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!

🗓️ Event 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)

🏃‍♂️ 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 7:30 am.

Boston Qualifying Full Marathon (two start corrals: 7:15 am and 8 am):

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. The 700-foot net-downhill means that it does NOT incur a BQ time penalty.

• 7:15 am: runners can get dropped off or park near the start.
• 8 am: runners can take the scenic train from Jim Thorpe to White Haven (train leaves at 6:30 am).

🤝 Volunteer Opportunity

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.

🍽️ Post-Race Whistlestop Tour

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

Premium Parking: Next to the finish line at the Jim Thorpe Train Station Lot. Spots are limited and MUST be pre-purchased.

Free Off-site Parking: Available at the Jim Thorpe Area High School, with shuttle service 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
• Top 3 M/F: for all events in various age groups.

📅 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: Pickup on Friday April 24th from noon to 6 pm at Muggles' Mug Coffee Shoppe.
• Marathon runners: Pickup on Saturday April 25th from 10am to 1pm in front of the Jim Thorpe Train Station.

💬 Contact and Additional Information

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

For more information, visit The Jim Thorpe Area Running Festival.