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Marathon Details - Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon)

North America Marathons > USA > AK > Anchorage > Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon)

Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon)

Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) & 49K, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 5K

Anchorage, AK USA

August 17, 2025

http://www.anchoragerunfest.org

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Race Details

Cool running weather, scenic course with wildlife sitings, and friendly volunteers. Beautiful course.

Contact Information

Name:	Melanie Clark
Address:	Anchorage Running Club Anchorage RunFest's Humpy's Marathon Post Office Box 243362 Anchorage, AK 99524-3362
Phone Number:	907-240-1127
Email:	Email the organizers

More Information

These details were last updated by the race director on 12/24/23 and may be out of date.
Number of Runners:	450
Number of Spectators:	No estimate
Fees & Deadlines:	Varies by date of registration.
Start Time:	8:00 AM

Runner Reviews (61)

Course 4.1

Organization 4.0

Spectators 3.1

Write a review

Number of comments: 61 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > ]

M. C. from MD (9/3/2021) "Great Experience - Beautiful Scenery" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The weather was perfect and the course was nice. Better markings could be used but if you paid attention you would be fine. Support and entertainment along the course was great but not much at finish line. Bart Yasso was there and is awesome! I would recommend for all 50 staters!
T. S. from Indianapolis (8/31/2021) "A cool event" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Cool, as in more than 40 degrees cooler than what it was for my last training runs before the race. Yeah, I know it makes no sense to comment on the weather, be it lousy or great, but this was darn near perfect for running. It allowed me to better enjoy the scenery along the paved path, which included Cook's Inlet and a variety of wooded areas. I'd recommend this race if you're a 50-stater, or if you just want to use it as a kickoff to a visit to beautiful Alaska.
G. F. from Texas (8/19/2019) "Great course run through a wind tunnel" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I've only encountered this type of wind speed when I'm waiting for a tropical storm to make land fall in Texas! Nicely run event on paved trail. A few spots had some serious wind but overall it was a great race. If you're coming to check off Alaska as part of your 50 state goal, you'll be more than satisfied. If you're thinking you'll sample the magic of Alaska, well, Anchorage will leave you a little disappointed. Nothing special to see in town but be prepared for a lot of homeless wandering the downtown area. I thought the effort was worth it but a suggestion....I cannot recommend the AVIATOR HOTEL based on my experiences as a guest. Some great staff but they are overwhelmed by how this place is run.
A. N. from Rockville, MD USA (9/4/2018) "Big Al's Comments" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was the last marathon in my quest for 50 States and I completed it successfully. Sharron, the race director was very nice, informative and accommodating in every aspect of the race. Sadly, this was her last year as the RD, so we wish her well. The expo is in a large convention center that's just too big considering the number of vendors that show up. The free t-shirt has a groovy design and is kind of unique. The race itself is fairly small and is almost entirely on a paved narrow running path that is scenic in certain areas with the water to one side and woods to the other. It has 2 out and back sections, so you get to see where your competition is. The course is fairly flat, with the exception of one hill that comes towards the end of the run, but is only about 200-300 feet at the most. There are plenty of aid stations and the volunteers are awesome. There are not that many spectators on the course and you'll see the same few several times. We were very blessed with good weather this year with overcast skies and temperatures in the 50s, with the exception of rain the last 20-30 minutes of the race.
A. T. from Chicago (8/22/2016) "Scenic, small, well-organized" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 My kind of race scenic, small, along a bike path. Half was along the Coastal Trail, so lots of ocean sightings; other half was also along a bike bath, also scenic. Saw a moose! Lots of porta-potties at beginning. Easy to park. Nice post-race (beer tent) but ran out of some foods for slow people. Memorize the course map, as there were a few spots I wasn't sure which way to go (no one in sight in front of me. Recommend this race
S. G. from Michigan (10/14/2015) "Beautiful course, if the weather is good" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my 49th marathon/state and I was injured, yet still excited to be in Alaska. I wish the weather would have been better - the temps were perfect, but there was rain and lots of clouds covering all the spectacular background scenery (which we saw on a bike ride along the course 5 days later!). I heard that August is the rainy season for Anchorage - so be prepared. Downtown was not what I expected - not a very 'Alaskan' feel to it and there were lots of homeless people wandering around and following us. The expo was good and I was really surprised with the pasta dinner, although it was actually a lunch. But the food was delicious. The medal was great and so was the post race spread. Now, for the bad as everyone else has pointed out. The course was a mile short and the first turn around was placed incorrectly. My husband blames it on the inattentive teenagers they had volunteering along the course. A lot of them were glued to their phones and not paying attention. But nonetheless, at least they were there. But it is unacceptable to have a certified race end up not being certified due to lack of attention to detail! My 50 state finish will not be certified and I cannot afford to go back to run it again, although the race director did offer me comp entry next year. There were ways they could have extended the race at the end somehow to make up for the mistake - they had time to do this before anyone finished since they heard about the issue early on. As a race director, you need to have a plan for when things do not go as planned. I'm sure she has learned from this mistake.
P. N. from Texas (8/25/2015) "Certified?" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 How can you advertise a course as 'certified' if you don't know where the course markers are supposed to go? All of the runners in the marathon this year were cheated out of an accurate course by a careless layout of the course markers and incorrect placement of the first marathon turn around. After putting on this race on this same course for this many years, how is that even possible? Other than that, its a nice event, but a long (expensive) trip to get cheated out of a marathon finish.
T. P. from TC, MN (8/25/2015) "Short Marathon - The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon)s COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Second time at this marathon as had completed it when I it was called Humpy's. The Good: Great spectators and volunteers which was wonderful. Nice marathon shirt and medal, and nice to see free beer at the finish. Nice to see the handing out of free coffee mugs after the finish in the beer tent. The bad: The course mile markers were all over the place on this marathon - Mile 4 was close to 4.5 and who knows what mile 7 was supposed to be. The 1/2 way point was 12.8 on my watch - which will lead way to the ugly. Light rain at time and then heavier rain, but no real weather issues during the run. The course overall was not marked well and several runners had gotten lost on the course which will need to be corrected for future marathons. The Ugly: The race was apparently 1 mile short which the RD apparently had adjust to .9 short course. BQ times where adjusted, to technically a BQ qualified. This immediately confirmed what was suspected that the race director had never corrected the distance issue on the marathon, and apparently now is being reported that she never even attempted to correct it. This will count as a marathon, but not for those seeking a 'certified finish.' Race director sent immediate email on the BQ times being accepted, but continues to refuse to address issue with lack of acceptance of a 'Certified course finish for those seeking this. She admitted she never checked accuracy or setup of the marathon course before the marathon. Once she heard the course was short for the first several runners she informed everyone that the marathon course had been corrected. She had informed the news media and runners that this had been corrected. Unfortunately, she later she never worked on correcting the issue during the marathon causing every single runner to be charged with running a short distance marathon no matter what distance you actually ran on the marathon course. She adjusted everyone's time and posted that on the website. She continues to ignore repeated requests to address the 'non-certified Finish' issue for 50 staters after repeated requests. Her lack of professionalism as a Race Director is simply appalling.
M. G. from Texas (8/22/2015) "Measured Short" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This was a beautiful course, and the volunteers were great. It was a treat to see moose along the course. I was devastated, however, to learn that the course was short. This would not have mattered so much if it had not been my 50th state to complete. Because the course was not measured correctly, my completion of a marathon in all 50 states cannot be certified. I have been telling my friends that I completed a marathon in all 50 states, but now I've learned it is not so. This was a very costly and disappointing mistake.
K. H. from Virginia (8/21/2015) "Ummmm" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my least favorite race and location of the 50 plus marathons I have run. The race director did a fantastic job with organizing the race, however, the volunteers were somewhat lacking. I received the wrong drink while running through half the water stops- it didn't matter if I said water or Gatorade- it was wrong. Twice, volunteers were texting and failed to direct a couple of us in which direction to run to stay on course. The course was almost a mile short Anchorage: if you have not been to the area, prepare yourself. It does not look like the images you see online or in magazines. Downtown Anchorage was a huge disappointment and my hotel had a curfew of 11pm due to safety concerns (I stayed in a nice hotel). Positives: As mentioned above, the organization of the race and expo was great. I also met some wonderful people from all over the world who were very encouraging while running in the cold rain!

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > ]



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M. C. from MD (9/3/2021) "Great Experience - Beautiful Scenery" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The weather was perfect and the course was nice. Better markings could be used but if you paid attention you would be fine. Support and entertainment along the course was great but not much at finish line. Bart Yasso was there and is awesome! I would recommend for all 50 staters!
T. S. from Indianapolis (8/31/2021) "A cool event" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Cool, as in more than 40 degrees cooler than what it was for my last training runs before the race. Yeah, I know it makes no sense to comment on the weather, be it lousy or great, but this was darn near perfect for running. It allowed me to better enjoy the scenery along the paved path, which included Cook's Inlet and a variety of wooded areas. I'd recommend this race if you're a 50-stater, or if you just want to use it as a kickoff to a visit to beautiful Alaska.
G. F. from Texas (8/19/2019) "Great course run through a wind tunnel" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I've only encountered this type of wind speed when I'm waiting for a tropical storm to make land fall in Texas! Nicely run event on paved trail. A few spots had some serious wind but overall it was a great race. If you're coming to check off Alaska as part of your 50 state goal, you'll be more than satisfied. If you're thinking you'll sample the magic of Alaska, well, Anchorage will leave you a little disappointed. Nothing special to see in town but be prepared for a lot of homeless wandering the downtown area. I thought the effort was worth it but a suggestion....I cannot recommend the AVIATOR HOTEL based on my experiences as a guest. Some great staff but they are overwhelmed by how this place is run.
A. N. from Rockville, MD USA (9/4/2018) "Big Al's Comments" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was the last marathon in my quest for 50 States and I completed it successfully. Sharron, the race director was very nice, informative and accommodating in every aspect of the race. Sadly, this was her last year as the RD, so we wish her well. The expo is in a large convention center that's just too big considering the number of vendors that show up. The free t-shirt has a groovy design and is kind of unique. The race itself is fairly small and is almost entirely on a paved narrow running path that is scenic in certain areas with the water to one side and woods to the other. It has 2 out and back sections, so you get to see where your competition is. The course is fairly flat, with the exception of one hill that comes towards the end of the run, but is only about 200-300 feet at the most. There are plenty of aid stations and the volunteers are awesome. There are not that many spectators on the course and you'll see the same few several times. We were very blessed with good weather this year with overcast skies and temperatures in the 50s, with the exception of rain the last 20-30 minutes of the race.
A. T. from Chicago (8/22/2016) "Scenic, small, well-organized" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 My kind of race scenic, small, along a bike path. Half was along the Coastal Trail, so lots of ocean sightings; other half was also along a bike bath, also scenic. Saw a moose! Lots of porta-potties at beginning. Easy to park. Nice post-race (beer tent) but ran out of some foods for slow people. Memorize the course map, as there were a few spots I wasn't sure which way to go (no one in sight in front of me. Recommend this race
S. G. from Michigan (10/14/2015) "Beautiful course, if the weather is good" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my 49th marathon/state and I was injured, yet still excited to be in Alaska. I wish the weather would have been better - the temps were perfect, but there was rain and lots of clouds covering all the spectacular background scenery (which we saw on a bike ride along the course 5 days later!). I heard that August is the rainy season for Anchorage - so be prepared. Downtown was not what I expected - not a very 'Alaskan' feel to it and there were lots of homeless people wandering around and following us. The expo was good and I was really surprised with the pasta dinner, although it was actually a lunch. But the food was delicious. The medal was great and so was the post race spread. Now, for the bad as everyone else has pointed out. The course was a mile short and the first turn around was placed incorrectly. My husband blames it on the inattentive teenagers they had volunteering along the course. A lot of them were glued to their phones and not paying attention. But nonetheless, at least they were there. But it is unacceptable to have a certified race end up not being certified due to lack of attention to detail! My 50 state finish will not be certified and I cannot afford to go back to run it again, although the race director did offer me comp entry next year. There were ways they could have extended the race at the end somehow to make up for the mistake - they had time to do this before anyone finished since they heard about the issue early on. As a race director, you need to have a plan for when things do not go as planned. I'm sure she has learned from this mistake.
P. N. from Texas (8/25/2015) "Certified?" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 How can you advertise a course as 'certified' if you don't know where the course markers are supposed to go? All of the runners in the marathon this year were cheated out of an accurate course by a careless layout of the course markers and incorrect placement of the first marathon turn around. After putting on this race on this same course for this many years, how is that even possible? Other than that, its a nice event, but a long (expensive) trip to get cheated out of a marathon finish.
T. P. from TC, MN (8/25/2015) "Short Marathon - The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon)s COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Second time at this marathon as had completed it when I it was called Humpy's. The Good: Great spectators and volunteers which was wonderful. Nice marathon shirt and medal, and nice to see free beer at the finish. Nice to see the handing out of free coffee mugs after the finish in the beer tent. The bad: The course mile markers were all over the place on this marathon - Mile 4 was close to 4.5 and who knows what mile 7 was supposed to be. The 1/2 way point was 12.8 on my watch - which will lead way to the ugly. Light rain at time and then heavier rain, but no real weather issues during the run. The course overall was not marked well and several runners had gotten lost on the course which will need to be corrected for future marathons. The Ugly: The race was apparently 1 mile short which the RD apparently had adjust to .9 short course. BQ times where adjusted, to technically a BQ qualified. This immediately confirmed what was suspected that the race director had never corrected the distance issue on the marathon, and apparently now is being reported that she never even attempted to correct it. This will count as a marathon, but not for those seeking a 'certified finish.' Race director sent immediate email on the BQ times being accepted, but continues to refuse to address issue with lack of acceptance of a 'Certified course finish for those seeking this. She admitted she never checked accuracy or setup of the marathon course before the marathon. Once she heard the course was short for the first several runners she informed everyone that the marathon course had been corrected. She had informed the news media and runners that this had been corrected. Unfortunately, she later she never worked on correcting the issue during the marathon causing every single runner to be charged with running a short distance marathon no matter what distance you actually ran on the marathon course. She adjusted everyone's time and posted that on the website. She continues to ignore repeated requests to address the 'non-certified Finish' issue for 50 staters after repeated requests. Her lack of professionalism as a Race Director is simply appalling.
M. G. from Texas (8/22/2015) "Measured Short" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This was a beautiful course, and the volunteers were great. It was a treat to see moose along the course. I was devastated, however, to learn that the course was short. This would not have mattered so much if it had not been my 50th state to complete. Because the course was not measured correctly, my completion of a marathon in all 50 states cannot be certified. I have been telling my friends that I completed a marathon in all 50 states, but now I've learned it is not so. This was a very costly and disappointing mistake.
K. H. from Virginia (8/21/2015) "Ummmm" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon) COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my least favorite race and location of the 50 plus marathons I have run. The race director did a fantastic job with organizing the race, however, the volunteers were somewhat lacking. I received the wrong drink while running through half the water stops- it didn't matter if I said water or Gatorade- it was wrong. Twice, volunteers were texting and failed to direct a couple of us in which direction to run to stay on course. The course was almost a mile short Anchorage: if you have not been to the area, prepare yourself. It does not look like the images you see online or in magazines. Downtown Anchorage was a huge disappointment and my hotel had a curfew of 11pm due to safety concerns (I stayed in a nice hotel). Positives: As mentioned above, the organization of the race and expo was great. I also met some wonderful people from all over the world who were very encouraging while running in the cold rain!

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Marathon Details - Anchorage Runfest Humpy's Marathon (prev. Big Wild Life Runs Marathon)