MARATHON COURSE DETOUR!

MARATHON COURSE DETOUR AND TIME CHANGE: ALL RUNNERS BEGIN AT 8 AM

Trail construction on miles 2-4 of the JTARF marathon course has forced us to make a few minor changes to this year’s marathon. Here is a quick summary (followed by a more detailed explanation):

  1. All registered runners will start the marathon at 8 am. (There will NOT be a 7 am start).
  2. The detour will add a minor amount of elevation between miles 2 & 4, where it will rejoin the original marathon course for 22 flat (slightly downhill) miles.
  3. The detour will be USATF certified, and the marathon will remain a Boston Qualifier.
  4. The race will begin in the same place as always: the D&L Trailhead on the corner of Susquehanna and Main Streets in White Haven, PA.
  5. The detour map is here.
  6. We will honor all marathon deferral requests (to 2023) made by Sunday 4/17.

Last June, we were assured that construction on the trail would be completed by early March and that the marathon would not be affected. In March, the completion date was pushed to April. We identified a detour route and contracted a USATF course certifier, just in case. This week, we finally received word that the trail would be closed through May.

We must start everyone at 8 am because of the train schedule. At mile four, the detour route crosses the train tracks of the scenic railway. 7 am runners would cross the tracks just as the train is scheduled to come through.

Important Notes for 7 am runners:

  1. You will now start at 8 am. (Most important note)
  2. You are still responsible for your own transportation to the starting line.
  3. We will still have a shuttle bus to return you to White Haven from the finish line if you need it.
  4. There are still limited spots available for the marathon with scenic train ride. If you would like to transfer to that event, please do so ASAP. THIS LINK will explain how to complete the free transfer.
  5. We know many of you opted to start at 7 am to avoid the heat. Temperature *should not* be an issue. The average temperature in Jim Thorpe in mid-May is 53 degrees at 8 am and does not reach its high of 67 degrees until 3:30 pm.

Important Notes for 8 am runners and train spectators:  

  1. If you DO NOT plan on taking the train, please switch to the shuttle bus marathon. Switching is free and THIS LINK will explain how to switch your event.
  2. Runners will not be running under the railroad bridge at mile 2, so spectators will not stop to watch runners pass. Spectators will still be able to enjoy the round-trip scenic train ride. However, if anyone wishes to cancel their spectator tickets, we will issue a refund. Simply email us at info@runegades.com by April 20th.

Spectator Tickets are SOLD OUT for this year and are no longer available. We will not have a waiting list.