The 2020 Missoula Marathon isn’t until late June, but early registration for the popular races will be closing soon.

Race Director Tony Banovich said the prices to participate in the three days of fun and racing will increase on February 1.

“We probably right now have close to 2,000 runners signed up, and we’re pretty sure that by the end of January we’ll have close to 2,500,” said Banovich. “The end of January is also the end of our early registration period, and so our prices for the marathon and half-marathon will go up on February 1st. I’m sure that for the next nine days we’ll have a lot more people signing up to take advantage of the lowest rate possible.”

Banovich said experienced runners and those just starting all need to begin training for a long race like the half or full marathon as soon as possible.

“We’ve got a group of Galloway folks, those are the ones who practice the run, walk, run method,” he said. The marathon runners in that group are already training and our half-marathon training for them will get underway in February. We’ll have a walking class that will start training for the half-marathon in mid-March, and we also have a separate marathon and half-marathon class through Run Wild Missoula that will start on March 1st, and this training will get you ready whether you’re a first timer or an experienced runner.”

Banovich said the Missoula Marathon has become so popular because it has carved out a special niche in the racing world.

“Because of the size of our community we get so much buy-in from the folks in Missoula that it really resonates with all the runners,” he said. “They feel that connection with the Missoula community. They feel that hospitality, and because of that, they really feel excited about being here. It’s a much more intimate feel than a big city race and that really resonates with those runners, especially those who are from out of state.”

To register for the classes or to sign up to run, click here for prices and race information.

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