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

🏃‍♀️ The Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival

The 2026 Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival will Take Place on April 25 &: 26! The 7-Miler will now take place on Saturday and has ITS OWN SCENIC TRAIN RIDE!

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
• Saturday: 7-miler (train leaves @ 7:30 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)

🏅 Race Details

Half Marathon (Sat. 4/25) 8 am:

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.

7-Miler With Scenic Train Rides to the Start (Sat. 4/25):

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).

Boston Qualifying Full Marathon (two start corrals: 7:15 am and 8 am): (Sun. 4/26)

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).

🙌 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.

If you':re part of an organization and would like more information on the volunteer donation, please email us at info@:runegades.com

🍽 Post-Race Activities

After the races on both Saturday and Sunday, join us for food and drink specials on our post-race whistlestop tour! The 2026 whistlestops include:

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

🚗 Parking Information

Half Marathon, 7-Mile, and Marathon with Train Runners have two options for parking:

• Premium Parking: in the Jim Thorpe Train Station Lot next to the finish line. This is the BEST option, but spots are limited and MUST be pre-purchased.
• Free, Off-site Parking: will be available at the Jim Thorpe Area High School. A 7-minute shuttle bus will take you to and from the start/finish area next to the Jim Thorpe Train Station.

Non-Train Marathon Runners will Park at the Route 940 Park and Ride in White Haven.

🚉 Spectator Information

Family and friends can accompany runners on both the 7-Mile and marathon scenic train rides! Spectators will take a round-trip on THE FAMOUS READING &: NORTHERN RAILWAY from Jim Thorpe. A VERY LIMITED number of spectator tickets is available.

🎁 Event Perks

• Swag: 2026 JTARF tee-shirt while supplies last.
• Finisher’s Medal: Unique 2026 JTARF finisher's medal (different for each event).
• Photos: FREE downloadable professional photographs with bib-tags.
• Custom Bibs: Customized event bib (register by 4/5).

🏆 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 the following 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. All runners can pick up bibs on Friday April 24th from noon to 6 pm at Muggles' Mug Coffee Shoppe (79 Broadway, Jim Thorpe).

Marathon and 7-Mile runners can pick up their bibs on Saturday April 25th from 10am to 1pm in front of the Jim Thorpe Train Station. A friend may pick up your bib with a copy of your ID.

If you':re wondering whether or not you selected bib pickup when you registered, you can check by logging into Run Signup.

🔄 Deferrals and Charity Partners

Those who deferred from a previous year MUST CLAIM THEIR DEFERRAL BY February 1st, 2026. To claim your deferral, follow the instructions on THIS PAGE (click here).

We donate $10,000 plus 100% of any donation you make to our charitable partners.

📍 Remote Course

Cell phones will not work on the trail. For the marathon, bikers will be monitoring miles 12-26. Flag them down if you have an issue and need to be picked up.

📊 Course Details

The Full Marathon will take you down the D&:L and Lehigh Gorge rail trails. These wide, smooth trails are hard-packed earth and gravel, maintaining a steady downgrade of 0.5-1%