Crazy Horse Marathon Review and Trip Report
Race Cost: $113 (w/ t-shirt) – registered in May 2025
Flights: LGB-DEN Southwest/ DEN-RAP United
(bought tickets in May 2025)
Departure: 3 Oct 25 (Fri) LGB-DEN-RAP 0750-1603
Return: 6 Oct 25 (Mon) RAP-DEN-LGB 1118-1550
Cost: Southwest $270 / United $238 (May 2025)
Transportation to/from airport: Rental car
Rental car: Thrifty (AAA) – 3 days $254
Start/Finish is 35 miles away from RAP airport
Primary Hotel: Best Western Golden Spike (3 night – $447 total)
Older hotel – indoor pool/Jacuzzi but not well kept; smallest fitness center ever
Room – suite; carpet; windows open; wall a/c unit; good walls – no outside noise unit
Lobby and public spaces are older – free parking
Distance from bus pick up/finish of marathon: 400m/800 meters
Distance from Expo: 800 meters
Other Hotel Options: xxx (host hotel)
Post Race Hotel in Grand Rapids (closer to the airport)
Hilton Alex Johnson (1 night – $130 total)
Expo Thoughts –
Location: Hill City Boys and Girls Club
Size: Medium – packet pick up with around a 2 vendors
Time to see it all: 10 minutes
Bus Departure from Rapid City/other locations (0700)
Race start (0800) – Start at Crazy Horse Visitor Center- 20 min shuttle ride from pick up location (located 400m from the finish); indoor staging area in Visitor Center; lots of restrooms; chill crowd, start right outside Visitor Center
Finish was located on Main Street in Hill City – literally they closed off part of the main street in the town for the race. Finish was completely open which was nice – no segregated runner area because it is a small town race. Food available for runners. Beer (Michelob Ultra) was provided at Bumping Buffalo Bar and Grill which was 100 feet from the finish line. Seating at the local restaurants and shops along main street. Gear check right by the finish and easy to get to. Finish was upper 40s which was chilly but everything was close and easy to access.
Post-race party – not really, instead restaurants around the finish line were open and provided food and drinks; , snacks; no vendors; complimentary beer at Bumping Buffalo restaurant
The Race: Overall the race was a smaller race (under 200 people for the full marathon). Full and half marathon started together in the same location. You start at the Crazy Horse Monument Visitor Center and proceed to do a 3-mile loop along the paved and dirt roads of the Crazy Horse Monument with great views of the monument. After that you proceed to the Mickelson Trail. The Mickelson trail is a hard dirt packed trail that is about 6 feet across and goes for 100 miles. From the Crazy Horse Monument you run to the city of Custer where you turn around a little past mile 10. After that you run 16 miles along the trail back to Hill City Main Street where the finish is. The trail is secluded at parts but always at least 20 feet from the state highway. Miles 3-10 are a gentle downhill; Miles 11-17 are a gradual uphill and the rest is a gentle downhill. One of the prettier races that I have run; reminded me a lot of the Cheap Marathon in New Hampshire.
The course was also the bicycle paths for most of the marathon with the exception of the last 1000m that was on the road to the finish. There were a couple of small sections of boardwalk as you ran over some marsh/river area. What I enjoyed the most is that most of the race was shaded by large trees lining the bicycle path so the amount of direct sunlight was limited at parts. This helped prevent me from getting sunburn and enjoy the race. Lots of greenery and rural areas.
Grocery Store in area:
Grocery store – Krull Market – 100m from hotel- Water; Energy Drink; Bananas; Oranges; Bread; Chocolate
Food – Hill City
Night Before the Race (Italian options): Hill City Cafe (where I went); Pizza Mangiamo (closed for private event); pre-race pasta event at Crazy Horse Visitor Center (7 miles away from hotel)
Other Restaurants: Alpine Inn (dinner Friday night)/Bumpin Buffalo (ate at for lunch and post-race meal)/ Lemongrass Bar and Grill
Food- Rapid City – Independent Ale (pizza)(dinner Sunday night)
Weather – Start: ~44 degrees
Finish temp high 40s; cloud and some mist
Over the 3 day trip: Started in 70s, then cold front lows in 40s; highs low 50s.
| Breweries/Drinking establishments | |
| Tin City Saloon (Hill City) – Friday night drinks | Lost Cabin Brewery (Hill City) |
| Firehouse Brewery (Rapid City) – Sunday drinks | Independent Ale (Rapid City) |
| Prairie Dog Taproom (2 miles outside Hill City) |