Run the Glacier Half Marathon

I've ran a handful of half marathons, but the Glacier Half is, by far, my favorite. The jaw-dropping scenery was enough to keep me distracted from the pain my body was enduring.

Not only was the race itself amazing, but the race expo the day before is an experience that will not soon leave my mind -- the Blackfeet Nation put on an impressive dance exhibition prior to race check-in.

This year, the starting line was about 1.3 miles east of Kiowa, MT on highway 89. Driving to the start was not an option, shuttles ran from Red Eagle Campground and Browning to get all of the racers to the start line.

The race begins at 6:00 a.m., which meant an early morning for everyone involved. Once the starting drums sounded (also provided by the Blackfeet Nation), everyone was off. The first five miles of the race was an intense uphill climb, followed by some much needed downhill action.

As expected, the course was gorgeous. Runners enjoyed stunning views of Lower Two Medicine Lake and plenty of mountain vistas. A few runners even caught a glimpse of a grizzly bear (not something you need to worry about, there were fish and game employees riding four-wheelers up and down the course keeping an eye out).

The course ended on the front lawn of the East Glacier Park Lodge -- I've never been so happy to see a finish line! All-in-all the course was challenging but worth it. The race coordinators did a fantastic job with aid stations, bag checks and the logistics of getting everyone to and from the race.

As an added bonus, there's ample time the day before the race, day of the race (since everyone was done by 11:00 a.m.), and the day after to explore Glacier and all it's splendor. Oh and, I almost forgot to mention, the finisher medals and shirts were pretty bad ass!