Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half or Idaho Falls Marathon — which comes out ahead?

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half and Idaho Falls Marathon split the available advantages, so the better choice depends on which metric matters most to the runner.

Route comparison snapshot

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half

Mapped route
Held
Elevation profile
Held
course flatness
1.5%
flat grade share
36.1%
lower ascent
783 m
climbing density
18.5 m/km
net elevation
-268 m
maximum grade
31.0%

Idaho Falls Marathon

Mapped route
Held
Elevation profile
Held
course flatness
0.3% Favoured
flat grade share
96.4% Favoured
lower ascent
69 m
climbing density
1.6 m/km
net elevation
15 m
maximum grade
10.9%
Head-to-head comparison
MetricJack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & HalfIdaho Falls Marathon
Flat grade share36.1%96.4%
GAP factor (% slower than flat)1.5%0.3%
Uphill share28.4%1.8%
Steep-up share12.1%0.1%
Downhill share35.5%1.8%
Total ascent (m)783 m69 m
Climbing density (m/km)18.5 m/km1.6 m/km
Longest climb length (m)540 m530 m
Longest climb gain (m)24 m9 m
Longest climb average grade4.5%1.7%
Total descent (m)1,051 m52 m
Net elevation (m)-268 m15 m
Max absolute grade31.0%10.9%
Start elevation (m)780 m1,416 m
Finish elevation (m)512 m1,431 m
Scenic score100/10083/100
Conditions75/10043/100

Only metrics available for at least one side are shown. A ✓ marks the better value for each metric (higher-is-better aware). Scores are out of 100 when available. Ascent, climbing density, max absolute grade and median finish describe course or field context and are not marked as better or worse.

Race facts that change the decision

Race facts comparison
FactJack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & HalfIdaho Falls Marathon
Schedule

Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2026-07-25 (legacy event-level date).

Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2026-07-25 (legacy event-level date).

LocationHyak (Snoqualmie Pass) to North Bend, WashingtonIdaho Falls, Idaho
Actual distance42.2 km42.2 km
raceindex.org mapped route heldHeldHeld
raceindex.org elevation profile heldHeldHeld
Course typePoint To PointLoop
SurfaceSmooth, hard Packed gravel rail trailUnavailable
Elevation characterNet DownhillGently Rolling
TerrainTrail, GravelRoad
SceneryMountain, Waterfront, Countryside, Historic, Parkland, Forest, LakesideRiverside, Waterfront, Countryside, City, Historic, Parkland
AtmosphereDestination, Scenic Tour, WildernessCommunity, Charity
TechnicalityNon TechnicalNon Technical
Total ascent783 m69 m
Climbing density18.5 m/km1.6 m/km
Total descent1,051 m52 m
Net elevation-268 m15 m
Max absolute grade31.0%10.9%
Flat grade share36.1%96.4%
GAP factor1.5%0.3%
Cutoff6:30:006:00:00
Entry modelOpenOpen
Qualifying statusBoston_equivalentBoston_equivalent

Schedule

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half

Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2026-07-25 (legacy event-level date).

Idaho Falls Marathon

Exact race date not confirmed. Event weekend starts 2026-07-25 (legacy event-level date).

Location

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Hyak (Snoqualmie Pass) to North Bend, Washington
Idaho Falls Marathon
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Actual distance

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
42.2 km
Idaho Falls Marathon
42.2 km

raceindex.org mapped route held

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Held
Idaho Falls Marathon
Held

raceindex.org elevation profile held

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Held
Idaho Falls Marathon
Held

Course type

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Point To Point
Idaho Falls Marathon
Loop

Surface

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Smooth, hard Packed gravel rail trail
Idaho Falls Marathon
Unavailable

Elevation character

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Net Downhill
Idaho Falls Marathon
Gently Rolling

Terrain

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Trail, Gravel
Idaho Falls Marathon
Road

Scenery

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Mountain, Waterfront, Countryside, Historic, Parkland, Forest, Lakeside
Idaho Falls Marathon
Riverside, Waterfront, Countryside, City, Historic, Parkland

Atmosphere

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Destination, Scenic Tour, Wilderness
Idaho Falls Marathon
Community, Charity

Technicality

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Non Technical
Idaho Falls Marathon
Non Technical

Total ascent

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
783 m
Idaho Falls Marathon
69 m

Climbing density

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
18.5 m/km
Idaho Falls Marathon
1.6 m/km

Total descent

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
1,051 m
Idaho Falls Marathon
52 m

Net elevation

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
-268 m
Idaho Falls Marathon
15 m

Max absolute grade

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
31.0%
Idaho Falls Marathon
10.9%

Flat grade share

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
36.1%
Idaho Falls Marathon
96.4%

GAP factor

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
1.5%
Idaho Falls Marathon
0.3%

Cutoff

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
6:30:00
Idaho Falls Marathon
6:00:00

Entry model

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Open
Idaho Falls Marathon
Open

Qualifying status

Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half
Boston_equivalent
Idaho Falls Marathon
Boston_equivalent

Facts are shown only when they exist in the sourced race record; Not held means no sourced value is held for that race.

Common questions

Which is flatter, Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half or Idaho Falls Marathon?

Idaho Falls Marathon has the lower GAP factor, making it the flatter course on our route model and more favourable on gradient alone.

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How figures are calculated →