The petition period for the 2024 race was March 1-31 and is now CLOSED.
Petitions are NOT POSSIBLE after March 31 or after the roster has been announced and published.
Through a competitive application process, the Mount Marathon Race Committee approves a limited number of petitions due of special circumstances, such as documented outstanding results in other mountain races or a compelling reason unrelated to performance merit. Additional consideration will be extended to those applicants with a connection to Seward and Alaska; to those who have volunteered for the Mount Marathon Race; and to those that have contributed to the mountain racing community by volunteering.
Petitioning offers a one-time (one race) opportunity to experience the race. A successful petition is not a path to priority status (unless you win the race). If your intent is to gain entry to the race for more than one year, the lottery is your best path to entry. Also note that an approved petition is only valid for the current year and resets the petitioner’s weighted lottery status back to zero for the following race year.
The petition will ask you to:
- Explain why you want to run the Mount Marathon Race. Special consideration will be extended to those applicants with a connection to Seward and Alaska.
- Explain why you are not trying to gain entry via the auction.
- Establish your credibility as an experienced mountain runner or your mountain skills and include top race results.
- Explain how you will complete the entire course prior to the race (if you live outside of Southcentral Alaska).
- Describe your contribution to Seward, Alaska or your local community through supporting events, particularly athletic events.
Those who petition for a race entry will first be considered as a lottery applicant (they must apply during the application period of March 1-31 each year). If the petitioner wins the lottery, they are in the race and the petition does not need to be considered. If the petitioner loses the lottery, their petition will be considered by the race committee in early April and the petitioner will be notified of the result by April 15.
Successful petitioners will be invoiced $65 to bring them up to the full registration fee of $85. You won’t become an official registrant until you pay this invoice.
Unless a petitioner wins the Mount Marathon Race, they may not gain priority status through an approved one-year petition and must return to the lottery pool for the following year’s race. Petitioners can not retain entry by placing in the Top 50 Percent of their Age Group. However, petitioners who place among the Top 10 overall will earn another one-year entry the following year (but still must also apply for the lottery AND complete a One-Time Earned Race Spot Form).
Petition winners are encouraged, but not required, to select a volunteer opportunity on our SignUp Genius list or have a friend or family member volunteer in their place.
Racers using spots allotted to a sponsor who lose the lottery (or don’t enter it) fall under the one-year petition rules for qualification the following year (but they don’t not need to actually fill out a petition).