Event Description
Yaateeh runners! Welcome to the MV Marathon weekend!
REGISTRATION – Online registration for the Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay is
now open through noon on Friday, November 16 at the NavajoYES website:
www.navajoyes.org If there are still open slots, on-site registration will be held at the race
dinner on Friday evening and at the MV Visitor’s Center in the Park on Saturday morning
between 8:00-9:45 a.m.
Your registration includes professional timing, light pre-race food between 8:00-9:00, a race
poster, on-course support (including Honey Stinger gels Tailwind Nutrition, sweet and salty
snacks, fresh fruit plus medical support and portable toilets), long-sleeve tech shirt, race bag
and post-race food and entertainment. All proceeds 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 be available at Tsebinezghai Elementary School (near the
junction of the park road and Hwy 163) from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday and on the patio near the
MV Visitor Center on Saturday morning from 8:00-9:45 a.m. All races begin at 10:00 a.m. on
Saturday.
RACES – The Marathon is capped at 100 runners. The course begins and ends in Arizona,
and 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. The Half
Marathon is primarily graded dirt roads on the main Valley loop, and is capped at 300 runners.
The Marathon Relay is a four-person event, in which each member of the team runs a 6.55
mile loop. The exchange is at the start/finish line and splits will be recorded. There will be
pottery awards for the top three teams to finish. The Wildcat Trail Fun Run is a four-mile trail
fun run, which will be open to the general public. The run will take place on Sunday morning at
10:00 a.m. and runners receive a race poster and refreshments. The Kids Marathon will be
held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, with students completing their “final mile” near the start-finish line.
For all races, there will be spotters, signage and orange pin flags at junctions along the
course. Please study the course map to get a feel for the course and to develop your
energy and hydration plan.
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, rain are possible, as are
much more warm, mild conditions.
RACE BANQUET – You do not want to miss the Friday night pre-race banquet at Tsebinezghai
Elementary School.. This event will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will include spaghetti, salad, bread,
corn and drinks. The evening will include a race preview, entertainment and a silent auction to
benefit youth and community wellness programs on the Nation. The dinner will be held at the
local elementary school in the MV community: Tsebinezghai Elementary School.
AID STATIONS – There are aid stations throughout the course, providing hydration, medical
support and a variety of nutrition: energy gels, salty snacks, fresh fruit and in the final miles,
sweet snacks. There will be portajohns spread throughout the course.
LODGING – Our host hotel is The View Hotel in 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/ .
Additional lodging and camping is available at Gouldings Lodge and Gouldings Campground,
about five minutes from the start line. You can reach Gouldings at 435.727.3235; visit their
website at www.gouldings.com.
Kayenta, Arizona (25 minutes) and Mexican Hat, Utah (20 minutes) also have additional
lodging options if The View and Goulding’s sell out.
AWARDS – There are pottery awards for Overall Men & Women’s Winner in both Marathon and
Half Marathon. Age-groups winners and runners-up receive pottery in the following marathon
categories: 12-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69 and 70+. Half Marathon age-group
winners and runners-up also receive pottery awards. There are awards for the top three teams
in the Marathon Relay.
POST-RACE PARTY – A runner’s tent at the finish line will welcome all runners with medals,
food, drink, medical assistance and massage, along with age-group/overall pottery awards.
After relaxing here for a bit, runners are welcome to join the adjacent main event tent for live
music and a post-race meal. Talibah Begaye, Joe Tohani, Pax Harvey and James June will be
among the performers.
BALLOON LAUNCH SCHEDULE (Tentative) – The balloon launches are scheduled for Friday,
Saturday and Sunday morning from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m., weather-dependent, with an evening glow set
for Saturday.
The MV Marathon and the Navajo Parks Race Series are co-sponsored by the nonprofit
organization NavajoYES, Navajo Parks & Recreation, with major support from The View Hotel,
the Office of Navajo President & Vice President, NTEC, Navajo United Way, Division of Natural
Resources, the Navajo Rangers, Navajo Nation EMS, Church’s Chicken and Amigo Café.
CONTACTS
Tom: 928.429.0345; chuskaman@yahoo.com
Jim: 608.201.8175; jdcjr50@yahoo.com
