2027 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon - Jun 6 Countdown

Q: When is the 2027 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon and what time does it start?

The Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon is held on the first Sunday in June, which makes the 2027 edition June 6, 2027. The full marathon starts at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time in the hamlet of Rochford and finishes point-to-point at the historic Engine House trailhead in Deadwood. Always confirm the exact date on the official site, as the organizers publish the next year's date after the current race.

Q: Is the Deadwood-Mickelson course really a trail, and how technical is it?

It runs almost entirely on the George S. Mickelson Trail, a converted railroad bed surfaced with well-groomed crushed limestone and gravel. Despite the word trail, it is wide and non-technical — not a single-track scramble — so road runners handle it fine, though shoes with a bit of grip help on the loose surface. The first mile and a half is on road in Rochford before the course joins the trail to Deadwood.

Q: Is the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon flat, uphill, or downhill?

Because it follows an old rail grade, climbs are long and gentle, never steep. You climb steadily for roughly the first 14 miles to a high point near 6,225 ft, then run a long, mostly downhill second half into Deadwood. The course nets about 790 ft of descent overall (around +1,159 ft of gain against -1,949 ft of loss). The bigger challenge is the altitude — much of the route sits above a mile high — rather than the gradient.

Q: Is the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. Both the marathon and half-marathon courses are USATF-certified, so a qualifying time here counts toward Boston Marathon entry. The net-downhill profile can help on paper, but the high altitude and crushed-limestone footing make pacing tricky, so it is not an automatic PR course. Check your target on the Boston qualifying calculator and model splits with the race time predictor.

Q: What is the time limit and how big is the field?

The finish line stays open for 7 hours, which works out to about a 16:00 per mile (9:56 per km) pace from the 8:00 a.m. start. The full marathon is capped at 400 runners, so it is a small, intimate race with no lottery — entry is first-come, first-served until the cap fills, and registration closes in late May. Sign up early through the official race page.

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Race Information

Race	2027 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon - Jun 6
City	Deadwood
Date	2027-06-06 at 08:00
Field Size	~400 runners
Time Limit	7 hours
Cutoff pace	9:57/km
Timezone	America/Denver
Official Site	Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon
Registration	Register · 110 USD

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	17°C / 63°F
Humidity	59%
Wind	17.9 km/h
Rain Chance	47%
Typical Conditions	Cool, high-altitude Black Hills morning in early June — around 46 degrees F (8 degrees C) at the 8:00 a.m. Rochford start, climbing into the 60s F by midday with thin, dry mountain air

What to Prepare: Early June at 5,000-plus feet in the Black Hills means a genuinely cold start — often around 46 degrees F (8 degrees C) at the Rochford line, sometimes near freezing — before warming fast in strong high-altitude sun. Dress in a shed-able long-sleeve and throwaway gloves, carry or plan for sun protection, and respect the altitude: the air is thin and dry, so hydrate early even when you do not feel hot.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 17.9 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	10.6°C	17°C	23.1°C
Dew point	2.7°C	7.3°C	11.6°C

Wet-day chance: 47% Runnability: 77/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	Point-to-point rail trail
Elevation Gain	353m
Terrain	Crushed-limestone rail trail (well-groomed gravel, plus about 1.5 mi of road at the start)
Profile	This is a high-altitude trail marathon run almost entirely on the George S. Mickelson Trail, a converted rail bed of well-groomed crushed limestone and gravel — wide, non-technical and far from a single-track scramble. The point-to-point course starts in the tiny hamlet of Rochford, runs about a mile and a half on road, then joins the trail to the finish at the historic Engine House at the Deadwood trailhead. Because it follows an old railroad grade, the climbs are long and gentle rather than steep: runners gain steadily for roughly the first 14 miles to a high point near 6,225 ft, then enjoy a long, mostly downhill second half into Deadwood. Net elevation drops about 790 ft over the race (around +1,159 ft of gain against -1,949 ft of loss), and much of the course sits above a mile high — the altitude, not the gradient, is the real difficulty. Both the marathon and half-marathon courses are USATF-certified, so it is a legitimate Boston qualifier, though the net-downhill, high-altitude profile and small field make it a scenic Black Hills adventure more than a flat city PR. Footing is good for a trail race, but trail shoes or shoes with some grip help on the loose limestone.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2027 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon - Jun 6

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What to Wear Running by Temperature — Clothing Guide

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Elevation Gain/Loss Impact Calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2027 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon and what time does it start?

The Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon is held on the first Sunday in June, which makes the 2027 edition June 6, 2027. The full marathon starts at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time in the hamlet of Rochford and finishes point-to-point at the historic Engine House trailhead in Deadwood. Always confirm the exact date on the official site, as the organizers publish the next year's date after the current race.

Is the Deadwood-Mickelson course really a trail, and how technical is it?

It runs almost entirely on the George S. Mickelson Trail, a converted railroad bed surfaced with well-groomed crushed limestone and gravel. Despite the word trail, it is wide and non-technical — not a single-track scramble — so road runners handle it fine, though shoes with a bit of grip help on the loose surface. The first mile and a half is on road in Rochford before the course joins the trail to Deadwood.

Is the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon flat, uphill, or downhill?

Because it follows an old rail grade, climbs are long and gentle, never steep. You climb steadily for roughly the first 14 miles to a high point near 6,225 ft, then run a long, mostly downhill second half into Deadwood. The course nets about 790 ft of descent overall (around +1,159 ft of gain against -1,949 ft of loss). The bigger challenge is the altitude — much of the route sits above a mile high — rather than the gradient.

Is the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. Both the marathon and half-marathon courses are USATF-certified, so a qualifying time here counts toward Boston Marathon entry. The net-downhill profile can help on paper, but the high altitude and crushed-limestone footing make pacing tricky, so it is not an automatic PR course. Check your target on the Boston qualifying calculator and model splits with the race time predictor.

What is the time limit and how big is the field?

The finish line stays open for 7 hours, which works out to about a 16:00 per mile (9:56 per km) pace from the 8:00 a.m. start. The full marathon is capped at 400 runners, so it is a small, intimate race with no lottery — entry is first-come, first-served until the cap fills, and registration closes in late May. Sign up early through the official race page.

How should I train for the altitude at Deadwood?

Much of the course runs above 5,000 ft, peaking around 6,225 ft, and the thin, dry air slows most flatland runners by 30 to 90 seconds per mile. If you live near sea level, arrive either a day or two before (before altitude effects peak) or allow a week-plus to acclimatize, hydrate aggressively in the dry air, and add a realistic time buffer to your goal pace using the pace calculator. Banking time on the gentle first-half climbs rarely pays off at altitude.