Med Bow Rail Marathon and Half Marathon

Event overview

The Med Bow Rail Marathon & Half Marathon takes place on August 15, 2026, near Laramie/Albany, Wyoming with a start/finish area at Lake Owen in the Medicine Bow National Forest. The event offers these distances:

• Marathon
• Half Marathon

The races are open to all entrants and are timed. The event is fully staffed at five aid stations. All participants receive a race t-shirt and all finishers receive a finisher medal. Race proceeds fund trail upkeep and improvement. Registration opens February 1, 2026.

Course and trail

The marathon follows the Medicine Bow Rail Trail from end to end, averaging an elevation of 8,926 feet with a summit at 9,039 feet. The trail is a gently graded, wide, gravel path that passes through woodlands, open clearings, and old burn scars, and the marathon finishes with a loop around a mountain lake. The half marathon mirrors much of the northern portion of the marathon, including two loops around Lake Owen and the remainder on the Rail Trail. Course maps are available and race results are published on UltraSignup.com.

The Medicine Bow Rail Trail is a 21-mile gravel pathway through the Snowy Range mountains, open year-round to non-motorized users and maintained by the Friends of the Medicine Bow Rail Trail. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.