Governor's Cup
About this race
The Governor's Cup is looking forward to welcoming runners to Helena on June 12-13, 2026. Make plans now to come to Montana's capital city, enjoy one of the state's longest-running events, and do a little exploring while you're here.
Established in 1974, the the Governor’s Cup caters to families, recreational runners and elite athletes looking for a great way to exercise their competitive spirit and celebrate the benefits of a health lifestyle in Helena, Montana. Staged in the picturesque backdrop of the Treasure State’s capital city and its surrounding countryside, the Governor's Cup features the half marathon, 10K, 5K and mile run.
Join fellow runners on June 8, 2018 for the Governor's Cup. It's a fantastic 1.6K, Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10K, 5K featuring a flat and fast course in Helena.
Pick your distance
Running
Fun Run
This is a non-timed, non-competitive 1-mile lap around Centennial Park, fun for kids and family. The event is sponsored by the YMCA. Please note that this specific event is on Friday, June 8, so plan ahead to ensure you pick up your race packet before 6 p.m. to ensure you arrive at Centennial Park in time for the start of the Fun Run. **There are no refunds for cancellation** KIDS MARATHON ALERT: If your K-5 child is participating in a Kids Marathon training program at a Helena-area elementary school, there is no need to register them for the Fun Run here. Registration for the new Kids Marathon training program and run, which will be contested at the same time and place as the Fun Run, is only being conducted through participating area elementary schools. Kids Marathon participants will receive their T-shirt from their training coordinators and must wear their Kids Marathon T-shirt to the 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 8 event at Centennial Park to receive a unique finisher's medal.
Marathon
The Governor’s Cup marathon is charting a new course in 2018. The point-to-point 26.2-mile adventure – a USATF certified Boston Qualifier – starts about 3 miles southwest of Jefferson City near the mining Ghost Town of Wickes, and features a moderate downhill start in a beautiful rural setting. Runners will encounter a demanding section of hills from Miles 16 to 20, and will face the aptly named Cardiac Hill at the start of Mile 24. This marathon isn’t your run-of-the mill course designed to make qualifying for Boston easy, but if you lock up a qualifier here, you certainly will be set up to run extremely well in Beantown or wherever your running takes you next. If you can handle Cardiac Hill, Heartbreak Hill shouldn’t scare you. The net elevation loss is 850 feet (4,960 to 4,110) and the cumulative elevation gain throughout the race is 944 feet. Visit www.govcupmt.com for links to course maps and elevation profiles. Event web page, including course preview (video): http://www.govcupmt.com/marathon/ **There are no refunds for cancellation**
Marathon Relay
The marathon relay will start at 6 a.m. and will follow the new marathon course from Jefferson City to Helena with exchange zones located conveniently to allow teams to easily navigate between exchange zones using a single vehicle. Relay Breakdown The marathon relay follows the same route as the marathon. Each team’s No. 1 runner will take a marathon bus to the start. All other runners will travel to the first exchange in Jefferson City using the team car (one car allowed per team). From that point, teams will shuttle runners to and from each exchange zone until they arrive at the finish. For safety reasons, team cars are required to travel between exchanges using Interstate 15, which runs adjacent to the course on Highway 282. Teams using Highway 282 will be disqualified. This will keep our runners safe and allow teams to arrive at each exchange zone in an efficient manner. Leg 1: Marathon start to Jefferson City (Runner must take marathon bus to the start) About 8 miles, mostly gentle downhill with a moderate climb from miles 3 to 5.5 Leg 2: Jefferson City to Clancy About 6 miles, gentle downhill with no hills Leg 3: Clancy to Montana City About 6 miles, rolling hills with two substantial climbs – one midway through the leg and the other toward the end Leg 4: Montana City to Helena About 7 miles, rolling hills with two substantial climbs – on at the start of the leg and the second midway through mile 5 **There are no refunds for cancellation**
Half Marathon
The Governor’s Cup half marathon is charting a new course in 2018. The 13.1-mile journey starts in Clancy and joins up with the marathon route less than a mile into the race. Runners will encounter a demanding hill section at Miles 3 to 7, and will face the aptly named Cardiac Hill at the start of Mile 11. Participants looking for a beautiful setting and a challenge will arrive at the finish line satisfied and hungry for more. The net elevation loss is 162 feet (4,272 to 4,110) and the cumulative elevation gain throughout the race is 638 feet. Visit www.govcupmt.com for links to course maps and elevation profiles. Event web page, including course preview (video): http://www.govcupmt.com/half-marathon/ **There are no refunds for cancellation**
10K
The Governor’s Cup 10K course starts in downtown Helena at the corner of Cruse and Lawrence and finishes on the Capital City’s historic Last Chance Gulch. The challenging course features stunning views of Mount Helena, the State Capitol and other historic sites in the Capital City. Event web page, including course preview (video): http://www.govcupmt.com/10k/ **There are no refunds for cancellation**
5k
The Governor’s Cup 5K course starts in downtown Helena at the corner of Cruse and Lawrence and finishes on the Capital City’s historic Last Chance Gulch. The challenging course features stunning views of Mount Helena, the State Capitol and other historic sites in the Capital City. Event web page, including course preview (video): http://www.govcupmt.com/5k/ **There are no refunds for cancellation**
About Helena
Governor's Cup takes place in Helena, Montana, United States. The local timezone is America/Denver.
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Race information has been sourced from the event's official website and other publicly available resources. For the most up-to-date details, please refer to the official website directly. If you notice any incorrect or missing information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by email.