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Marathon Details - Idaho Falls MAD Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > ID > Idaho Falls > Idaho Falls MAD Marathon

Idaho Falls MAD Marathon

Idaho Falls MAD Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Idaho Falls, ID USA

July 26, 2025

http://www.idahofallsmarathon.com

Marathon Results

By Year:

2024 2023 2022 2021 2019 2018 2017 2016 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

The M.A.D. Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K is a beautiful race course that highlights all of the best that Idaho Falls has to offer. Running through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and finishing on the banks of the majestic Snake River!

Contact Information

Name:	Lezhai Gulbransen
Address:	2919 Simon St Idaho Falls, ID 83402
Phone Number:	208-557-4021
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (11)

Course 3.4

Organization 3.8

Spectators 3.5

Write a review

Number of comments: 11 [displaying comments 1 to 5]

More Comments: [ < 1 > ]

W. W. from Los Angeles (7/30/2024) "A Fun Community Event" (about: 2024) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a small sized marathon. It has been organized as a community event. It made me feel that this is an event for runners to get together having fun. No road was closed for the event. In a handful major road cross points, we had to wait for green lights to pass through. There were volunteers at those road crossing points to guide the runners. The first half route went around farmland on paved country road. The second half went along the snake river and loop around Idaho Waterfalls mainly on paved bike trails. This is not a course to make a personal best as we had to make a few stops waiting for traffic. There were signs whenever a turn or road folk were encountered. My speed was close to average. I could see runners ahead of me almost the entire race. I did not have a problem following the route. However, I did hear someone complaining about missed directions. The organizers were friendly to all runners. They were ready to help whenever questions / requests were raised. The first aid station was about 4 miles away from the start. After that, there was an aid station every 2-3 miles. Almost every station had GU Gel supply, except the last one which was about 2 miles from the finish. I guess that the gels were run out. The volunteers in those aid stations were very helpful, except one which had no attendant. There were not many spectators watching this event. In the second half of the route, it was along the river bank trails. There were bikers, pedestrians and road side vendors cheering the runners sometimes. The event is held in summer time. Idaho Falls is a city in Rocky mountain range with 4k+ feet elevation. The cool temperature and light breeze in summer mornings was suitable for running. The marathon started at 6:00am. The temperature was between 50th to 70th before 11:00am. Almost all marathon runners were able to park less than 100 yards away from the start/finish line. No traffic to get in/out of the parking lot. There were plenty of potties in the start/finish area and along the route. It has been a fun event. I had a good time. Sorry some others had trouble with the event. I guess over the time, the event has improved a lot.
T. W. from Burley, Idaho (7/27/2024) "Improved substantially under new race director" (about: 2024) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The new race director has really turned this race around. Very fun environment and a great course. Loved the early start time to avoid the heat and no bus ride was fantastic. I came in from out of town and our hotel was a quarter mile from the start and finish line. All in all it was a fantastic race and experience!
Charles Kobold from Wyoming (8/1/2021) "Minimal effort by the organizers." (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I have waited a day to write this review to make sure I am writing with a clear head. I would not recommend this race under any circumstances. The course is fine and the area is lovely (The Rocky Mountains in the summer are amazing) but the organizers could care less. 1. At packet pickup they don't give you a drop bag with assorted stuff inside. This is the first marathon that I have not received a drop bag. 2. The busses were late, dropped us off late, we started late and we had to run to the start line to keep from missing the start time. There was also no clock at the start line so I have no idea what time we started. 3. The first 14 miles or so were highway running and there were absolutely no signs or warnings for the commuters to watch out for runners. 4. The course was very poorly marked, with absolutely no mile markers of any type for the whole race and when it got into the urban areas it was very hard to stay on course. Major intersections had no one pointing you in the right direction (with the exception of one). So if you were running by yourself (as I was) watch out! I actually went off course for a short time but discovered my mistake and was able to get back on course. 5. There were no water stations the first three miles (not the end of the world) and then one every 2nd mile (acceptable given the weather conditions). However the last station was at mile 23, leaving the last 3.2 miles (always the hardest) with no pit stop. It sure would have been nice to have one last pit stop at 25. 6. At the finish line there was no clock and since we started late I have no idea what time I finished at. Totally inexcusable. 7. There was no water, no Gatorade or any type of fluid available at the finish line either. I also don't think they had any paramedics available if needed. All they had at the end were some old bananas that were cut in half (a subtle hint to take only half) and thus were already spoiling and a couple coolers full of cheap, freeze pop style popsicles (cold sugar water with food coloring added) that are good for very young children in the summer. Now one or two of these issues do not make or break a marathon. But all of these put together into a single marathon are indicative of organizers that have very little interest in making sure you have a fun and memorable time. It was quite obvious the organizers of this event were concentrated on making as big a profit as possible. I do not have a problem with a marathon making money and people being paid for their time and efforts. But when you put basically no effort into making a marathon fun or providing standard services then yes I have a problem. To finalize I would highly recommend that you avoid this marathon. If you are a 50 Stater, pick Boise as your Idaho run (a great run). If you want to do some marathons in the Rockies during the summer (highly recommended) then pick one of the other ones (or multiples) close by. Missoula, MT offers a great one. Casper, WY and Billings, MT also offer great marathons. I could go on and on.
E. C. from Austin, TX (8/3/2019) "Overall good but some minor issues" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This the first time I ran this marathon and compared to previous reviews from years past, it appears they made significant improvements. Pros: -I like smaller marathons so with only a hundred or so runners it was perfect. -Smooth check in process. -Bus ran on time that morning. -Started right on time. -Great communication leading up to race. -I don't care too much about swag but I like the tank top (different) and the medal (I heard last year was plastic). Cons: -Not sure this is a con as I knew this going in, but it's a tough course with hills up to about mile 10.5, then a significant downhill for about 5 miles which can shred your quads if you don't train for it (I didn't). So if you are looking to PR or BQ, it may be tough. -They advertised power ade but tasted more like some watered down powder drink. At first I just thought it was funny tasting water, but later realized that was the 'power ade.' -STUDY THE COURSE!! If you are not paying attention you'll miss the orange arrows pointing you in the right direction. There were not any volunteers I saw pointing you in the right direction at some turns. Specifically, the turn on Waterford street was missed by a lot of people. I passed some half-marathoners twice on the course as they missed that turn off and kept going straight. -Gear bag was not there when I finished. At that point I just want to go back to hotel. Overall, not perfect, but good enough. Friendly people in Idaho and I'm glad I did it. Enjoyed Yellowstone and Jackson Hole later that week :)
C. H. from USA (8/6/2016) "Beautiful course, but they ran out of water" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This is a beautiful race course in an easy-to-get-to destination, which has great potential. I ran the 2016 marathon. It was a very hot day, and they had the right idea planning a start time of 5:30 a.m. However, the race started almost 1/2 an hour late, and there were nowhere near enough water stations for such a hot day. But if that wasn't enough, by the time I got to 19 miles, they had run out of water! I have done 50+ marathons,and am typically a sub4 runner, and have never experienced a marathon that has run out of water before! This was also a very small venue with only about 50 participants in the marathon, so running out of water is completely inexcusable.

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W. W. from Los Angeles (7/30/2024) "A Fun Community Event" (about: 2024) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a small sized marathon. It has been organized as a community event. It made me feel that this is an event for runners to get together having fun. No road was closed for the event. In a handful major road cross points, we had to wait for green lights to pass through. There were volunteers at those road crossing points to guide the runners. The first half route went around farmland on paved country road. The second half went along the snake river and loop around Idaho Waterfalls mainly on paved bike trails. This is not a course to make a personal best as we had to make a few stops waiting for traffic. There were signs whenever a turn or road folk were encountered. My speed was close to average. I could see runners ahead of me almost the entire race. I did not have a problem following the route. However, I did hear someone complaining about missed directions. The organizers were friendly to all runners. They were ready to help whenever questions / requests were raised. The first aid station was about 4 miles away from the start. After that, there was an aid station every 2-3 miles. Almost every station had GU Gel supply, except the last one which was about 2 miles from the finish. I guess that the gels were run out. The volunteers in those aid stations were very helpful, except one which had no attendant. There were not many spectators watching this event. In the second half of the route, it was along the river bank trails. There were bikers, pedestrians and road side vendors cheering the runners sometimes. The event is held in summer time. Idaho Falls is a city in Rocky mountain range with 4k+ feet elevation. The cool temperature and light breeze in summer mornings was suitable for running. The marathon started at 6:00am. The temperature was between 50th to 70th before 11:00am. Almost all marathon runners were able to park less than 100 yards away from the start/finish line. No traffic to get in/out of the parking lot. There were plenty of potties in the start/finish area and along the route. It has been a fun event. I had a good time. Sorry some others had trouble with the event. I guess over the time, the event has improved a lot.
T. W. from Burley, Idaho (7/27/2024) "Improved substantially under new race director" (about: 2024) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The new race director has really turned this race around. Very fun environment and a great course. Loved the early start time to avoid the heat and no bus ride was fantastic. I came in from out of town and our hotel was a quarter mile from the start and finish line. All in all it was a fantastic race and experience!
Charles Kobold from Wyoming (8/1/2021) "Minimal effort by the organizers." (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I have waited a day to write this review to make sure I am writing with a clear head. I would not recommend this race under any circumstances. The course is fine and the area is lovely (The Rocky Mountains in the summer are amazing) but the organizers could care less. 1. At packet pickup they don't give you a drop bag with assorted stuff inside. This is the first marathon that I have not received a drop bag. 2. The busses were late, dropped us off late, we started late and we had to run to the start line to keep from missing the start time. There was also no clock at the start line so I have no idea what time we started. 3. The first 14 miles or so were highway running and there were absolutely no signs or warnings for the commuters to watch out for runners. 4. The course was very poorly marked, with absolutely no mile markers of any type for the whole race and when it got into the urban areas it was very hard to stay on course. Major intersections had no one pointing you in the right direction (with the exception of one). So if you were running by yourself (as I was) watch out! I actually went off course for a short time but discovered my mistake and was able to get back on course. 5. There were no water stations the first three miles (not the end of the world) and then one every 2nd mile (acceptable given the weather conditions). However the last station was at mile 23, leaving the last 3.2 miles (always the hardest) with no pit stop. It sure would have been nice to have one last pit stop at 25. 6. At the finish line there was no clock and since we started late I have no idea what time I finished at. Totally inexcusable. 7. There was no water, no Gatorade or any type of fluid available at the finish line either. I also don't think they had any paramedics available if needed. All they had at the end were some old bananas that were cut in half (a subtle hint to take only half) and thus were already spoiling and a couple coolers full of cheap, freeze pop style popsicles (cold sugar water with food coloring added) that are good for very young children in the summer. Now one or two of these issues do not make or break a marathon. But all of these put together into a single marathon are indicative of organizers that have very little interest in making sure you have a fun and memorable time. It was quite obvious the organizers of this event were concentrated on making as big a profit as possible. I do not have a problem with a marathon making money and people being paid for their time and efforts. But when you put basically no effort into making a marathon fun or providing standard services then yes I have a problem. To finalize I would highly recommend that you avoid this marathon. If you are a 50 Stater, pick Boise as your Idaho run (a great run). If you want to do some marathons in the Rockies during the summer (highly recommended) then pick one of the other ones (or multiples) close by. Missoula, MT offers a great one. Casper, WY and Billings, MT also offer great marathons. I could go on and on.
E. C. from Austin, TX (8/3/2019) "Overall good but some minor issues" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This the first time I ran this marathon and compared to previous reviews from years past, it appears they made significant improvements. Pros: -I like smaller marathons so with only a hundred or so runners it was perfect. -Smooth check in process. -Bus ran on time that morning. -Started right on time. -Great communication leading up to race. -I don't care too much about swag but I like the tank top (different) and the medal (I heard last year was plastic). Cons: -Not sure this is a con as I knew this going in, but it's a tough course with hills up to about mile 10.5, then a significant downhill for about 5 miles which can shred your quads if you don't train for it (I didn't). So if you are looking to PR or BQ, it may be tough. -They advertised power ade but tasted more like some watered down powder drink. At first I just thought it was funny tasting water, but later realized that was the 'power ade.' -STUDY THE COURSE!! If you are not paying attention you'll miss the orange arrows pointing you in the right direction. There were not any volunteers I saw pointing you in the right direction at some turns. Specifically, the turn on Waterford street was missed by a lot of people. I passed some half-marathoners twice on the course as they missed that turn off and kept going straight. -Gear bag was not there when I finished. At that point I just want to go back to hotel. Overall, not perfect, but good enough. Friendly people in Idaho and I'm glad I did it. Enjoyed Yellowstone and Jackson Hole later that week :)
C. H. from USA (8/6/2016) "Beautiful course, but they ran out of water" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Idaho Falls MAD Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This is a beautiful race course in an easy-to-get-to destination, which has great potential. I ran the 2016 marathon. It was a very hot day, and they had the right idea planning a start time of 5:30 a.m. However, the race started almost 1/2 an hour late, and there were nowhere near enough water stations for such a hot day. But if that wasn't enough, by the time I got to 19 miles, they had run out of water! I have done 50+ marathons,and am typically a sub4 runner, and have never experienced a marathon that has run out of water before! This was also a very small venue with only about 50 participants in the marathon, so running out of water is completely inexcusable.

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Marathon Details - Idaho Falls MAD Marathon