Rapid City Marathon and Half Marathon

The Rapid City Marathon and Half Marathon takes runners through the Black Hills foothills of western South Dakota each July. The marathon starts at the Lake Pactola beach parking lot on the lake's south side and heads north along Highway 385 through pine forest and granite outcrops before turning onto Highway 44 and eventually joining a bike path back into town, finishing near downtown Rapid City. The half marathon starts closer to town on Lombardy Drive, with runners bused to the start line, and shares the same 7:00 AM Sunday start and finish area as the marathon. A separate 5K starts the evening before at the Memorial Park Bandshell along Rapid Creek. Course support includes aid stations stocked with water, Powerade, Hammer gels, potato chips, and cookies, and finishers receive a medallion and event T-shirt. The event is a locally organized race rather than a major-market marathon, drawing a modest field that keeps the course uncrowded while showcasing the scenery of the northern Black Hills, including views near Pactola Reservoir.