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

Event Overview

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 at 7:30 am
• Sunday Full Marathon: Two starting times at 7:15 am & 8:00 am (train leaves at 6:30 am)

Half Marathon

Date: Saturday, April 25 at 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

Date: Saturday, April 25

Note: 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.

Full Marathon

Date: Sunday, April 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. The 700-foot net-downhill means that it does NOT incur a BQ time penalty.

Note: 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).

Volunteering

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.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

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

Whistlestop Tour: After the races on both Saturday and Sunday, join us for food and drink specials on our post-race whistlestop tour!

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

Pacing and Parking

PACERS: Beast Pacing will return for 2026. Pacer times will be added to the half marathon and marathon as we get closer to the event.

PARKING: 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.
• Free Off-site Parking: Available at the Jim Thorpe Area High School with a 7-minute shuttle bus to the start/finish area.

Awards

Categories: 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+.

Important Information

• Bib Pickup: NO DAY-OF PACKET PICKUP! Bibs can be picked up on Friday, April 24th from noon to 6 pm at Muggles' Mug Coffee Shoppe (79 Broadway, Jim Thorpe).
• Deferrals: Those who deferred from a previous year MUST CLAIM THEIR DEFERRAL BY February 1st, 2026.
• Course Fuel: UCAN will be our exclusive sponsor for on-course hydration and fuel.
• Portable Toilets: Limited restrooms will be available along the courses.

Course Information

Running Surface: 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.

Links

Race Registration