Mt. Marathon Race

The tradition of the Mt. Marathon Race, according to folklore, began when two sourdoughs had an argument about whether it was possible to climb and descend the mountain in less than one hour. "Impossible" one said. To settle the argument and the resulting wager it was decided to hold a race with the loser to furnish drinks for the crowd. At the same time, enterprising merchants put up a suit of clothes and other attractions for the winner and proposed the race take place on a holiday - why not the 4th of July?

The optimistic sourdough lost his bet, as the winning racer took one hour and two minutes. Official records disclose that the Mt. Marathon Race actually began as an organized run in 1915 and has since become a regular part of the Independence Day celebration in Seward.

The race is a climb and descend on Mt. Marathon. It's a mile and a half up and a mile and a half down, complete with cliffs, waterfalls, and a wonderful view.

Junior Race
The junior race is for racers aged 17 and under. This race follows the same trail to the finish as the senior race, but only goes half-way up the summit. Juniors may race as individuals as well as on teams.

Women's Race
In 1985, a separate race for senior women racers was established with 54 women finishing the race. In 1996, the race filled with 300 runners for the first time.

Men's Race
Each year 300 entries for the men's race are received by early spring. The challenge of the mountain calls racers back year after year, and intrigues visitors from all around the world.

The Mt. Marathon Race registration process takes place in February and March of each year. The only way to enter the race is was by participating in the auction on July 3rd. Ten race slots were auctioned off for each the men's and women's race.  The auction was held at the Seward High School gymnasium.

The application process is as follows:  Last year's runners receive priority registration between February 1 and February 28.  After that, the number of remaining race slots is determined.  The women's and men's races are limited to 300 entrants each.  The junior race is limited to 200 entrants each.  All new runners must mail in their applications and they will be drawn lottery style to fill the remaining race slots.  The date for mailing deadline and lottery drawing will be determined and will be included in the application packet mailed February 2002.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Seward Chamber of Commerce Events Coordinator.  Our address is at right.