last but my goal was just to finish. Hiked around 80 miles in GNP. It was spectacular and highlight was being five feet from a moose. Believe it or not I still have bruises on my arm and knee where I fell at mile 5. Thank you for letting me finish and putting on a great event. I may have to come back next year and run the half so I can go back to GNP. :)
K. O. from Seattle, WA (9/24/2013) "Excellent trail marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Kudos to the Race Director for an extremely well organized race. The course is difficult but scenic. Up to mile 15 or so you're on trails in the woods. From then on it's paved roads (just a few cars) with some views of the lake. There's plenty of up and down; my corrected Garmin data said it was about 2300 feet. There's a net loss of about 200 feet. There were numerous volunteers in the woods. Every possible intersection had someone there to give directions. That's impressive when you consider that some of them are far from any road and had to mountain bike in. I'm sure everyone else will mention the two bear-costumed volunteers around mile 13 so I won't. But I will mention the enthusiastic volunteers at all the water stations. Mile 16 (?) had a list of names and called out yours as you ran by. There weren't too many spectators but the volunteers really helped keep me going. The one minus was the temperature. The race started early enough to stay as cool as possible but it got pretty hot by the time I broke out of the nicely shaded forest. I really appreciated the sprinklers set in the street by some friendly local residents around mile 25. Other notes: I stayed at the race hotel, the Kandahar Lodge, with 9 other friends. Off-season rates and a special marathon rate made it a bargain for some fancy accomodations. We found excellent pre-race pasta at Ciao Mambo. And we stayed a few extra days to hike at Glacier National Park, about 45 minutes from Whitefish. If you've not heard of Glacier, it's as beautiful as Yosemite and easily worth the trip by itself.
L. Z. from Seattle, WA (9/22/2013) "Scenic and challenging destination marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved Two bear marathon. This race is well run and fun. I loved the varied course with trails in the beginning and rolling roads surrounding Lake McDonald towards the end. Friendly volunteers manned the inner course with not only a tape across potential wrong turn forks in the trail but also a person pointing the way - which was very re-assuring. You can't go wrong as you get a trip to Glacier to boot with this run. The only thing I wish were improved upon were the need for more water and food at the end. I was slow so I barely got a water, and food was closing up with nothing for a vegetarian. If you liked pulled pork - you were set. I was surprised since there were only 101 marathoners and approx. 260 runners overall. It was very hot so I don't Imagine they expected the water usage to be so great. Still a great race.
C. A. from Otis Orchards, WA (9/17/2013) "MMMMMMontana!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thank you to the Two Bear organizers and volunteers for my first trail marathon. Having done 7 previous road marathons and wanting a change of pace, this satisfied that urge. I do recommend this marathon. Volunteers, organization, course, shirt and metal were right on. We stayed at the Kandahar Lodge, which was the lodging sponsor. Great place and even had the breakfast out at 4 a.m. for the race participants. I would recommend staying a few days around the Two Bear race and enjoy Whitefish and perhaps explore Glacier Park.
S. C. from Westchester, NY (10/22/2012) "Challenging" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 AS a result of this marathon, I have discovered the following about myself: 1. I don't like trail runs 2. I have a great big fear of bears...I didn't see any, but they were lurking!!!! Afterall, I was the weakest in the pack!!! 3. After coming out of the woods at 15 miles, dirty, bleeding, humiliated (I was last), and scared...bears and such!... I KNEW Id never make the 6 1/2 hour limit. 4. Husbands can offer great encouragement when needed. The rest was all pavement and said husband offered this advice...'the rest is what you love to run on...and what you're good at'...I needed that!!! 5. I dug deep to finish and did in 7 hours...My biker escort was a great help too as were all the volunteers who stayed out for me... 6. The race director kept the clock running for me and put the medal around my neck.. 7. I still smile when I think of this race.... 8. I still don't like trail runs
J. B. from Bird Island Minnesota USA (9/27/2011) "great race" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 My only complaint is that we were bused to the start too early. If we are going to be there for one hour there should be bonfires for us to congregate around. It is too cold to stand for an hour before a marathon. But it was a great race irregardless. I want to do it again
S. A. from Ogden, UT (8/26/2011) "favorite marathon" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Whitefish Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a small marathon with the enjoyment of trail and road in one. Views are incredible. I have run this marathon every year and some years there is fog on the lakes which is fantastic to see in the early morning. The trails are always changing so there is no boring terrain to run. Weather is the only concern and so far only one year has been bad. That year it was raining the whole race. Still I didn't think it was all that muddy. It is not a PR course as you are always going up or down, until late in the race when you get a break, but even close to the end you have short hills to contend with. Beautiful area for a run, and well managed. Great tough/little marathon. We will see what the new start location changes come Sept 2011.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]



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C. V. from Westborough, MA (5/21/2023) "Pretty first half& second ok" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I'm working toward crossing off my 50 states and picked this marathon due to the lower elevation and proximity to Glacier National Park. The first half was a beautiful course running through the scenic country side. The second half was not as pretty and a bit boring. Mile 20-26 are on unshaded highway and due to the weather being around 80 degrees that was tough and there were limited water supplies at that point in the course when it was most needed. It was known several days in advance that it would be unseasonably warm and offering an early race start would have made a big difference. This is overall a smaller race only 126 ended up completing the full marathon this year so it is to be expected limited frills and amenities.
Jeff Newcorn from Chicago (9/18/2016) "Run for the beauty of the wilderness" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Course is quite challenging as it circles Whitefish Lake. Great trails. Great fall foliage. Water every 2.5 or so. However the Heed drink is simply nasty. Suggest they upgrade to Gatorade. Some course markings are hard to see. You really have to pay close attention whether you're in the woods or on local streets. Trail shoes recommended as the footing in the first 15 miles is somewhat uneven and slippery in places. The official website says 4,600 feet of ascent. That is simply incorrect. My Garrmin showed 2,345 ft of ascent. Refreshments at finish extremely skimpy.. Bottom line, I'm a 50-stater and I highly recommend making this your Montana race.
J. F. from Dunellen, New Jersey (10/25/2014) "Scenic Trail Marathon with Beautiful Weather" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Prompt 7am start with cool crisp air around 42F with two costumed bears send the runners off on their uphill climb thru the woods. The first 15 miles of the course are a mixture of rock, root and well packed dirt with very little loose gravel. Runners are treated to spectacular views as the early morning sun and mist rise off Whitefish Lake. One is tempted to stop and look at this postcard like view. Towards the 15 mile point the well marked single track trail widens to jeep trails, preparing you for the departure to the rolling asphalt road by the Grizzly Pair Ranch. The remaining course rolls around the lake with views of the water and contemporary homes surrounding it. Friendly helpful volunteers assisted runners with water, Heed, Hammergel, fruit, pretzels and gummy bears. Some runners were even luck enough to receive a personal cheer for encouragement. The final 2 miles are on the bike path, a welcome relief for those screaming quads. As you pass thru town and crest the hill you can see the finish line at the Wave. The party begins at the finish line with runner's names, finishing times and hometowns being announced. Plenty of bottled water is available and a handsome stone two bears finishers medal with black cord is placed around each marathoner's neck. The awards ceremony has a wonderful assortment of microbrews generously provided by Tamarack (Blackberry Porter & IPA )and Big Barn (Honey Summer & Apricot) and Piggyback BBQ supplied the perfect companion delicious pulled pork sandwiches with slaw. Wonderful massages were provide by the Wave during the awards ceremony. Marathoners received etched black stone two bear awards in 10 yr. divisions. All runners received a handsome L/S tech black shirt with the two bears design, date and location of race on shirt front. And if you still haven't had enough exercise you can visit the Wave for swimming, workout, sauna, steam room or simply a nice hot shower. The swim was perfect! You can extend your Montana adventures by exploring Flathead Lake, The Bison Range or Glacier/Waterton International Peace Park. Animal sightings and weather will not disappoint you, but be sure to bring winter clothing. If you are lucky, you may even see the first snowfall of the season in Glacier. I experienced it on a hike led by Ranger Kelsea to Avalanche Lake.
P. S. from Jacksonville, Florida (9/30/2013) "Bruising Trail Marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The organization was great. Kudos to the race director. I would have preferred cooler temps since not much shade on the road and not being injured 3 weeks prior to the race. Came in last but my goal was just to finish. Hiked around 80 miles in GNP. It was spectacular and highlight was being five feet from a moose. Believe it or not I still have bruises on my arm and knee where I fell at mile 5. Thank you for letting me finish and putting on a great event. I may have to come back next year and run the half so I can go back to GNP. :)
K. O. from Seattle, WA (9/24/2013) "Excellent trail marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Kudos to the Race Director for an extremely well organized race. The course is difficult but scenic. Up to mile 15 or so you're on trails in the woods. From then on it's paved roads (just a few cars) with some views of the lake. There's plenty of up and down; my corrected Garmin data said it was about 2300 feet. There's a net loss of about 200 feet. There were numerous volunteers in the woods. Every possible intersection had someone there to give directions. That's impressive when you consider that some of them are far from any road and had to mountain bike in. I'm sure everyone else will mention the two bear-costumed volunteers around mile 13 so I won't. But I will mention the enthusiastic volunteers at all the water stations. Mile 16 (?) had a list of names and called out yours as you ran by. There weren't too many spectators but the volunteers really helped keep me going. The one minus was the temperature. The race started early enough to stay as cool as possible but it got pretty hot by the time I broke out of the nicely shaded forest. I really appreciated the sprinklers set in the street by some friendly local residents around mile 25. Other notes: I stayed at the race hotel, the Kandahar Lodge, with 9 other friends. Off-season rates and a special marathon rate made it a bargain for some fancy accomodations. We found excellent pre-race pasta at Ciao Mambo. And we stayed a few extra days to hike at Glacier National Park, about 45 minutes from Whitefish. If you've not heard of Glacier, it's as beautiful as Yosemite and easily worth the trip by itself.
L. Z. from Seattle, WA (9/22/2013) "Scenic and challenging destination marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved Two bear marathon. This race is well run and fun. I loved the varied course with trails in the beginning and rolling roads surrounding Lake McDonald towards the end. Friendly volunteers manned the inner course with not only a tape across potential wrong turn forks in the trail but also a person pointing the way - which was very re-assuring. You can't go wrong as you get a trip to Glacier to boot with this run. The only thing I wish were improved upon were the need for more water and food at the end. I was slow so I barely got a water, and food was closing up with nothing for a vegetarian. If you liked pulled pork - you were set. I was surprised since there were only 101 marathoners and approx. 260 runners overall. It was very hot so I don't Imagine they expected the water usage to be so great. Still a great race.
C. A. from Otis Orchards, WA (9/17/2013) "MMMMMMontana!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thank you to the Two Bear organizers and volunteers for my first trail marathon. Having done 7 previous road marathons and wanting a change of pace, this satisfied that urge. I do recommend this marathon. Volunteers, organization, course, shirt and metal were right on. We stayed at the Kandahar Lodge, which was the lodging sponsor. Great place and even had the breakfast out at 4 a.m. for the race participants. I would recommend staying a few days around the Two Bear race and enjoy Whitefish and perhaps explore Glacier Park.
S. C. from Westchester, NY (10/22/2012) "Challenging" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 AS a result of this marathon, I have discovered the following about myself: 1. I don't like trail runs 2. I have a great big fear of bears...I didn't see any, but they were lurking!!!! Afterall, I was the weakest in the pack!!! 3. After coming out of the woods at 15 miles, dirty, bleeding, humiliated (I was last), and scared...bears and such!... I KNEW Id never make the 6 1/2 hour limit. 4. Husbands can offer great encouragement when needed. The rest was all pavement and said husband offered this advice...'the rest is what you love to run on...and what you're good at'...I needed that!!! 5. I dug deep to finish and did in 7 hours...My biker escort was a great help too as were all the volunteers who stayed out for me... 6. The race director kept the clock running for me and put the medal around my neck.. 7. I still smile when I think of this race.... 8. I still don't like trail runs
J. B. from Bird Island Minnesota USA (9/27/2011) "great race" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Whitefish Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 My only complaint is that we were bused to the start too early. If we are going to be there for one hour there should be bonfires for us to congregate around. It is too cold to stand for an hour before a marathon. But it was a great race irregardless. I want to do it again
S. A. from Ogden, UT (8/26/2011) "favorite marathon" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Whitefish Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a small marathon with the enjoyment of trail and road in one. Views are incredible. I have run this marathon every year and some years there is fog on the lakes which is fantastic to see in the early morning. The trails are always changing so there is no boring terrain to run. Weather is the only concern and so far only one year has been bad. That year it was raining the whole race. Still I didn't think it was all that muddy. It is not a PR course as you are always going up or down, until late in the race when you get a break, but even close to the end you have short hills to contend with. Beautiful area for a run, and well managed. Great tough/little marathon. We will see what the new start location changes come Sept 2011.

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Marathon Details - Whitefish Marathon