Juneau Marathon

The Juneau Marathon is a small, out-and-back race held on Douglas Island, across Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau, Alaska. First run in 1971, it was renamed the Frank Maier Memorial Marathon in 1992 in honor of a local marathon enthusiast, then renamed again in 2018 as the Juneau Marathon and Half-Marathon when the half distance was added. Marathon and Half Marathon runners share a start and finish at the Sandy Beach picnic shelter in Savikko Park, Douglas, following the lightly traveled, rolling Douglas and North Douglas highways past Juneau Harbor, island rainforest, and a distant view of the Mendenhall Glacier. Both distances are USATF-certified Boston Marathon qualifiers, and the marathon doubles as the RRCA Alaska State Marathon Championship. The event stays intentionally small -- fewer than 100 marathon finishers and under 250 half marathon finishers in a typical year -- with age-group awards, finisher medals, and a race-day drop-bag service, organized by the Juneau Trail and Road Runners.