About Malad

Welsh pioneers built Malad City on the floor of a high mountain valley in 1864. A hundred and sixty years later, it is still a small town of singers, ranchers, story-tellers, and (now) runners.

Where Idaho begins

Malad City is the seat of Oneida County, Idaho. From the Idaho/Utah border on Interstate 15, Malad is the first town inside Idaho, nine miles north of the line. The Bannock Range rises sharply to the east; the Sublett Range to the west. Between them, the Malad Valley runs north for nearly forty miles, a wide ribbon of farmland and quiet roads.

A Welsh town in the West

Malad has more residents of Welsh descent per capita than any town outside Wales itself. Welsh emigrants settled the valley in the 1860s and brought with them an enduring tradition of choral singing. The Welsh Heritage Festival every June fills the town park with massed choirs and a brass band.

Race weekend in town

• Friday evening: packet pickup at Malad City Park
• Saturday morning: race start & finish at Malad City Park
• Saturday afternoon: awards ceremony at the finish line

At Malad City Park

• Brand-new playground for the kids
• Pickleball courts
• Disc golf course

Things to do nearby

• Lava Hot Springs (35 min north): geothermal soaking pools and an Olympic-size swim complex
• Downata Hot Springs (15 min north): family hot-springs resort with waterslides and camping
• Crystal Hot Springs (30 min south): natural mineral pools
• Trophy fishing at Daniels Reservoir; Crowther’s Reservoir (in town), Devil’s Creek Reservoir, and Deep Creek Reservoir also nearby
• Scenic hiking in the Bannock and Sublett ranges, straight out of Malad
• Bear Lake (90 min east): the Caribbean of the Rockies
• City of Rocks National Reserve (2 hr west): climbers paradise on the California Trail
• Yellowstone & Grand Teton (4–5 hr north): combine the race with a national park trip