This trail is not for the faint of heart but is definitely one to add to your bucket list. The legend of the Mount Marathon Race is that a man named Al Taylor (during some point in the early 1900s) made a bet that he could run up and down the 3,000ft mountain outside the town of Seward, in less than an hour. The story goes that he missed the 1-hr cut off by 2 minutes. Since Seward is a port town, many would sail into town, and try the challenge for themselves. This sparked popularity for the trail, so the race was officially organized in 1915 and has been hosted on the 4th of July ever since. Today the race is limited to 350 men, 350 women, and 200 junior runners. It’s not uncommon to see runners at the finish line covered in mud, and sometimes blood, as there are many injuries that occur from the race. However, it may be all worth it for this beautifully challenging 3.1-mile mountain trek in the crisp, cool Alaskan air.