Mount Marathon
Mount Marathon Trailhead, Seward, AK
Seward, AK
A near-vertical mountain rising straight out of Seward, and the site of a Fourth of July race born from a bar bet more than a century ago.
Mount Marathon is the mountain that defines Seward. It rises almost straight up behind the town at the head of Resurrection Bay, so steep that from the street it looks less like a hike and more like a wall. What makes it famous, though, is not just its shape but a footrace that has run up and down its brutal face every Fourth of July for more than a hundred years, the oldest mountain race in North America.
The race is a Seward institution and an Alaskan legend, drawing runners who scramble up loose rock and mud at slopes that in places approach truly vertical, then hurtle back down in a controlled fall of scree and dirt. On race day a town of a few thousand swells to tens of thousands of spectators lining the streets and lower slopes. The rest of the year the mountain belongs to hikers willing to take on one of the steepest trails in the state.
What Guests Love
- A mountain so steep it seems to rise straight up out of the town below
- The legendary Fourth of July race, the oldest mountain race in North America
- Huge views over Resurrection Bay and the surrounding peaks from the upper slopes
- The wild, hands-and-feet feel of a true Alaskan mountain right at the edge of town
Worth Knowing
- This is a genuinely steep, rough climb on loose rock and mud, not a gentle stroll, so treat it as a serious hike
- During the Fourth of July race the mountain and town are packed with tens of thousands of people, so plan lodging far ahead
- Weather comes in wet and cold off the bay even in summer, so bring layers, grippy shoes, and rain gear
- You do not have to summit to enjoy it; even a partway climb gives big views, and know your limits on the descent
Details
Seward, AK
Learn about Mount Marathon
A race born from a bar bet
The story goes that around 1915 two old-timers in Seward made a bar bet about whether a man could run to the top of the mountain and back down again in under an hour. A runner named James Walters took the challenge and came up about two minutes short, but the idea had taken hold, and the first official race was run on the Fourth of July that same year.
It has been run nearly every Independence Day since, making it the oldest mountain race on the continent. The course is short in distance but savage in character, climbing thousands of feet up a slope that averages around 34 degrees and reaches as steep as 60 degrees in sections, over loose rock, shale, roots, and mud.
The race has grown with the times. Women first competed officially in the mid-1980s, junior racers began setting their own age records in the 1990s, and the modern event uses staggered starts to manage the crowds of runners on the narrow mountain. Through all of it, the essential dare has never changed: get up this impossible-looking mountain and back down as fast as your legs and nerve allow.
The mountain the rest of the year
For the other 364 days, Mount Marathon is simply one of the most striking hikes in Seward, and one of the steepest anywhere. The trail climbs relentlessly out of town, and reaching the upper bowl and summit involves real scrambling on hands and feet in places, with loose footing throughout. It is not a casual walk, and the descent, a slide down scree and mud, is where many hikers find the real challenge.
The reward is the view. From partway up the slope, and especially near the top, the whole of Resurrection Bay opens below you, the town of Seward small at the water's edge, with glaciated peaks all around and the fjords running out toward the Gulf of Alaska. It is a big, wild Alaskan panorama earned in a remarkably short distance.
The mountain is welcoming in the sense that you do not have to reach the summit to enjoy it. Many hikers climb only as far as feels safe and comfortable, take in the view, and turn around, which on a slope this steep is a perfectly good day out.
Climbing it safely
Take Mount Marathon seriously. The steepness that makes it thrilling also makes it hazardous, with loose rock underfoot and a long, fast drop if you lose your footing. Wear shoes with real grip, watch your descent carefully, and be honest about your fitness and comfort with steep, exposed terrain.
The weather off Resurrection Bay is famously fickle, often cool, wet, and windy even in the middle of summer, so pack warm and waterproof layers and be ready for conditions to change on the way up. There is no water on the climb, so carry your own.
If you want to see the race itself, come knowing that the Fourth of July transforms Seward completely, with the town and mountain jammed with spectators and lodging booked far in advance. Whether you come to run, to watch, or just to test yourself on the steepest trail you may ever climb, Mount Marathon delivers an Alaska experience you will not forget.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Seward
Kenai Fjords National Park
About 12 miles
A park of tidewater glaciers and fjords; the drivable Exit Glacier and boat tours to Aialik Bay start right from Seward.
Exit Glacier
About 12 miles
One of the few glaciers you can walk right up to, with easy paved paths and a harder trail to the Harding Icefield above.
Alaska SeaLife Center
In Seward
A working marine research center and public aquarium on the waterfront, with puffins, sea lions, and rescued marine animals.
Resurrection Bay
At Seward's edge
The deep, glacier-fed fjord below town, ideal for wildlife cruises, kayaking, and watching for whales, otters, and seabirds.