Hayden Lake Marathon
Hayden, United States · October · Independent
Why people love it
- Full loop of Hayden Lake with pine forest and fall colour
- Aid every 3 to 5 km (2 to 3 mi) with gels, chews and toilets
- Small, friendly field of about 86 marathoners and local volunteers
- Finish food including pizza, and a detailed medal
Watch out for
- Hills total 640 to 760 m (2,100 to 2,500 ft); poor for a PR
- Fast traffic passes close on lakeside roads
- Cold rain and wind in 2025; October air of 4 to 23 °C (39 to 73 °F)
- Long solitary stretches with few spectators
- Entry fee not found and Boston qualifier status not listed
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Very tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.0
RaceRaves shows 4.3 out of 5 from 6 runners; MarathonGuide and RaceEntry runners give 5. Praise for scenery and volunteers; complaints are hills and traffic. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
RaceRaves production is 4.5 out of 5. Reviewers praise markings, aid spacing and volunteers; one found roadside parking messy near the beach. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDemanding2.3
Gain of 640 to 760 m (2,100 to 2,500 ft), RaceRaves difficulty 4.5 out of 5, 6.5-hour cutoff (9:13 per km, 14:50 per mile). · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialSlow1.6
RaceRaves reviewer recommends against PR attempts. Relentless hills of more than 610 m (2,000 ft) and winners ran 2:48 in 2026 and 3:01 in 2023. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course scenerySpectacular4.5
RaceRaves scenery is 4.8 out of 5: lake views, pine forest and fall colour for about 80 percent of the course. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.8
Only 74 to 86 marathoners finish, so there is no congestion. The route twists and runners can be alone for long stretches. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.5
RaceRaves lists paved road; one reviewer calls it a trail runner's dream, but nobody reports rough pavement. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly open2.0
A 2025 reviewer reports fast traffic passing close to runners on lakeside roads. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessBig climbs1.3
Gain of 640 to 760 m (2,100 to 2,500 ft) per runners, above 610 m (2,000 ft) per the local paper. Constant hills. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop around the lake that starts and finishes at Honeysuckle Beach. No net drop; Boston qualifier status not listed. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.2
Start and finish at Honeysuckle Beach with Friday or race-day pickup. One reviewer says parking was on the roadside leading to the beach. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.0
No pace groups mentioned. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportSparse1.5
Small race; runners are alone for stretches and spectators are few. Volunteers from the high school cross-country team are the main presence. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.0
Aid every 3 to 5 km (2 to 3 mi) with water, sports drink, gels, chews, toilets and first aid. One reviewer wanted bananas. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.0
The local paper describes the course as hilly and windy; no other wind data. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
October 10 lows near 4 to 12 °C (39 to 53 °F), highs up to 23 °C (73 °F). Cold rain and wind in 2025. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
October in northern Idaho: reviewers report rain in 2019 and 2025, and wind in 2023. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyTricky2.0
Lake loop on rural roads; spectators can only see runners at Honeysuckle Beach. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow4.2
Hayden Lake is near 670 m (2,200 ft), with the course reaching close to 790 m (2,600 ft). · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.4
Hayden and Coeur d'Alene, about 16 km (10 miles) away, have hotels and resorts; packet pickup is at a resort. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.2
No price data found; resort area. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving2.8
Honeysuckle Beach is a neighbourhood park; most runners drive from nearby hotels. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.9
Spokane International is about 55 km (34 mi) away; Coeur d'Alene has no commercial service. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
One start and finish location, Friday and race-day packet pickup, small field. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood4.0
Coeur d'Alene is a lakeside resort town; pizza at the finish was praised by one runner. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inOpen entry4.8
Open entry; 86 marathon finishers in 2026 and no sell-out reports. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.7
Fee not found; shirts and detailed medals are praised and there is finish food. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Hayden, Idaho, United States
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 10 October 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 86 athletes
- First held
- 2013
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 640 m (2,100 ft)
- Descent
- 640 m (2,100 ft)
- Start time
- 07:30
- Cutoff
- 6.5 hours
- Surface
- Paved lakeside and forest roads, open to local traffic
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 5–18 °C (41–64 °F)
- Humidity
- Dry to damp in rain
- Altitude
- 670 m (2,200 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Spokane International (GEG), 55 km (34 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Hayden, Coeur d'Alene
- Booking
- Stay in Hayden or Coeur d'Alene, about 16 km (10 miles) south; many runners also race the Spokane Marathon the next day.
What racers and reviewers say
- MarathonGuide (Hayden Lake Marathon)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Positive
One runner rates it 5.0 out of 5 and calls it a favourite marathon: easy close parking, plenty of toilets, a scenic and challenging course, quiet roads and good finish food.
“I finally found my favorite marathon.”
- RaceRaves (Hayden Lake Marathon)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Six runners rate it 4.3 out of 5 (scenery 4.8, production 4.5, difficulty 4.5). Reviewers agree the lake and fall colour are excellent, the hills are relentless (about 640 to 760 m (2,490 ft), 2,100 to 2,500 ft), the volunteers are friendly and the field is small. Complaints: fast traffic near runners, no bananas at aid, long solitary stretches and cold rain in 2025.
- RaceEntry (Hayden Lake Marathon)aggregator · Positive
The visible review gives 5 out of 5 for course and organisation, calling it a beautiful challenge: not the fastest race but one of the most scenic the runner has done. The page lists an average of 4.8 from 2 reviews.
- Coeur d'Alene Press (2023 race report)Raced 2023 · article · Positive
Local report on the 11th running: near-perfect cool, cloudy conditions, lake views and fall colour but punishing hills with more than 610 m (2,000 ft) of gain. 74 runners finished the marathon; winners ran 3:00:41 and 3:38:37. A founder who finally ran it with his daughter called it beautiful, hilly and windy.
“this is beautiful, hilly and windy”
Raced Hayden Lake Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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