Monument Valley Marathon

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Saturday November 18, 2023

Welcome to MV Marathon weekend!

REGISTRATION – Online registration for the Half Marathon and Wildcat 4-Miler Fun Run is now open through race morning of Saturday, November 18.

 Your registration includes professional timing, light pre-race food, finisher’s medal, on-course support, long-sleeve tech shirt, post-race food and entertainment.  All proceeds benefit community health and wellness programs on the Navajo Nation.

LOCATION – Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is located 23 miles northeast of Kayenta, Arizona and 20 miles south of Mexican Hat, Utah. The park straddles the Arizona/Utah border, and the races all start and finish in Arizona.  

PACKET PICK-UP – Friday afternoon Packet Pickup will be located at the Monument Valley Visitor Center from 4pm to 7pm.  Join us to grab your race packet, and light snacks and drinks.  There is packet pickup Saturday Morning at the race venue in the Start / Finish area starting one hour prior to each race start.  The marathon begins at 9:00 a.m. and the half marathon begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.  The noncompetitive Wildcat 4-miler has a run window from 12:00 p.m. noon to 2p.m.  Race times and plans may be adjusted by race organizers and park officials, as needed.

RACES – The Marathon is capped at 100 runners.  The course begins and ends in Arizona neat the AZ/Utah stateline.  The route includes several miles in the backcountry of the Valley through some dramatic, rarely seen landscapes. This is a challenging marathon mostly on dirt and jeep roads and is one of the most scenic routes in the country.  There is a significant amount of sand on this route.  Highlights include the Arches loop and Totem Pole.  The Half Marathon is the main Valley loop road – a graded dirt road; the event is capped at 500 runners.  The noncompetitive Wildcat 4-Miler will be held on the Wildcat Trail around and between East and West Mitten on a challenging route.   There will be signage and pin flags at main junctions and along all courses.  There will be spotters at key locations. 

AID STATIONS – There are aid stations throughout the course, providing hydration, medical support and a variety of nutrition: Honey Stinger gels, Gatorade, salty and sweet snacks and fresh fruit.  There will be portajohns on the course, along with excellent course support by Utah Navajo Health System, Monument Valley Fire Department, the Navajo Rangers and Navajo EMS.  This is a cupless event, so please plan to have your own personal hydration system.  Volunteers will fill your bottle or bag at the aid stations.

LODGING – Our host hotel is The View Hotel in Monument Valley Tribal Park.  You can reach them at 435-727-5555.  (They expect to sell out quickly).  You can see more about The View at the website: http://monumentvalleyview.com/ .  

   Additional lodging and camping is available at Goulding’s Lodge and Goulding’s Campground, about five minutes from the start line.  You can reach Goulding’s at 435.727.3231 (ext 0); visit their website at www.gouldings.com.  Code “RunMV” will get you a discount at Goulding’s.

   Kayenta, Arizona (25 minutes) and Mexican Hat, Utah (20 minutes) also have additional lodging options if The View and Goulding’s do not have space available.

AWARDS – There are awards for Overall (winner and runner-up, male and female) in the Marathon and Half Marathon. The noncompetitive Wildcat 4-miler does not have awards. There are plaque awards for first and swag awards for second place finishers in age-groups categories in the following categories: 14 & under, 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+.  

POST-RACE – Post-race festivities will include to-go food boxes and live music, along with the presentation of finisher’s medals once you hit the line!  There will also be medical assistance and massage, along with age-group/overall awards at the finish.  

WEATHER – The average November high in MV is 54, with an average low of 26.  The weather in the high desert is variable, of course, and winter weather, wind and rain are possible, as are much warmer, milder conditions.  

The MV Marathon and the Navajo Parks Race Series are co-sponsored by the nonprofit organization NavajoYES, Navajo Parks & Recreation, with support from The View Hotel, Utah Navajo Health System, the Navajo Rangers, Goulding’s Lodge, Kayenta Township, Kayenta Fire, Navajo EMS and MV Fire.

CONTACTS:

Course questions: [email protected] 

Registration/Timing questions: 608-201-8175; [email protected]  

[email protected]   

www.navajoyes.org