The elevation at the 2023 Jackson Hole Half Marathon was 6000+ ft. For a girl who lives at ~7ft of elevation, let’s just say the views weren’t the only thing that were breathtaking. I finished though and didn’t kill myself for 5 more days of vacation in Yellowstone, so I’m calling it a win.

Getting to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Easier said than done. We flew from Charleston to Atlanta to Minneapolis to Bozeman. (When we originally booked this back in October our flight was Charleston-Minneapolis-Bozeman.) We chose this because my father-in-law, who lives in Minnesota, was coming with, so the MSP stop made sense. Anyway, we got to Bozeman and drove the 4+ hours to Jackson Hole. We got there with a few minutes to spare to pick up my packet and for me to fully realize I had motion sickness. I forced myself to eat a few slices of pizza knowing I had to run a half marathon the next morning.

(I sat in the front seat or drove the rest of the trip, and took Dramamine.)

We stayed at the Antler Inn, which is a no-frills motel, but in a perfect location. It was 0.3 miles to the finish line and within walking distance to restaurants and shops throughout downtown Jackson Hole. The lobby had coffee and ample snacks too. (During the trip I made sure our “snack console” was always stocked.)

Race Recap: 2023 Jackson Hole Half Marathon

The race itself was pretty tiny. The race results say 190 runners, but it felt more like 50 at the start line. The course was point-to-point almost exclusively on a flat bike path, which sounds boring but wasn’t in the least!

Four school buses brought us to the start line near Teton Village. Above you can see the bike path that was part of the course. There were several porta potties available, but most of us stayed warm on the bus before walking ~0.1 miles to the start line right at 7am. We also watched a hot air ballon fill up and take off before starting.

The scenes along the route were incredible! I could tell within the first few minutes that I was at a higher altitude. Anytime I was struggling, I would just slow down, look around and snap some photos. There were water stops every 3 miles or so, but I survived on my little handheld water bottle. (Which made my neck hurt because I was squeezing it so hard. Hate that thing.) There weren’t a lot of volunteers at the water stops but they were all great cheerleaders. You know you’re in the mountains when there are signs for deer, moose and elk crossing.

I ran a few minutes slower than I wanted to, but I stayed pretty positive throughout and enjoyed the experience! One section of the bike path went between two pieces of private property (above right photo). This was a really neat part of the course because you felt like you were in the middle of a valley with green all around.

The finish was in Phil Beau Park. The two photos above are from the same location, just facing North and South. If you squint you can see me crossing the finish line a few seconds ahead of someone that I “chased” down in the last mile. I was doing a lot of run/walk the last 3 miles, but with around 0.5 miles left, I told myself to get my life together and pass that lady!

Overall, a really great race! Organizers were responsive, volunteers were great and the course was gorgeous! Yay for crossing off another state. 🙂

The swag was a nice medal and soft women’s cut t-shirt. After showering, I put on the shirt and we walked to a StillWest Brewery. It’s right across from Phil Beau Park with great views of the mountain on their balcony. (If you scroll up to the photo of me finishing, where we sat is right above the silver truck with the red canoe on top.) I celebrated state number 21 with a glass of rose and a yummy black bean burger.

PS: I promise I have other running outfits!

Full or Half Marathon in Every State

Wyoming marks state number 21, almost half way there!