Equinox Marathon

The only thing that constitutes a ‘city’ in interior Alaska, Fairbanks often feels more like a crossroads than a conventional metropolis. But at the nexus of some truly epic routes – north to the Arctic, east to Canada and south to Denali – the mix of people in this once-rough-and-ready gold-rush town is rarely boring. Stay long enough and you’ll meet the cross-continental cyclist who’s pedaled up from Tierra del Fuego, the disorientated cruisers bussed in from Seward, the Arctic-bound adventurers stocking up on supplies in Fred Meyer, and the bush pilots heading out to Kobuk, Chalkyitsik or some other chilly Arctic landing strip.

The Equinox Marathon is an annual marathon held in Fairbanks, Alaska near the time of the autumnal equinox. It is one of the most difficult marathon courses in the world and includes 3285 ft. (1001 m) of elevation gain (and loss).