The Monument Marathon is downhill point-to-point course with approximately 20% on dirt roads.
The course begins with a significant downhill grade for nearly five miles and flattens out as the course nears mile 13. After the halfway point, the course rises through Mitchell Pass and around Scotts Bluff National Monument.
The remainder of the course is mostly flat with a few rolling hills. The race finishes through town.
The course starts at 4,600 feet and finishes at 4,000 feet.
The Monument Marathon was the 397th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 364th largest in 2022.
This year 3.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 17.1% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Monument Marathon the 75th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 315th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 98.33 ranks it as the 294th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 4th fastest course in Nebraska.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Monument Marathon a PR Score of 98.33. This PR Score ranks it as the 233rd fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest in Nebraska.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Monument Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 4635 feet (1413m) Min Elevation: 3879 feet (1182m)
El Charrito a good Mexican restaurant. Fly Over Brewery is very nice.
Mike N.'s review of 2018 Monument Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Such a well run event considering the size of the field and the size of the town. I have run much larger races with less support and less organization. The scenery is beautiful and if you are accustomed to running against yourself, you will do just fine. If you prefer to run with a herd or a pace group, however, just forget it, because the field is small. My main complaints would be the relatively late start, which had many runners finishing past noon (luckily, the weather was cooler than forecast) and the lack of readily available aid (Vaseline, etc.) on the course. But there was plenty of water, Gatorade, gel, and other nutrition along the way. Really well done, organizers!
Race Tips
Dress in layers and be prepared to shed some as the temperature and elevation changes will get to you eventually. Take the hills from 11.5-14.5 easy and you should finish strong.
