Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival
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Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival
The Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival in April 2027 offers multiple race distances on former railroad rail trails through the Lehigh Gorge area. Events run on wide, smooth, hard-packed earth and gravel surfaces that follow the Lehigh River and Lehigh Gorge State Park scenery.
Distances
- Full marathon (point to point, Boston qualifying)
- Half marathon (out-and-back on the Lehigh Gorge trail)
- 7-miler (final seven miles of the marathon course, train to the start)
The full marathon is a point to point Boston qualifying course with a steady 0.5 to 1 percent downgrade for much of the route and an overall drop near 700 feet that does not incur a BQ penalty under the current rules. The half and the 7-miler use the last portion of the marathon course and run into Lehigh Gorge State Park.
On-course support includes UCAN hydration and fuel, with multiple aid stations listed for the marathon and roughly every two miles for the half. Portable toilets are provided at start and finish areas and at several points on course. The trail is remote and cell phones may not work; bikers monitor portions of the marathon and can alert ATV or EMS teams if needed.
Logistics note that there is no day-of packet pickup; bib pickup is scheduled before race weekend at specified locations. Spectator train tickets are available in limited numbers for travel to starting areas. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
