Equinox News

We’re happy to announce that registration is open for the 2022 Equinox Kids Marathon, a chance for kids to run a marathon a mile at a time. Check out the details here and register on the Running Club North website here today!

We’re pleased to announce that registration for the 2022 Equinox Marathon and Half Marathon is now open. All the details are on the Entering page.

We’ll see you at the start line in September!

Congratulations to all who finished either the full Equinox Marathon or the inaugural Half Marathon last weekend! There were a lot of photographers out on the course, and some have offered to share their photos:

• Paris Photographics – prints and downloads available for purchase.
• Mark Conde – Mark writes: I have reviewed about 2/3 of the shots I took, and posted an initial batch of shots to the gallery. I will be adding the rest over the next few days. The photos can be freely downloaded at around 6 mega-pixel resolution. If anyone doesn’t want their photo in the gallery, I’m more than happy to remove it. They can just email me at phasefront@gmail.com with a link to the photo in question, and I’ll remove it.

If you have a publicly accessible online collection from this year and would like to share them, please email Don Kiely at running@runningclubnorth.org. I’ll add them to this post, so check back for more.

Thanks to the photographers for sharing!

An IMPORTANT note from Running Club North:

Dear Equinox Participant,

The 58th running of Running Club North’s (RCN) Fairbanks Equinox Marathon and first running of the Half Marathon on September 18, 2021 will occur during truly unique times—dominated as they are by COVID. With unique times come unique responsibilities. RCN’s Board of Directors wants to mention its expectations of participants:

1. Do not attend for any reason (including as an observer) if you have ANY COVID symptoms or have been in contact with anyone known or suspected to have COVID within the last 14 days.
2. While in attendance please abide by the following:
   • Maintain social distancing at the start of the race, at aid stations to the best of your ability, and, especially, during the pre-race briefing
   • Mask up until the race is underway

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. The Equinox Marathon/Half Marathon is a highlight of the fall season for many of us and I look forward to seeing you on the trails. Race Director Stacy Fisk is doing an admirable job organizing these races under truly unusual times. Let’s all do our parts by keeping ourselves and each other healthy.

For the RCN Board of Directors,
Arthur Hussey, President

UPDATE, 9/1/2021: We have maps for the Equinox Half Marathon! Check them out.

UPDATE, 7/31/2021: The course for the Equinox Half is coming together! Here is a brief description of the route, from the race director:

The half marathon course will start on the first eight miles of the full marathon to Goldstream Sports, with a short out/back from there. Then head straight back on the Sheep Creek Rd. bike path, and hook back up with the full marathon through the trails on your left just past Sheep Creek Extension [presumably the UAF West Ridge trails] to the finish.

We are putting together maps and more details, which should be ready early next week. Look for more information soon!

And a few other updates:

• For out-of-town visitors, the host hotels are Best Western and Sophies Plaza. Check out the Visitors page for the discounted rates.
• The Marathon starts 8am as usual. The Half Marathon will start at 8:45am. See the Schedule page for the complete list of events.
• There will be no banquet this year. Awards for the top five male and female racers for both the full and half will be near the finish area at 1pm.

UPDATE, 7/26/2021: Lifetime members of the Equinox Marathon are able to use their registration code for the half marathon, the same way it works in most years for the relay. So request your code and register today!

We’re happy to announce that the 2021 Equinox Marathon is on! But the set of events is going to be a little different. This post is a high-level view of the changes, and we’ll keep it updated as things evolve.

First, probably the biggest change is that there will be no Equinox Relay. We’re afraid that this is a concession to the need for social distancing and other logistical issues with getting runners to and from the relay start and end points.

But, there will be an Equinox Half Marathon, for the first time in a number of years.

If you have any questions, please contact the race director, Stacy Fisk, at equinox@runningclubnorth.org. But please don’t inundate her! There is a lot going on as fall approaches.

After carefully considering options for the 2020 race, we have to share the sad news that there will not be an Equinox Marathon or Relay this year. This decision was challenging and difficult for the Running Club North Board of Directors and the Equinox Marathon race committee. As runners ourselves, we understand the deep disappointment this will cause to our participants, as well as the impact this has on our sponsors, vendors, partners, dedicated volunteers and community. All of us are heartbroken by this outcome.

All of us hoped that we could safely host the 58th annual event this September, but we do hope that you strap on a pair of shoes on September 21st and go for a run, jog or walk; slip into your favorite sneakers and move forward.

We’ll be in touch about 2021. Thank you for your support and dedication.

Until then – Stay Active, Stay Healthy, Stay Safe, and Stay Strong.

Stacy Fisk, Race Director

The Equinox Marathon and Relay will be on Saturday, September 19, 2020. Registration will open early next year, but mark your calendar now!

We’ve begun updating the Web site with the new (tentative) dates, and will flesh things out as plan develop.