To go directly to the Signup Genius listings, clickHERE
More than 300 volunteers are needed in a wide variety of positions July 3-4 in town and on the mountain — thank you for your support!
Volunteers get our gratitude and a t-shirt with the 2026 logo design. Volunteering is also a great way for supporters (and racers) to contribute to the event. Please help spread the word!
Bib and wave assignments are now viewable by clicking on the roster links (men/women/boys/girls/nonbinary/Golden Men/Golden Women) at https://mountmarathon.com/2026-race-roster/
The website rosters are arranged by bib number, not by alphabetical order. Those who simply want to learn their bib number can search their name at RunSignup Participant Lookup here: https://runsignup.com/Race/RegistrationLookup/?raceId=114671
For men and women, waves were assigned as follows:
Wave 1 — Bibs 1-129, men and women
Wave 2 — Bibs 201-321, men; bibs 201-327, women
Wave 3 — Bibs 401-533, men; bibs 401-532 women
Juniors boys and girls will run together in a one combined wave, with girls assigned bibs 1-150 and boys assigned bibs 201-349.
The coveted Bib #1 has been assigned to defending champions David Norris (men), Klaire Rhodes (women) and Calista Zuber (girls) along with Blaze Rubeo (boys, 2nd place in 2025).
For detailed information about the wave and bib seeding processes, visit https://mountmarathon.com/waves-and-bib-seeding/
That page includes a Wave Change Request Form (deadline Sunday, May 24) for those who believe their assignment is incorrect and wish to contest it.
Need a place to park your RV or pitch your tent for the Mount Marathon Race & Fourth of July Festival?
You’re in luck as Seward High School is again offering family-friendly accommodations from June 29-July 5! The cost is $40/night for tents and $80/night for RVs, with a two-night minimum.
Abigail Mayer is the winner of the 2026 Mount Marathon Race logo contest!
The logo will be printed on the 2026 racer and volunteer t-shirts, stickers, patches and other promotional efforts.
Mayer, an Anchorage native, said the grittiness of Alaska and the Mount Marathon Race inspired her design.
“Alaska is a gritty, beautiful place that you have to see and experience firsthand to really understand,” Mayer said. “I wanted the design for the logo to reflect that and feel like it had physically been carved out of the mountain, in the same way that the Mount Marathon race and everyone who participates gets to be a part of the mountain itself.”
Mayer, who won $250 for her winning design, used a block print technique to achieve her desire effect.
“To get that ‘gritty,’ mountain hewn look, I physically created several linocut prints of the design with variations by carving the mirror image out of a rubber block and using printer’s ink to produce the design on paper,” Mayer said. “Once the prints dried, I scanned copies for digital editing and combined elements from each until I was happy with the final product.”
Mayer has personal connection to Mount Marathon as her father, Stephen, will be participating for the 10th time in 2026 while her brother, Matthew, will make his debut in the men’s division. She has never raced Mount Marathon but has spectated many times.
“It’s become a family affair for us and I’m excited to get to be a part of it in a new way this year, with the logo,” she said.
Mayer studied graphic design for two years at Abilene Christian University and now works at an advertising/public relations firm in Austin, Texas.
The 2026 racer shirt will have Mayer’s all-white logo on a black shirt while the volunteer shirt, which aims for great visibility, will be white-on-red.
The Mount Marathon Race Committee, which selected the winner, thanks all 25 artists who took part in the annual contest this year.
3 men’s and 3 women’s race slots will be available in a live online auction via Zoom on April 28, 2026.
There is no auction for the juniors race.
The Online Auction gives Alaskans or out-of-staters additional planning time (compared to the July 3 auction) because they lock in a spot more than two months before race day. In 2025, the winning online auction bids ranged from $900-$1,200 for women and $1,800-$2,000 for men. Online auction bibs have gone for as high as $3,000 in the past.
Proceeds from the auction are used to help fund the Mount Marathon Race.
2026 Details
When: Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Zoom site will open at 5 p.m. and auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. Number of available spots: 3 men’s PRIORITY spots and 3 women’s PRIORITY spots Minimum bid: $200 for men and $200 for women Minimum bid increments: $100 Zoom Link: Click HERE
Auction rules and instructions:
Each participant must be set up to join a Zoom meeting (those lacking the technology or knowledge should join a friend’s or family member’s account).
Participants are RECOMMENDED to join on a desktop computer or laptop with an Internet plan as opposed to a mobile phone that uses a data plan. The auction is better viewed on a computer. Also, being perfectly synched with the auctioneer’s voice for bidding purposes is more likely achieved on a computer.
The Zoom site will open at 5 p.m. on April28, 2026 (30 minutes before the auction starts) to allow participants time for testing their technology.
The actual auction will start at 5:30 p.m. The three women’s bibs will be auctioned first followed immediately by the three men’s bibs.
The Seward Chamber of Commerce is NOT responsible for anyone whose bids fail to come through promptly due to connectivity issues or other technological problems.
Gallery View will enable participants to see the auctioneer and other contestants.
Participants will be muted by the auctioneer.
All bidding must be done through the chat function (test the chat when you join by posting your name and location).
If the person who intends to race is unable to attend the live auction, another person may bid for them.
If you win an auction spot, stay on the Zoom! A Seward Chamber employee will direct message you for a phone number and then will call for payment information by credit card.
Auction winners will be emailed a registration link via RunSignup to get necessary information and sign the waiver. Once this is submitted, auction winners will be added to the 2026 roster.
Auction winners will be Priority entrants in 2026, meaning they can keep priority status for the following year if they qualify through the Top 50 Percent in Age Group Rule.
The race director will determine auction winners’ bib and wave assignments based on their credentials.
Those who fail to win an online auction spot have a final chance for entry at the in-person auction at 6 p.m. July 3 at Seward High School. 7 men’s and 7 women’s spots will be auctioned then.
Arc’teryx Joins Mount Marathon Race as New Presenting Partner
The Mount Marathon Race is thrilled to announce a two-year Presenting Partnership with outdoor gear company Arc’teryx.
The sponsorship by the Canadian brand is among the most significant in the long history of the Mount Marathon Race and will cover the 2026 and 2027 seasons in advance of the 100th running slated for 2028.
Arc’teryx, which joined Mount Marathon as a Gold Level Sponsor in 2025, specializes in mountain-oriented outdoor gear and apparel. It is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has evolved from a basement operation in 1989 into a global outdoor brand.
“With their focus on supporting mountain events, Arc’teryx is a great fit for the Mount Marathon Race,” race director Matias Saari said. “They can help us modernize elements of the race while also appreciating our uniquely independent and Alaskan spirit.”
Saari said Arcteryx does not wish for the event title to become the Arc’teryx Mount Marathon Race. “We will be the Mount Marathon Race presented by Arc’teryx — and that’s an important distinction,” he said.
In its sponsorship proposal, Arc’teryx stressed this point.
“Mount Marathon represents some of the very best things in trail running: community, heritage, technical terrain, the land and the grit it takes to push beyond what’s comfortable,” Arc’teryx said. “As Presenting Partner, Arc’teryx aims to honour its legacy, amplify its community-driven energy, and support the Seward community that makes this race iconic.”
A major aspect of the new partnership is that Arc’teryx has earmarked significant funds towards a race project that will replace its outdated fencing with new barricades spanning Fourth Avenue.
In addition to multiple product giveaways, Arc’teryx will also contribute matching funds for raffle tickets sold at the July 3 raffle that will benefit a Seward nonprofit organization. Arc’teryx has also committed funds towards a trail project on Mount Marathon or elsewhere on the Kenai Peninsula in partnership with the Mount Marathon Race and the Alaska Trails nonprofit.
Jessie McAuley represents Arc’teryx in 2025. Photo by Brikru Photography.
Among those representing Arc’teryx at the 2026 Mount Marathon Race will be Jessie McAuley, who placed 3rd at Mount Marathon in 2024; Emma Cook-Clarke, a champion Skyrunner and obstacle course racer; and mountain athlete and climber Kyle Richardson.
