Rain or Shine, the Race Must Go On: An Alaskan Half Marathon
My experience at the 2026 Skinny Raven Half Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska - July 2026
My (first) July Half Marathon was the Skinny Raven Half Marathon, hosted in Anchorage, Alaska. I grew up in Anchorage but, prior to a week ago, had not been back in exactly 10 years; the Skinny Raven Half felt like it was made for me. The race entry was affordable and plane tickets didn’t break the bank so I coordinated the childcare and packed my bags.
A Very Wet and Cold Race Day
I arrived in Anchorage 2 days before race day and the weather was bleak. Summer in Alaska is beautiful with long hours of sunlight but it’s never been quite what I would call warm. Growing up, it was rare to see days above low 70’s. However, this was different; the rain was incessant. In the 5 days I was in town, there was not a single hour that I was completely dry.
Race day morning was no different. When I showed up to the start line, it was already raining heavily and the temperature was in the low 50’s. Within 45 minutes I was soaked through my clothes. I ran through puddles that were up to my ankles, more than once I narrowly avoided the ones that hit me mid shin. There were points during the race that I could even see my own breath in the air; it was that cold. By the time I crossed the finish line, there was not a dry piece of clothing on my body; I had to ask a stranger to use his sweatshirt to dry off my camera to get a photo. It was so wet.
The Route
The race route started in downtown Anchorage and took runners down to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, one of the town’s popular running trails. The Coastal Trail takes runners through the woods alongside Cook Inlet. On a clear day this provides gorgeous views of Mount Susitna (commonly known as “Sleeping Lady”), Denali and downtown Anchorage. Race day it showed a lot of grey and clouds which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to this piece. Then, the trail pops out by the airport and we listened to the roar of airplanes taking off and flying directly overhead before turning around at the halfway mark of the race.
On the trail, I saw my first barefoot runner. Barefoot running is naturally impressive but in this weather I was absolutely awestruck. My feet were wet but warm with crew socks on but this guy was running on dirt trails, through mud and puddles, and beating the pavement for over 13 miles. I wish I could have talked to him but he was speedy and totally smoked me for time.
There were moderate hills built in throughout the race, for a total elevation gain of about 700 feet. The most significant was at the very end of the race. You came off the trail and ran right up this hill gaining 75feet in the last quarter of a mile. It was a killer burnout, especially in swampy shoes.
The Event Vibe
Every race event has a different energy and vibe, in part because of the people who organize it and in part because of the people who show up on race day. Something notable about The Skinny Raven Half Marathon was the effort for a culture of inclusivity. For one, this race is the first that I have participated in that offered two different start times: the regular start and a 1 hour head start for participants planning to take more than 3.5 hours to finish. Because of this, I saw a wider variety of ages, sizes, and experience levels than I have seen so far. That was very cool.
The other notable choice was to have volunteers to run the final half mile and burnout hill with people. This race is also the first that I have experienced with anything like this. As someone who runs alone and often without anyone to meet me at the finish line, this was very cool to see. The organizers of the Skinny Raven Half Marathon ensured no runner finished alone, which I think is beautiful.
Takeaways and Areas for Improvement
There is always a way to grow and get better and this race was no different for me. Running at sea level after training in the mountains gave me a natural advantage but this hilly course made it hard to ignore that I have been avoiding any kind of hill training. Going forward, I am going to be more intentional with my training in this area.
I also made a poor choice and fueled poorly. Fueling has consistently been a weakness for me; I struggle to eat before and don’t fuel often enough during. This time, I was underprepared and didn’t bring enough gels. Luckily, they gave me two at the mile 8ish aid station but if they hadn’t I would have been very sorry by about mile 10.5 or 11. This was a good reminder to keep an extra 2 or 3 in my pack.
Lastly, I sadly left my race bib in my rental car which was such a bummer. Luckily, I have my medal but I’d be lying if I said I am not super disappointed by that. In addition to this, I missed collecting my finisher glass at the end of race expo. The organizers said they will mail it but if I had to give any feedback it would have been to have them with medals, not at a separate tent that was not well marked.
Overall, the Skinny Raven Half Marathon was a fun way to experience the town I grew up in. I don’t think I would shell out the money to do this exact race again but I hope to make it back to do another in Alaska. Hopefully in weather that is a little more sunny and a lot less wet!
Next race: The Divide Trail Race - 25K