by Tobias Albrigtsen | Sep 18, 2026 | News
Greetings racers! The 63rd running of the Equinox Marathon & Relay is almost here and excitement (and currently no rain) is in the air!
This email includes final details. You can also get additional info at bib pickup on Friday from 4-7 p.m.
- BIB PICKUP
– Friday from 4-7 p.m. at Beaver Sports for all racers
– Saturday from 7-7:50 a.m. for Marathon-only (and no race-registration possible Saturday) - LIVE TIMING & RESULTS
– Track yourself or other runners in real time here (and share this link with your supporters)!
https://my.raceresult.com/421546/live - RACE DAY SCHEDULE
7 a.m. – UAF SRC opens
7:30-7:40 a.m. – Pre-race briefing, SRC
7:00-7:50 a.m. – Final Bib Pickup for MARATHON ONLY
8 a.m. – MASS START
10:45(ish) a.m. – First finishers expected
11 a.m. – Finish food available (racers and volunteers only)
1 p.m. – Brief outdoor awards ceremony for podium winners
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Free showers at Patty Center locker rooms (basement)
6 p.m. – Cutoff for official finish and finish teardown begins
5:30 p.m. – Doors for awards ceremony/dinner opens (SRC gym). 6:15 p.m. – Awards begin
8 p.m. – FREE CONCERT, the Casey Smith Project (SRC gym)! - PARKING
– Start/finish – free parking is available in any of the nearby lots including the gravel lots across the road. Try not to park on the shoulder of Tanana Loop East to keep us in good graces with the DOT!
– Goldstream Sports – free parking available at the lot across the road and at Ann’s Greenhouse. Please do not park directly at Goldstream Sports and try not to park on the shoulder of Sheep Creep Road or definitely not on Ester Dome Rd!
– Ester Dome – limited parking available at the junction of Ester Dome & Henderson Road for those who wish to walk or bike to the top; only race officials and locals are allowed to drive beyond that spot on race day. - SHUTTLES
– See this website link for all details
– 8:00-8:30 a.m. – 2 buses and 1 van from Patty Center to Goldstream Sports for Leg 2 and Leg 3 relay runners
– Beginning at 9 a.m. – 1 van (look for sign) will transport Leg 1 relay runners only back to Patty Center
– Beginning at 9:10 a.m. – Van and 2 buses will start transporting Leg 3 runners (and parents/guardians of junior racers) up Ester Dome; carefully consider when to take the shuttle to limit wait time for your Leg 2 runner to arrive (and bring spare clothes). These shuttles will run continuously until 2 p.m. for Leg 3 runners going up to Ester Dome exchange zone and Leg 2 runners going down to Goldstream Sports or back to the SRC. - SHOWERS
The locker rooms in the basement of the Patty Center adjacent to the SRC will be available for free showers Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. - AWARDS CEREMONIES
– 1 p.m. – Brief ceremony outdoors at finish area for podium winners
– 5:30 p.m. – Evening awards ceremony at SRC for podium, age group winners, relay winners, door prizes and more! Includes complimentary pizza, dessert & beverages sponsored by Odom Corp. and Black Spruce Brewing Co.
Have a great final day and see everyone on Saturday!
Matias Saari (director), Tobias Albrigtsen (assistant director) & the Running Club North Board of Directors
by Tobias Albrigtsen | Sep 18, 2026 | News
Head’s up: Regular registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday! After that, registration is possible at bib pickup Sept. 17-18 but for an extra fee of $25 for marathoners and $75 for relay teams. And registration on race day is NOT possible.
As of Wednesday morning, we’re at 923 entrants. Help us make a push toward 1,000!!
And don’t despair: after today the weather is expected to improve! BIB PICKUP INFORMATIONLocation: Beaver SportsDate: Thursday Sept. 17 & Friday Sept. 18Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pmHere’s what’s happening at bib pickup: - MARATHON & MARATHON HIKE — Get your bib assignment and actual bib (or bibs, if you’re in the relay). For the marathon, we’re doing “dynamic” bib assignment where we simply hand you the next number available. The exception is 1-9 (contenders) and Lifetime members, whose bibs are pre-assigned.
Marathoners who can’t get their bibs Sept. 17-18 can get theirs on race day inside the UAF SRC from 7:00-7:50 a.m. . - RELAY – Your 3-person team numbers have been pre-assigned; each teammate will get an individually chipped bib. One member can pick up bibs and t-shirts for all 3 members. Relay teams MUST pick up their bibs on Sept. 17-18. Bib pickup for the relay is NOT possible. Please plan accordingly!
- INFO – We’ll have our course map on a poster board and a veteran racer available to answer any questions you might have!
- T-SHIRT – This year’s shirts are forest green long-sleeve and feature a course profile logo in the design! We have ordered the exact sizes that were specified so you must receive the size you selected at registration.
- STICKER – You’ll receive a sticker of our new course logo.
- PATCHES (Marathon) and COASTERS (Relay) — You’ll have to wait until finishing your event to get those!
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Trail Conditions: We’ve gotten a bit of rain this week and the trail portions are soggy. There will likely be mud and puddles and slippery conditions on parts of the course. For shoe choice, it’s probably wise to “err on the side of traction” and wear trail-oriented shoes with decent lugs. We also recommend getting on the trail Thursday or Friday, if possible, to see for yourself how the trails are shaping up as conditions can change daily.Weather Report: Wednesday’s forecast shows .69 inches of rain! But there is very little rain slated for Thursday-Friday. And race day is expected to bring a high of 52, a low around 40, and perhaps light rain at the start followed by cloudy conditions the rest of the day. Could be way worse! |
Marathon Run & Hike:7:00AM – 7:50AM: Race-Day Bib Pickup, inside the UAF Student Recreation Center – marathon only (not relay) —- FOR ALL RELAY TEAMS —-YOU MUST PICK UP YOUR BIBS AT BEAVER SPORTS OR YOU CAN’T RACE! |
by Tobias Albrigtsen | Sep 15, 2026 | News
Equinox Marathon 2026 Relay Information Sheet
Running Leg 1: You start from UAF SRC at 8:00 a.m. and finish at Goldstream Sports. There will be a shuttle provided by the Student Wrester Development Program for relay transportation from Goldstream Sports back to the UAF SRC. This shuttle will run from 9:00am – 11:15am.
Running Leg 2: We’ll provide bus and van shuttles at 8 a.m. (immediately after the race starts) until 8:30 a.m. (and no later!). The loading spot is next to the front steps of the Patty Center adjacent to the start area. Note that if you take these shuttles but are on a team that takes 90 minutes or longer to run leg 1, you’ll be waiting for a while. But Goldstream is a fun spot and a hub of activity!
The other option is to get yourself to Goldstream Sports; the best scenario is being dropped off so you don’t contribute to the parking challenges in the Goldstream Sports/Ann’s Greenhouses area.
You start your run at Goldstream Sports and finish at the top of Ester Dome; when you tag your Leg 3 runner make sure you both cross the timing mat.
Once you are done running, you can ride race-provided buses from the top of Ester Dome to either Goldstream Sports or UAF SRC (no private vehicles can drive to the top). Bus service will go until 2 p.m. (and some race officials will stay longer), so no Leg 2 runners will be stranded!
Running Leg 3: From 8:00-8:30 a.m., you may take the shuttles from the Patty Center to Goldstream Sports and support your leg 1 and leg 2 runners. Or you may transport yourself to Goldstream Sports; the best option is being dropped off.
Starting at 9:10 a.m., our shuttles will begin transporting leg 3 runners to the Relay Exchange zone at the top of Ester Dome. The bus stop is just across Ester Dome Road from Goldstream Sports near a cluster of mailboxes; it’s the same place as 2025.
The 12-passenger van will be the first shuttle vehicle to go up; it’s reserved for the fastest teams (first place after completing two legs last year took 1 hour, 48 minutes; 12th place was around 2:45; some teams take more than 4 hours). Once the 2 buses and shuttle are in motion, they’ll be driving a perpetual loop with staggered departure times. The ride to the top takes 15 minutes. Carefully consider when you want to head up so that you’re not waiting an excessively long time on top (Ester Dome can be chilly) but also not risking missing the finish tag of your leg 2 runner.
When one bus reaches the top, it will unload passengers and then serve as a warming station (if necessary) until the 2nd bus arrives (and then they’ll reverse roles).
Once you’re on top, keep an eye out for your relay runner approaching the exchange zone, make the tag before the timing mat (the BOTH runners must cross the timing mat) and then run/jog/hike to the finish where hopefully you can celebrate with your relay teammates!
OTHER IMPORTANT NOTES:
– PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF BUS TRAFFIC ATOP ESTER DOME –
Buses will be turning around in a congested area. Give the buses as much room as you can and be aware of their movements.
– The weather on Ester Dome can be rainy, windy and even snowy! –
Leg 2 runners can hand off dry clothes to their Leg 3 teammates as they complete their leg.
Leg 3 runners can also send their own warmup clothes back to UAF with their Leg 2 teammates. Bring your own bags for these exchanges.
– BIB PICKUP –
Bib pick up for the relay is from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, September 17 and 4-7 p.m. Friday, September 18 at Beaver Sports, 3480 College Rd. There is no relay bib pick up or team registration on race day.
– LEG AND BIB ASSIGNMENTS –
Once relay team members are assigned to a leg and bibs are assigned to a team member, it is critical for timing purposes that runners do not swap legs or bibs.
by Tobias Albrigtsen | Sep 14, 2026 | News
Fuel is extremely important for having a successful marathon experience. We want to share with you what we are providing, so you can prepare to do your best out there!
You will pass by 11 official aid stations on the marathon course and one at the finish. Make sure to thank the aid station volunteers! You may see a few unofficial neighborhood aid stations out there as well that are part of the magic/lore of the Equinox Marathon.
Water and Gatorade/Powerade is available at every station. Coca-Cola and hot cocoa will be available at a few stations.
The following food is on the menu, but not everything is available at each station:
– Bananas, Cuties oranges, Goldfish, pretzels, chips, Oreos, Gummies, and M&M’s.
No gels are provided; those should be carried by racers who want them.
Click HERE for a detailed map that shows the locations of the following aid stations, and more:
- Mile 2.1 – at the intersection of Ballaine Road and Yankovich Road; WATER ONLY
- Mile 5.3 – at the intersection of Yankovich Road, Miller Hill Road and Lawlor Road; WATER ONLY
- Mile 8.2 – at Exchange Zone #1 at Goldstream Sports at the junction of Sheep Creek and Ester Dome roads; WATER & FOOD
- Mile 11.5 – on Ester Dome Road at the north/upper end of Henderson Road; WATER & (limited) FOOD
- Mile 12.8/17.1 – near the exit of the “Tunnel” just beyond the Ullrhavn lot; this station is accessed twice. WATER & FOOD
- Mile 13.2/16.9 – at Exchange Zone #2 between the two towers on Ester Dome; this station is accessed twice. WATER & FOOD
- Mile 15.1 – at the Turnaround on the “Out-and-Back”; WATER & FOOD
- Mile 20.0 – on Henderson Road at the pullout just beyond the mine; WATER ONLY
- Mile 22.8 – on the east end of the powerline just before it joins Gold Hill Road; WATER & (limited) FOOD
- Finish, Mile 26.2 – Full-service support at the finish will continue until 6:00 p.m. Includes BURGERS, CHIPS, FRUIT, CHOCOLATE MILK, OTHER BEVERAGES & MORE.
by Tobias Albrigtsen | Sep 12, 2026 | News
Welcome to the 63rd Equinox Marathon & Relay!Race start is in 7 days and we’re excited to share some of the excitement to come. |
All race information will be communicated via email over the next seven days, so please check your email regularly to stay up to date. For comprehensive race info, visit the Equinox Marathon website. |
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, relay finishers will get an award — a drink coaster with the Equinox logo. Each leg gets a different color. Be careful, you might catch yourself spending the next three years to collect them all! Top 3 men and women will receive cash prizes this year. The champions will also be awarded a beautiful Engraved Epoxy Birch Board while birch bowls (instead of gold plates) will go to the 2nd through 5th place winners. Age categories have been changed to 10-year groupings — but awards will now go 5 deep instead of 3 deep. |
We are celebrating the 33rd Annual Equinox Relay with 6 awards including best team name and best costumes, so be sure to wear your best fit on race day! Marathon finishers will receive the traditional patch as always. We are bringing back the Awards Ceremony on the night of the race, including dinner, dessert & beer, door prizes, and a chance to win a $500 value raffle prize (must be present to win) — hosted by your new Equinox Director Duo, Matias and Tobias! |
We are bringing back the Awards Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on the night of the race, including dinner, dessert & beer, door prizes, and a chance to win a $500 value raffle prize (must be present to win) — hosted by your new Equinox Director Duo, Matias and Tobias! |
After Party live music performance by Casey Smith Project follows the conclusion of the awards ceremony at 8 p.m.! It’s a free event (no bib required) so invite your friends too! |
