Whitefish Marathon - Race Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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. :)

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Those who have left comments on the first 15 miles of the marathon have said all I can say - it's beautiful and running the half doesn't give this course justice. My favorite "check" station was #5 where there were four grade school kids in military fashion getting the job done. When I was 20 yards out... Boy #1 - "I have HEED." Boy #2 - "I have water." Me - "I'll take HEED." Boy #1 - "One or two?" Me - "One." Girl #1 - "What's your number?" Me - (responded) Girl #2 - "Good job; keep going!" Boy #1, #2 and Girl #1 - "Go! Go! Go!"' These kids couldn't be older than third or fourth graders, yet in the middle of the woods they knew how to run an aid station like seasoned veterans. Their adult supervisor was stoking the fire they had made and working out of the support vehicle as there was nothing for her to do! These young kids were super excited to be volunteering on the course and they wanted me to succeed. This is the spirit of the entire race. How they pull off such a wonderful event that's 100% tax deductible is unbelievable. This race shows you what the Whitefish Community is all about. My only suggestion to race officials: if possible, try to time the drop-off of marathon runners closer to starting time. The 34-degree weather was really cold for standing for 45 minutes before we started. Have extra warm clothes that can be put into drop bags just before the start of the marathon. (That's very minor considering what the following 26 miles provided.) I will suggest this race to anyone wanting a fantastic marathon experience.

This was my second marathon, so I was a little intimidated by the description of the course. I think the description was a good representation of the course, but you are so distracted by the beautiful scenery that you kind of forget all the hills you are going up/down. During the first 15 miles, runners go along logging road, single track, back to logging roads, around four lakes, etc. You are up high enough at points that you get tremendous views of the valley and then other times you are completely surrounded by foliage. I think if you only do the half-marathon, you really missed the prettiest part of the race. Around miles 16-17 is when you get back on pavement, and it feels good for a while, but be prepared for your legs to feel pretty chewed up from the hills by the time you reach the bike path headed back into town. The finish line crowd was wonderful, and the medals and plaques were really cool. The food was pretty good, but my stomach just couldn't handle it at the time. Good organization from race staff - very friendly. My only complaint was the very long wait after finishing for the awards ceremony. It was a very bright, sunny afternoon and there wasn't much shade (totally different from year before I guess), so runners were pretty hot waiting around. Even with that said, I can't wait to do this race again!

The Two Bear race is one of the prettier courses for most of the first 15 miles or so. It is also one of the harder courses you can find. The very first mile is uphill, and they tell you about it at the starting line. Don't go out too fast because the course will chew you up. The 6 miles on the roadway also had several hills and that is where the spectators started showing up. The last 4 or 5 miles are on their bike path, and there are even hills on it. Every single aid station (about two miles apart) had Hammer Gels and water and Gatorade. Most even had other things, like oranges or bananas, and Ecaps or pretzels. We had perfect weather in 2009, but if it had been rainy and cold (as it was in 2008), it would make for a very long race. They opened up the water center so you could shower up after the race, or you could use the pool or hot tub too. They gave us a nice medal made of granite with the bear logo printed on it. It is also a fairly small race, with only about 100 runners doing the full this year.

I was a little intimidated by the course description but did better than expected. Maybe the hiking the days before at GNP helped loosen up the joints and muscles. The wave is a top-rate center and the use of their facilities both before and after the race was great. The after-race shower does wonders. Good organization, with the buses getting everyone to the start, where drinks and porta-pots awaited. The first half of the race was on logging roads, with embedded rocks and, every now and then, a side track through the woods on a one-lane trail. Watch out for sprained ankles in the first half. The second half was on the road, which at first was a relief until the hills kept going up. There was a cheering crowd at the end, where they offered free massages, brats, beer, and more was provided. They had an excellent etched granite medallion. There`s a great little downtown with a good selection of restaurants. Weather was beautiful - mid-40s in the morning, and low 80`s in the afternoon. Nice race, quaint town, and you can't beat a hike in the GNP.

I like the first half of the marathon because you run through the trails, which are windy and narrow. I felt like we were in a Blair Witch Project movie. :D There is plenty of shade in the trails. The second half of the marathon leaves the trails and takes you through residential streets which were nice and scenic but wasn't as fun as running through the trails. Other people who prefer running on roads will like the second half, though.

This was a good trail race if you've never done them before. The first 15 miles are trails, and then you're on the road. The weather this year was horrible: rainy and muddy. But that's no one's fault. The volunteers were great, and I can't thank them enough for waiting out in the rain for everyone to finish. Make sure you do your hill work, and you should do fine in this marathon. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a Montana marathon. Medal was unique, too.

I enjoyed the Two Bear Marathon. The course was challenging, and maybe not as bad as I expected. There were only a few rough areas due to the wet conditions, with drizzle from start to finish. The rain didn't seem to dampen any spirits. The water and aid stations were well-equipped, and the volunteers very helpful and encouraging. I did not expect many spectators, but those who came out were appreciated. Most spectators were the aid station volunteers. The post-race party was great, with brats and beer, and more. Eveything was conveniently located in the town of Whitefish. I arrived at the train station. Bib pickup, pre-race info, and the shuttle to the start were all well done. I found a good Italian restaurant for pasta, all within a mile of the Best Western hotel, which was also located next to a 24-hour grocery store. I chose this Montana race because it was conveniently located on the Amtrak Empire Builder route (Chicago to Seattle, and points between). The shirt and medal are very nice. The half-marathon didn't seem to detract from the marathon, as sometimes happens. I would definitely recommend this race to someone who wants a little more excitement in their running.

The first 15 miles (or so) of this marathon are on trails and gravel logging roads through a state forest. The scenery is spectacular. This year the weather was cool and wet, but the race went off without a hitch. Volunteers were fantastic and made for a very smooth race. Registration included a one-day pass to The Wave, a new fitness facility in Whitefish. A great place to relax and shower after the race. I've only given lower stars for spectators because they are not permitted in the forest, but the volunteers were great. I will run this race again.

This is a well organized race on a beautiful (yet hilly) course. The trail portion is interesting, switching to and from dirt road to double-track to single-track trail. However, it is a hard transition from this surface and environment to pavement - though most of the pavement stretch (the last 11 miles) is engaging. The volunteers are great, and so is the post-race venue (the WAVE). Top-notch facility and great perks - good food, hot showers, and massages. The awards are very nice too. The weather this year could not be called nice by any stretch of the imagination - temps in the 40-50s and a steady rain. The course conditions held up and so did the organization and volunteers (who were troopers to be out in that weather). Fans along the course were sparse - almost non-existent. However, who could blame them given the conditions. Given different weather, folks in town might have rallied to help support this fundraiser for the WAVE scholarship fund.

Rainy day for a trail marathon, but the race was conducted perfectly. Bravo to all involved in conducting this marathon! The course was challenging and soggy, but for some reason that added to the fun. See ya'll next year!

I have run about 60 marathons and the Two Bear Marathon ranks at or near the top for scenery, volunteers, race management and attention to details. Was very impressed with how smoothly things went since the course is somewhat remote in spots for the first half. The volunteers and spectators were plentiful and the finisher medals and technical T-shirt were first class. Ran it injured (cracked ribs) but the beautiful scenery and supportive spectators made me glad I went ahead and ran. Whitefish is a great community and they showed they know how to stage a first class marathon.

I have to admit I live nearby so I had scouted out much of the more rugged parts prior to the race - I actually thought the hardest part was after leaving the trail and adjusting to pavement again. I would suggest trail runs with pavement at the end for training. I think the website makes the race sound too hard(no wimps). I also love the technical shirt and the medal. Would have liked more variety of food at the finish-I love brats but just didn't sound as appealing at mile 26.2 as they did at mile 16. Great organization and volunteers. Not a lot of places for spectators on first half but who cares.

A bear of a route, but it was so varied and beautiful that I stopped caring if there was another hill, or yet another hill, in front of me. I'm glad there's a limit to the number of runners because there are miles of trail. The run was impeccably organized from start to finish. Great shuttle logistics, coffee at the start as dawn lit the trees, awesomely supportive volunteers at intersections (from one trail to another - if they hadn't been there I'd be in Canada or Mexico by now), and good aid tables. Sufficient food and water; great party after (how about some cheese sticks for us vegetarians?); the best medal ever (real engraved granite, not metal-plastic alloy). All this, AND one can arrive and depart on Amtrak if one lives along the Seattle-Spokane-Whitefish-Havre-Chicago Amtrak route. No folding into a car with cramping legs. Pretty town, supportive all the way to the last runner in, registration moeny goes to a good cause, and we get use of the athletic facility (pool, sauna, showers) all afternoon. Good job, folks and bears!

If you are wanting a perfectly organized trail-road marathon in the mountains of Montana, then this is the one. The hills over the first 15 miles take more out of you than you realize. Volunteers were great fun and called participants by name as they entered the aid stations. After a few marathons where water and gel supplies were exhausted, it was great to run where everything was in ample supply... to think I awoke early so I could have my usual pot of coffee before my run only to have it provided in abundance at the start. This is a great marathon... but treat it with respect.

I loved this race. It was much more difficult than I would have guessed from the website, but it was even more beautiful than the pictures of the course. There was a 1 and 1/2-mile decline in the woods that was truly inspiring. The staff were wonderfully helpful and encouraging. The event was well organized and the course was marked well. The signs along the course were clever and fun, and the finisher's medallion was awesome. And finally the weather was perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed this event.

This race was done right. Well organized, friendly volunteers, cool technical t's, coffee at the starting line, gels and endurolytes at aid stations, well marked and accurate course, a fun atmosphere, and best of all, incredible terrain. The course winds through the hills of Whitefish and takes you along several secluded lakes before dumping you out on a lakeside road along Whitefish Lake, which is spectacular. You finish near downtown Whitefish, which is a pretty cool town in itself, and worth traveling to. I elected to wear racing flats, which worked fine; however at times I wished I had a more substantial shoe. The second half of the marathon is on pavement, so I don't think trail shoes are necessary. Others may disagree. Overall this was a great marathon and one I'd do again.

I was a little apprehensive about the elevation gain/loss of this course. Once I started to run it, the varied terrain kept my mind so busy that I didn't even care what mile of the course I was on. The race coordinators knew exactly how to make this course easy to navigate with ample signage and personnel to help you keep on course. The aid stations provided great products, such as Hammer Gel, Heed sport drink and some of the usual foods. This was the first marathon at which I didn't carry any gels - they had them at all the right places. The volunteers.... Wow!! They were very supportive with lots of cheering as you wound your way through the otherwise quiet forest. The finish line was top-notch, with radio personalities doing the commentary as each runner reached the finish line. The "medals"... well if I ever get a better one, I will really be surprised. Great post-race food and free local microbrew beer. I live in Montana and I chose this to be my Montana Marathon. That says a lot.

This race was done right... coffee at the starting line, gels and endurolytes at aid stations, accurate mile markers, cool shirts, unique finisher medals, fun atmosphere, incredible course, and post-race massages. Organizers and volunteers get an A+. The fans, although small in number were very supportive. I wore racing flats, which worked fine, but at times wished I had a trail shoe... the first half of the marathon is quite rugged. The town of Whitefish is great and definitely worth traveling to. I appreciate marathons that pay attention to details, and this one nailed them all. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to run a challenging marathon.

This was my first "partial trail" marathon, so it was quite different from the road races I'm used to. The first 15 miles are a variety of forest roads (not too bad) to VERY rugged single trails through the woods (think tree roots, rocks, sharp dips, inclines, forest hazards, etc.). It was much more "primitive" than I had anticipated, but also extremely beautiful. Honestly, I was so focused on not falling and injuring myself, that the miles seemed to go faster than with the traditional marathon! I was SO relieved when I finally hit the streets and could settle into my usual "mindless" leg turnover. However, be aware that what is promoted as "gentle decline" and the easiest 2 miles of the day in the last 7 miles would not be how I would describe that portion. If you are ready for a long uphill stretch in the sun, as well as some rolling hills (in addition to some declines), you'll be more mentally prepared than I was. I know, it all seems uphill in the last 7 miles, but it really WAS uphill more than the literature suggested! As for the organization, the packet pickup (not an expo) was simple but efficient. The information was thorough and the race start well organized. Although there were times I questioned if I might be off course, the route was fairly well marked and the volunteers helpful. I loved the two bears (in costume) at a couple of spots and the finish! The finish was well organized, and there was plenty of food (bratwurst, potato salad, cookies, etc.) and drink (including beer!). The finisher's medal is very worth the effort, and the high-tech, long-sleeved race shirt is unique and something I'll be proud to wear. I liked knowing that the entry fees would go for scholarships so that others can make use of The Wave facilities, and this counted as a charitable donation! The only downer about the finish is that they said the awards ceremony would be at 1:00 p.m., and it didn't actually start until about 2:15. I would have taken more time to shower and enjoy the facilities at The Wave if I had known it would take so long. I guess it was the lack of chip timing; that was a blast from the past to the old rip-off-the-bottom-part-of-the-bib-and-put-it-on-a-safety-pin days. More realism on the part of the race directors would enhance the experience and allow better decision-making by the exhausted runners. Bottom line, if you want to see Montana up close and personal, and if you're not faint of heart when it comes to trail running, this is a GREAT marathon! Make sure you plan your trip to allow time to visit Glacier National Park, visit the Whitefish Brewery and Mission Winery, and ski areas in the less crowded off-season!

What a way to finish 2006. This was the most beautiful and inspiring course I have ever run. The logistics were excellent, the staff outstanding, and the course was awesome. The course was very challenging and the farther I got into the race, the more motivated I was to run. I will recommend this race to all my friends. The awards are unique (cool), the after-race party fun, and the people at the Wave were very supportive. Let's do this again next year.

A unique race, winding through the quiet coolness of the Stillwater State Forest, then emerging from the forest to road-running along Whitefish Lake, and ending with increased excitement, momentum, crowds, and celebration in downtown Whitefish, Montana. Challenging but well-marked course; great aid stations; very organized; supportive co-runners; awesome post-race gathering. Had a blast and will do it again if offered.

I second all of the remarks by the above commentator. This was great marathon; an exceptional job for a first time. The organizers knew what they were doing! And the finisher's 'medals' - wow; and the awards - wowee. If you want a Montana marathon, this is the one!! All others will have to work hard to top this one!

COLOR ME IMPRESSED with the Two Bear Marathon, held in Whitefish, Montana. Registration at 'The Wave' the day before went smoothly and the facility is beautiful. Runners (and spectators) were bussed to the 7am start, which was lighted by floodlights, had coffee, water and Heed, and portapotties. The course description on the website was fantastic - I knew what to expect throughout the race. And the gravel roads/trails were very easily navigable (eg. not overgrown, no huge cants, etc). The course was EXCEPTIONALLY well-marked, spray painted arrows, orange signage, and large course maps along the way with 'You Are Here'. The first half on the marathon was on gravel private roads, with a few trails thrown in, the second half was on pavement, along Whitefish Lake. Total elevation gain was approx 2400 ft - with as much downhill as up. Although I train hills at least once per week, the downhills were rough on my quads, but definately managable. The footing was excellent, as well, even after 1/4 inch of rain two days earlier. Typically I experience a HUGE discrepancy in my times between trail races and road races, but this course only added 16 minutes to my marathon PR so it definately is quite doable. SUMMARY: If you are looking for a challenging, beautiful course and a small uncertified marathon in northwestern Montana, the exceptionally well-organized and crowd-supported Two Bear is for you!