2009 Lewis and Clark Course Details

Maps provided by DTM Consulting, Inc.
(Non-professional looking annotations added by us!)

Marathon/Relay/Half Marathon
5K Run
Kids Run

MARATHON/RELAY/HALF MARATHON

The 26.2 mile Marathon and Marathon Relay course starts on Jackson Creek Road at historic Malmborg School. Runners follow Jackson Creek Road northwesterly to Bridger Canyon Road. The road turns to a sealed gravel surface just over a mile into the course, and climbs over the course high point at about the 3.5 mile mark. Breathtaking views of the Bridger Mountains and an easy downhill grade make up the next section of the race.

Upon reaching Bridger Canyon Road, runners run southwesterly for about three miles (runners must stay to the left of barriers on the left side of the road here), then turn south onto Kelly Canyon Road and encounter a challenging hill as the road turns to gravel. After cresting the hill, the road leads to the campsite where Captain William Clark and other expedition members camped in 1806. This marks the start point of the Half Marathon; the Marathon and Half Marathon courses coincide for the remainder of the route.

Coming downhill off the Kelly Canyon Road, the course opens onto blacktop, passes near the historic Fort Ellis archeological site and heads into the eastern edge of Bozeman following Bozeman Trail and Kagy Boulevard. Runners hit the scenic Highland Ridge and Chris Boyd trails in Bozeman proper, crossing through Burke and Lindley Parks before heading southwest along the Gallagator (Linear) Trail. A short paved section along Tracy and Spring Creek streets leads to a section of Sourdough Trail. The course then follows residential streets on the south side of town, then passes Sacagawea Middle School before moving onto another trail section. A few steps north on 7th Avenue leads to the final cutoff west to the Montana State University Track Complex, and about a lap and a half to the finish on the track (just like the Olympics!) NOTE: Yes, we've retained the extra lap on the track for 2007. For those who expressed dismay over this lap in 2005, ... sorry! It's just too much work to get the course re-certified if we change it!

NOTE: The Lewis and Clark Marathon course is typical of running venues in the Bozeman area, and reflects the scenery and accompanying challenges we locals appreciate about our home region. It contains a mixture of paved and gravel road, as well as single-track trail; as such, it may be a more " technical " course than many who've only run road marathons are used to. With the hills, this is not a fast course, despite the overall loss of elevation, so don't count on a PR (or a Boston-qualifying time) on this course! In addition, there is a railroad crossing at about the 15 mile mark. Rail service on this track does not follow a regular schedule, and we cannot guarantee that runners will not be slowed or stopped on the course by a train passing through. This potential interference hazard is an integral element of the course experience, and we do not have the capability to adjust race times or finish positions due to runners having to wait for the train during the race. Please be aware of this potential hazard, and keep a sense of humor if it impacts you on race day - your understanding is appreciated!

Marathon/Relay/Half-Marathon Course Map (click to open larger view in PDF (requires Acrobat Reader))

Marathon Course Elevation Profile (click to open larger view in PDF)

5k RUN/WALK

The 3.1 mile course starts next to the MSU Track Complex on South 7th, and finishes on the MSU Track. When entering the track complex near the finish, runners should move immediately to the inside lane of the track (stay LEFT of the flagging or netting dividing the track).

5K Course Map (click to open larger view (JPEG), which also shows the Kids Run course)

KIDS RUN

The Kids Run course will be run on the MSU Track and finish on the marathon finish line.

Start of the 2004 Kids Run