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

🏞️ Race Overview

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!

📅 Schedule of Events

• 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

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

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 or later.

🤝 Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer at JTARF!
Volunteering at JTARF is fun and easy! All volunteers receive a JTARF volunteer T-shirt and, 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.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

🍽️ Post-Race Celebrations

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

🎽 Pacing

Our volunteer team will be back to provide pacing for the 2025 half marathon and Beast Pacing will return in 2025 to provide pacers for the marathon.

🚗 Parking Options

• Premium Parking: in the Jim Thorpe Train Station Lot next to the finish line. MUST be pre-purchased from the Carbon County Parking Website BY CLICKING HERE.
• Free, Off-site Parking: at the Jim Thorpe Area High School with a 7-minute shuttle bus to the start/finish area.

🏅 Awards

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

📬 Bib Pickup

THERE IS NO DAY-OF PACKET PICKUP! Those who cannot pick up their bibs in person MUST elect to have them mailed before the race. Bibs can be picked up on Friday, April 26th from noon to 6 pm at Muggles' Mug Coffee Shoppe (79 Broadway, Jim Thorpe).

❤️ Charity Partners

A portion of your registration fees and 100% of any donations will benefit Together With Veterans, a vital Jim Thorpe area charity that empowers Veterans to lead community-based efforts to address Veteran suicide locally.

🏃‍♀️ Running Surface

The Full Marathon will take you down the D&L and Lehigh Gorge rail trails which are hard-packed earth and gravel, with a steady downgrade of 0.5-1% nearly the entire length of the marathon.

💼 Volunteer Sign-Up

Want to be a part of the fun but don't want to run? Signup to volunteer HERE.

🗺️ Maps

Map for the full marathon: View Map
Map for the half marathon: View Map

🔗 More Information

For full details, visit The Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival page.