 Featuring a refreshing mix of city streets and the scenic views of nearby Coeur d’Alene Lake, the Coeur d’Alene Marathon & Half Marathon takes runners on a course along an elevation of 2,300 feet above sea level through this winter resort city.
The out-and-back half-marathon course begins and ends in Coeur d’Alene’s McEuen Park, located near the banks of the Spokane River. From there, runners head through residential neighborhoods to the southeast of the park before heading north along River Avenue and the Spokane River.
While the first portion of the course consists of some rolling hills, the main hill on the course occurs as runners turn right onto the Prairie Trail, continuing along the trail until the turnaround point near the mile 8 marker (and the peak of the hill). After the turnaround, runners coast down the hill all the way to the finish line.
Those running in the half marathon follow the same course as the full, 26.2-mile marathon for the first mile and again after roughly mile 3 in the half marathon; full marathoners continue south through Coeur d’Alene while half marathoners go north along the river.
Along the way, runners will get to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Northern Idaho city, with the Rocky Mountain foothills off in the distance and boats sailing along the blue water of the Spokane River for much of the middle part of the race.
Along the way, they’ll also pass through a number of city parks and green spaces like Ramsey Park, McEuen Field and Coeur d’Alene’s City Park, as well as run through a stretch of the campus of North Idaho College on both the out and back routes.
The course is made up of paved surfaces throughout the race and takes advantage of many of the scenic views of the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation, which is a sponsor of the race.
Headphones and iPods are discouraged for participants during the race, which remains open for 7 hours. No hand cranks or hand cycles are allowed in the race, and runners also are not permitted to bring strollers or dogs with them during the event.
