From Sioux Falls to Deadwood to Crazy Horse to Spearfish, and more.
Marathon running in South Dakota feels like slipping into a story written by the land itself, a wide-open chapter set amid prairie expanses, Black Hills pines, and ancient canyons.
You’ll swap city noise for the rustle of grass and pine needles, and find that a course can taste of gold-rush history one day and quiet limestone cliffs the next.
Whether you’re winding along river greenways, tracing a converted railroad bed through forest, or tracing the groove of a canyon road, these races share a rural clarity: they are honest and a little wild!
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What are the Best Marathons in South Dakota?
Sioux Falls Marathon
Sioux Falls | Sep 21, 2025
Course Type: Mostly Flat
Elevation Gain: 586 feet (178m)
Participants: 366 Finishers (2023)
Price: $107
The Sioux Falls Marathon makes good use of the city’s green spaces, winding along bike paths and the Big Sioux River before circling back to finish inside Howard Wood Field. The course includes a run through Falls Park early on, which is a nice highlight and a reminder of why the city carries its name. For a road marathon, the scenery stays varied, shifting from downtown stretches to shaded paths and neighborhood streets.
What stands out most is how flat and manageable the route is. With only about 586 feet of total elevation gain, this isn’t a hill-grinder. The challenge comes more from the weather than the terrain. Early September in South Dakota can deliver anything from cool and comfortable to hot and sticky, and past races have seen humidity tip things into the tough zone.
It’s a smaller race compared to big-city marathons, which means fewer crowds but plenty of support. Water stations are frequent, volunteers are reliable, and the finish on the track feels celebratory without being over the top. If you’re looking for a straightforward, no-nonsense marathon in a city that balances community charm with a little natural beauty, Sioux Falls is exactly that.
Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Deadwood | Jun 7, 2026
Course Type: Very Hilly
Elevation Gain: 1159 feet (353m)
Participants: 237 Finishers (2025)
Price: $95-$110
The marathon begins in Rochford, a small town tucked in the Black Hills, with about a mile and a half on pavement before you settle into the Mickelson Trail. From there it is almost all packed limestone and crushed gravel, easy underfoot compared to rugged singletrack but different from pounding city streets.
The opening half is an uphill grind in disguise. Over the first 12 miles the trail climbs roughly 1,100 feet, pulling you from about 5,100 feet in elevation to a peak near 6,225. It is not a steep climb, but at altitude it is enough to keep your breathing honest. Once you crest, the course shifts dramatically with nearly 2,000 feet of descent all the way into Deadwood. By the time you hit mile 20 there is a downhill drop that can feel like a gift or a quad buster depending on how you have managed your pace.
The finish is at the Deadwood Trailhead right by the old railroad Engine House, giving the race an ending that feels rooted in the history of the area. Along the way you get railroad bridges, forested stretches of pine and aspen, and the quiet rhythm of a trail that was once a mining supply line.
Support is practical and consistent. Aid stations appear every two to three miles, stocked with water, electrolytes, and the kind of encouragement you would expect from a small but invested community. Shuttle buses get you to the start with minimal hassle, and the field is small enough that you will find yourself running in pockets of quiet without ever feeling lost.
Run Crazy Horse Marathon
Crazy Horse | Oct 5, 2025
Course Type: Very Hilly
Elevation Gain: 588 feet (179m)
Participants: 127 Finishers
Price: $95-$110
Few marathons can claim a start as memorable as this one. The race opens at the Crazy Horse Memorial, giving you a rare chance to run past one of the most iconic works in progress in the country. The first miles loop through the visitor center before dropping onto the Mickelson Trail, where crushed limestone carries you through pine forest and wide-open Black Hills scenery.
The course is net downhill, dropping more than a thousand feet from start to finish, but it is not all easy cruising. There are stretches of steady climbing mixed between long descents, and with elevations above 6,000 feet at the start, breathing feels a little sharper than usual. Add in cool October weather, with mornings in the 40s and afternoons that warm gently into the 60s, and you have conditions that favor endurance but still demand attention.
What makes Run Crazy Horse stand out is the combination of intimacy and setting. With only a few hundred participants, it has the feel of a small community race, yet the backdrop is monumental. Aid stations every few miles, handmade finisher medals, and a finish on Main Street in Hill City round it out as an event that feels personal and distinctive rather than polished and generic.
Leading Ladies Marathon
Spearfish | Aug 17, 2025
Course Type: Downhill
Elevation Gain: 353 feet (107m)
Participants: 137 Finishers (2023)
Price: $125-$160
What makes this marathon stand out is its history as a women’s-only race. For years it was created with the goal of celebrating women who wanted a safe, supportive, and empowering space to take on the 26.2 challenge. That spirit still shapes the atmosphere today, even though the race now welcomes men under the Dakota Spirit name. Flowers at the finish line and a thoughtful, encouraging vibe keep that original identity alive.
The course itself is a dramatic point-to-point journey that starts in Lead at about 6,000 feet and finishes in Spearfish at around 3,600 feet. That drop of nearly 2,400 feet sounds like a gift, but it is just as capable of chewing up quads as it is of delivering fast times. The opening miles carry a few sneaky climbs before settling into long stretches of steady downhill.
Much of the route follows Spearfish Canyon, with limestone cliffs, waterfalls, and pine forest framing the run. The setting is both quiet and striking, with a canyon road that curves gently beside the creek. Aid stations are placed every couple of miles, and the smaller field size makes it feel less like a spectacle and more like a shared journey.
What makes Leading Ladies unique is the blend of place and purpose. It is scenic without being showy, challenging without being harsh, and it carries a sense of community that still honors its roots as a race designed to lift up women in distance running.
Running at Altitude in the Black Hills
Marathons in the Black Hills come with an extra layer of challenge: altitude. Starts range from about 5,000 to over 6,000 feet, which means thinner air and a little less oxygen to work with. It is not the extreme elevation of Colorado or Utah, but it is just enough to make pacing feel different. Even modest climbs can feel sharper, and recovery between efforts takes longer. Runners who live at lower elevations often notice it most in the opening miles, when lungs and legs are trying to settle in.
The tradeoff is that altitude comes with cooler air, cleaner skies, and scenery that feels untouchable. Preparation helps. Some runners arrive a few days early to adjust, while others keep their effort conservative until the back half of the race. Either way, altitude is part of the experience in the Black Hills, and it adds both grit and bragging rights to a finish line photo.
The Mickelson Trail
South Dakota’s most famous rail-trail shows up again and again on marathon maps. The Mickelson Trail stretches for more than 100 miles through the Black Hills, a corridor of crushed limestone that once carried trains hauling supplies to gold mining towns. Today it is quiet, shaded, and surprisingly runnable. Its surface is gentler on the legs than asphalt but steadier than rugged singletrack, which makes it ideal for distance racing.
What makes the trail memorable is its variety. Tunnels, old wooden trestles, open meadows, and long forested stretches all roll past as the miles tick by. Elevation gain and loss come gradually, so climbs never feel steep but they last for miles. That rhythm is part of what defines races like Deadwood Mickelson and Run Crazy Horse. Running on this trail is a way of connecting with the history of the region while also enjoying one of the most runner-friendly backdrops in the state.
Concluesion
Each marathon in South Dakota has its own character. Sioux Falls blends city streets with green spaces and a finish on the track. Deadwood Mickelson drops you into a point-to-point course with long climbs and descents that follow the old rail line. Run Crazy Horse starts at one of the most iconic landmarks in the state and winds into the forest on the Mickelson Trail. Leading Ladies flows through Spearfish Canyon with limestone cliffs and waterfalls shaping the backdrop. Different as they are, all share a straightforward quality that makes the miles feel authentic and the finish lines rewarding.
Row Brown is the founder of Refresh Row. He is a keen marathon runner, his favorite being the London Marathon. He’s now set himself the mission of Running the Entire Length of Spain, which is scheduled for late 2024.
