Monument Valley Veterans Marathon & Half Marathon

Monument Valley Veterans

 MARATHON & HALF MARATHON

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Saturday November 21, 2026

Welcome to MV Marathon weekend!

REGISTRATION – Online registration for the Marathon, Half Marathon and Wildcat 4-Miler is now open through one hour before race time.

     Your registration includes professional timing, light pre-race food, finisher’s medal, on-course support and live music, performance t-shirt and additional swag, post-race food and live entertainment. All runners also have a shot at overall and age-group awards.  All proceeds of the event 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 – Packet pick-up will take place from 4-7 p.m. just inside the patio of the Visitor Center near the flagpoles.  Packets will also be available one hour before each race on Saturday morning.  Please show up no less than 30 minutes before the start of your race.  The marathon begins at 9:00 a.m. and the half marathon begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.  The Wildcat 4-miler is set for a 12:00 p.m. noon start.  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 state line.  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, Totem Pole, The Cube and Rain God Mesa.  

    The Half Marathon is primarily a dirt road course, on Valley loop road.  It is a graded dirt road with a significant descent within the first meaning, translating to a major climb in the first mile. The event is capped at 400 runners.  

    A competitive, rigorous 4-mileTrail Race – The Wildcat 4-Miler – will be held on the Wildcat Trail around and between East and West Mitten on a challenging route.   While it is a competitive event for some, Wildcat participants are welcome to jog or walk their event.  

There will be signage and pin flags along the course for the marathon and half.  The Wildcat 4-Miler route follows the trail’s brown fiberglass posts.  There will be spotters and signage with arrows at key locations.

AID STATIONS – There are aid stations throughout the course, providing hydration, medical support and a variety of nutrition: Honey Stinger gels and chews, Gatorade, salty and sweet snacks and fresh fruit will be available at aid stations.  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.  Aid Station volunteers will fill your bottle or bag at the aid stations.

LODGING – 

We recommend our two host hotels – The View Hotel and Goulding’s Lodge.

   The View is located inside the 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/ .  

   Lodging, camping and dining is available at 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. Runners get 15% off food at the Stagecoach Restaurant and their Coffee Bar throughout the weekend.

   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, Half Marathon and Wildcat 4-miler. There are pottery or plaque awards for first, 2nd and 3rd, overall male and female for all three races.  Age-group awards for 1st  2nd and 3rd place will include pints, beanies and dreamcatchers. Age-groups categories for age-group awards will include the following categories: 14 & under, 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-54; 55-59, 60-64; 65-69 and 70+.  

POST-RACE – Post-race festivities will include live music, tribal leaders and local royalty.  The award presentation will include overall and age-group awards.  Of course, all runners will receive their finisher’s medals once they hit the line!  There will also be medical assistance 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  warmer, milder conditions.  

VETERAN’S RECOGNITION – There will be a special recognition of all veterans (both local and visitors from far away) at 2:00 p.m. at the finish line, including the presentation of a swag bag of goods.  We will also have a few words from tribal leaders, along with musical presentation by our drum group.

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

CONTACTS:

Registration/Timing questions:  [email protected]  

Tom: 929-429-0345; [email protected]  

Rygie: 505-686-2300; [email protected] 

Jim (RACE DAY SATURDAY) 608-201-8175;