The Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network

🏞️ Join Us in Jim Thorpe!

Join us in this gorgeous mountain town for one of the most beautiful runs in the Northeast! The full marathon is a point-to-point BOSTON QUALIFIER with a steady 0.5-1% downgrade nearly the entire way!! It is one of the fastest Boston Qualifiers on the East Coast!

📅 Race Schedule

• Saturday: Half Marathon @ 8 am
• Sunday: 7-miler (train leaves @ 6:30 am)
• Sunday: Full Marathon with two starting times @ 7:15 am & 8:00 am (train leaves @ 6:30 am and riders start at 8:00 am)

🏃‍♂️ Half Marathon Details

The 2025 half marathon will be run on the same gorgeous, out-and-back course as 2024. Participants will start in the parking lot at the Jim Thorpe Train Station and run the FLAT, FAST rail-trail into Lehigh Gorge State Park. The route runs parallel to and even crosses over the Lehigh River and into breathtaking scenery of Lehigh Gorge.

🏅 Boston Qualifying Full Marathon

The full marathon is an ABSOLUTE DREAM for runners and spectators alike, a POINT-TO-POINT BOSTON QUALIFIER with a SLIGHT, STEADY 0.5% to 1% DOWNGRADE nearly the ENTIRE WAY. 7:15 am runners can get dropped off or park near the start and take a free shuttle bus back to their cars after the race. 8 am runners can take the scenic train from Jim Thorpe to White Haven (train leaves at 6:30 am).

🚂 7-Miler With Scenic Train Rides

The final 7-miles of our gorgeous marathon course! All 7-Mile runners must take the train that leaves Jim Thorpe Station at 6:30 am. 7-Mile runners will have the option to start early (when the train first stops on the way to the marathon start) or later (after training to the marathon start and back again).

🙋‍♀️ Volunteer Information

Volunteer at JTARF!

• Fun: Volunteering at JTARF is fun and easy!
• T-Shirt: All volunteers receive a JTARF volunteer T-shirt.
• Donation: If you're part of a charitable organization, we will happily make a donation to that charity: $25 per volunteer on Saturday and $35 per volunteer on Sunday.
• Email: For more information on volunteer donations, email us at info@runegades.com.

🍔 Post-Race Whistlestop Tour

After the races on both Saturday and Sunday, join us for food and drink specials on our post-race whistlestop tour! The 2025 whistlestops include:

• The Broadway Grill and Pub: 24 Broadway
• Ouros: 70 Broadway (21+)
• Mugglets Mug: 79 Broadway

🎖️ Awards

• Top 3 Overall M/F: in all three events
• Top 3 Overall Masters: (40+) in the half and full marathons
• Top 3 M/F: for all events in various age groups: 19&U, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+

📍 Parking Information

Half Marathon, 7-Mile, and Marathon runners have two options for parking:

• Premium Parking: Available at Jim Thorpe Train Station Lot. This is the BEST option but spots are limited and MUST be pre-purchased.
• Free Off-site Parking: Available at Jim Thorpe Area High School with a 7-minute shuttle to and from the start/finish area.

💪 Course Fuel

We are pleased to announce that UCAN will be our exclusive sponsor for on-course hydration and fuel. For the half marathon, we will have water and UCAN hydrate roughly every 2 miles on course. For the full marathon, we will have stations at various mile marks. UCAN energy gel will be provided at selected miles.

🔍 Maps and Course Details

• Full Marathon Map: Link
• Half Marathon Map: Link

🌟 More Information

For more details on the race, visit the race homepage.