The Oregon and Mormon Trails
A run through Nebraska's starkly beautiful Scotts Bluff National Monument
Monument Half Marathon
Scottsbluff, Neb. | Saturday, September 25, 2021
A starkly beautiful run through a rocky landscape that’s home to historic stretches of the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trail, this race unfolds through the 3,000-acre Scotts Bluff National Monument, known for its namesake bluff that towers some 800 feet over the North Platte River below. The area you’ll run through has seen people from the earliest Native Americans to expedition parties back in the early 1800s, for travelers approaching the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the west. Officially named the Platte Valley Companies Monument Marathon, this is a small race — most years see only a few hundred runners cross the finish line in all distances combined — which allows the field to spread out, and runners to take in the beauty of the landscape all around. Also this year, the race adds a half marathon relay for the first time.
$45 and up
Words to run by
“When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur. When you improve conditioning a little each day, eventually you have a big improvement in conditioning. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but eventually a big gain is made. Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens — and when it happens, it lasts.”
— John Wooden
I ran this half marathon in 2020; it was one of the few races that actually was an in-person event . I loved this race, even though the altitude was a bit challenging for this FL flatlander. There is really only one large hill, then the rest is very doable short hills. I drove with my 2 sisters and a friend from FL, making it a week-long vacation for some post-Covid relief. The support of this community for such a small race was amazing. They did a fantastic job with social distancing and water support, and the scenery is one of my top 5 race courses in the USA.