Aside from a short connection on Main Street in White Haven and another short connection on the road in Lehigh Gorge State Park, the marathon will take place entirely on the D&L and Lehigh Gorge rail trails. The trails are smooth, hard-packed gravel. From White Haven to Jim Thorpe, the trail is nice, easy 1-2% downgrade nearly the whole way, perfect for a PR. The Lehigh Gorge Trail winds its way alongside the Lehigh River through the gorgeous natural splendor of the Poconos.
The Jim Thorpe Marathon was the 147th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 134th largest in 2022.
This year 20.5% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 13.8% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Jim Thorpe Marathon the 115th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 23rd highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 101.34 ranks it as the 24th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest course in Pennsylvania.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Jim Thorpe Marathon a PR Score of 100.40. This PR Score ranks it as the 27th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest in Pennsylvania.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Jim Thorpe Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 1192 feet (363m) Min Elevation: 545 feet (166m)
Take note: The race organizers listened to feedback and moved this race to late April. Some of the previous reviews complaining about the heat were back when the race was run in late May. Even in April you can get some hot days. this year the overnight low on race day was high 40s. The day prior it was high 30s. The day after it was high 50s! The weather is the main factor here. Everything else that the organizers can control for, they've done an excellent job with.
Not only is the race a net downhill, there are literally 2 sharp corners on the ENTIRE 26 mile course. I guess it makes sense when you think about the fact that trains don't corner well and this is an old rail trail. But let that sink in for a minute. How many city marathons have you done where the course makes dozens of 90 degree or sharper turns through intersections, over curbs, etc forcing you to slow your speed. This race has none of that. Just gentle curves that play out over hundres of feet as you gradually wind your way along the trails.
Keep in mind, the surface is hard packed, crushed gravel. Which might not be for everyone but it didn't bother me at all. There were a couple of small sections where it's been churned up and then it's more the consistency of a sandbox which is terrible to run on. But my experience was that those sections were short, like only a few feet here or there and were avoidable if you wanted to angle to the side of the wide trail where it was less traveled and still hard packed. Other than that the course is an absolute dream and just as advertised.
The start is low key with a decent amount of parking if you arrive early. If you don't take the train you can start at 7:15 or anytime after (it's a rolling start) which is nice and takes a lot of the stress out of things. There's also an option for an 8:00 start but this year the majority of the runners looking to run a fast time, opted for the early start to avoid the hotter temps.
There were mile markers every mile and despite what the race website tells you, my gps tracked the course very accurately. The aid stations were basic but sufficient.
If you're main concern is a fast course to set a PR or Boston time and don't care about the bells and whistles of a big city marathon, I highly recommend the Jim Thorpe marathon.
2024 race had a fatal flaw: the mile markers starting from mile-20 to mile-24 were misplaced and unfortunately, they were inflated. RD and FAQ repeatedly warn runners that there is no signal in the Gorge so runners must rely on mile markers. But since this is a state part, mile markers can not be made permanent and every year, they need to reproduce the mile markers from the GPS coordinates in the course report. If there is no GPS signals in the Gorge, then even the mile positions in the course report is questionable, and the reproduction is certainly prone to errors. GPS however, works decently, because it doesn't need any specific location to receive GPS signal, only enough locations provided the course doesn't make too many sharp turns. My Garmin matched mile marker quite well, and around mile-15, my GPS was about 0.1 miles long, completely normal. But mile-20 was extremely short, my GPS reading shrank to 19.78 at mile-20. For 4 more miles, this was not corrected and I started to believe the mile markers as RD told us and adjusted my pace to ensure a 1 minute under Chicago Q finish. At Mile marker 24, I only need to run a 9 pace to make Chicago Q time but I ended up missing it by 54 seconds. Because mile-25 was very long, probably 1.2 or 1.3, and there was no time to make up the time after I realized mile-25 and mile-26 were making up for the inflated miles earlier. Based on Mile-24 marker, I ran 9:25 pace in the last 2.22 miles, based on my GPS, I ran 8:32 pace in the last 2.35 miles. The last 2.22 miles were in an open area with good signals, so the only explanation is Mile-24 was actually mile-23.8 or so. This completely ruined the race for me. I contact RD and he has promised to double check the last few miles next year so hopefully this won't happen again. I should mention he doesn't believe there was an error but it is possible to have an error because the mile markers cannot be make permanent. My pacer friend also noticed the extremely short mile-20 and that it was super long from mile-24 to finish. She is much more experienced than I am.
Race Tips
1. Do not listen to the FAQ or the RD that your GPS won't work. It works decently even in the Gorge and in 2024 at least, much better than mile markers. Cross reference your watch and mile markers and maybe use the tougher reading to guide your pacing. My garmin logged 26.36 total distance and matched mile markers for 18 miles until mile markers became more unreliable.
2. You have an option to start at 7:15 or 8:00, if it is hot, start early, if weather is nice and cool, take the train, but there is little time between train arrival and 8:00 to use porta john and to warm up.
3. Since there are early start, if you started at 8:00, maintain your pace and don't follow runners you catch up with. They might be slower runners that started earlier.
Recommended hotels are all in Jim Thorpe. There are many hotels near White Haven, the start line as well. Look into them and you can get more sleep. We didn't realize this until too late though.
Tim's review of 2024 Jim Thorpe Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
The course is mostly on this packed gravel and for the most part it is pretty close to running on a paved bike trail. But as another reviewer commented there are definitely parts where is more like soft sand, and some places where there are some shallow pot holes and uneven areas. The surface is fine for the most part though and you run in the shade for much of the run. I started at 7:15 am so it was reasonably cool but on a warm day it can be pretty warm by the time you finish. That might be worse if you start later. There seemed to be enough aid stations but it was often unclear whether they had water or electrolyte or which folks had which. Some signage and better communication from the volunteers would go a long way towards helping this. There were definitely times when I was hoping for electrolyte/energy drink and came away with water. Finally I second the comment about the mile markers. They were fine mostly, but if the race is going to tell people to rely on their markings and that GPS doesn't work (not sure that's really true, the course only ran 0.2 long on my watch which is normal for gps) the markers should be properly places. Mile 19 was definitely short based on elapsed time and there seemed to be issues with many of the markers after that -- not a great place to have that happen. The finish line was very well run, and there was water and snacks readily available. The downhill is barely noticeable and a little variable but it is a smooth pleasant run.
Race Tips
You can wear normal running shoes and you don't need gaiters as suggested on the website. I would opt for the 7:15 start and you are allowed to start whenever up to 8am since it is chip timing. You might consider using your GPS since I think it works possibly better than the poorly placed distance markers.
I stayed in Lehighton, but I recommend staying in Jim Thorpe if you can get a room. Everything there is really near the finish line and it is a cute little Town. Make sure you buy the parking pass if you are planning to park near the finish (as I did since I had crew and stayed out of town). It is a small race so very easy to get dropped off close to the start.
Anonymous's review of 2021 Jim Thorpe Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
The course was straight forward. The first two miles were out-and-back (mile out/mile back) on the D&L rail trail. The course then briefly went though the small town of White Haven before merging onto the D&L Trail to the finish line. The aid stations were well stocked (appox. every two miles). Miles 1-19ish were mostly shady, and there was a lot of open sunlight from miles 19ish through the finish. The course mostly follows the Lehigh River, and it is quite beautiful.
Race Tips
The course is standard rail trail fine gravel and compacted dirt. It's easy to navigate and impossible to get lost. There is a fairly decent amount of bicycle traffic on the course.
Note: there were porta potties at the train departure area/finish line, and at the starting line. There were very limited bathrooms on the train ride to the start line (with fairly decent wait times). Keep in mind that when departing the train, most runners headed straight for the porta potties at the starting line (very common marathon experience). I'd recommend hitting the bathroom before hopping on the train.
AL's review of 2021 Jim Thorpe Marathon.
3 /
5 Stars
Review
Likes/Positives: terrain is hard packed gravel for most of the course, scenic, very gradual downhill, barely noticeable downhill and mostly flat. Last 7 miles of the course there isn't much shade. Point to point marathon, easy to get to for the most part. Course itself is straightforward, felt flat even though it was net downhill. In cooler conditions/climate, good place to PR and BQ (qualify for Boston). Relatively small marathon. No Pace groups or leaders.
Dislikes/Negatives: for 2021 it was a bit disorganized - weather forecast was over 80 degrees week before, and with the sun rising at 5:30AM they started at 7AM instead of 6AM. An elite runner who was pacing for a 2:45 marathon finish became unconscious at mile 25 or so because of a heat stroke. Late May for a marathon in NJ, PA, NY, CT is risky. The Boston Marathon, Eugene Marathon, and others are held in April for a reason. Because of Covid, they set up water bottles and Gatorade bottles instead of cups which was a little bit of a challenge.
Race Tips
I would bring sunglasses and a hat if the sun is out and hot humid. I would also dump the water bottles on top of your head in order for your body to cool down. Running in the Northeast during late spring will be humid.
4 Stars from 6 Reviews
