Dec 23, 2024
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Seattle Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Seattle Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 3.1
Number of comments: 183 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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J. R. from Seattle, WA
(12/12/2023)
"Are marathons no longer organized by runners?" (about: 2023)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Seattle Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Whoever came up with this course is clearly not someone who has run or cares about marathons. The most egregious fault in this course is having faster marathoners merge into an enclosed trail that is being blocked by slow half marathoners, 12.2 miles in. Once on the trail a faster marathoner is stuck. There is nowhere to get around the slower half marathoners. One almost has to push through them. For those trying to qualify for Boston or New York, that could easily be the reason they did not qualify. Another major problem is 11th Ave E just after leaving Interlaken Blvd. It is a super steep downhill on a rough road 11 miles into the marathon. Never mind the frost we had that day. Also the course involves two loops around Greenlake. The second loop is on the inner path among people not involved with the marathon, including families walking in groups, strollers, some cyclists. It is not a wide path. I have done the Seattle Marathon more than 10 times. It used to be a great course. The organization was stellar. They even had someone at each mile yelling the time to marathoners. Now they are taking liberties in denying basic expectations to marathoners, such as the ability to run uninterrupted. I suspect it has to do with organizers keeping more of the money for themselves, by paying less to the city for a proper course, and providing a marathon that does not meet basic standards every marathoner expects. | |
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M. C. from USA
(1/9/2023)
"A Big Disappointment" (about: 2022)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Seattle Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 The race hotel was 4 miles from the start and finish lines. With no transportation between the two. Crazy, right? The crazier thing is that in Seattle where rain is common, the RD decided it would be a good idea to have the new course go through WETLANDS. The recent and unexpected rains meant having to actually balance yourself on three wooden planks to cross shin deep puddles. It was insane. And oh yeah, the runner tracking system as promised never worked. The tracking company says the RD did not give information to them in time. This race has just become a money grab. Never again. | |
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S. K. from US
(12/1/2022)
"Nice race but had problems" (about: 2022)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Seattle Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Sponsored by Nuun but forgot to provide it for 90% of the race. Every support table from miles 7-24 only had water. No GUs provided on course even though it was specified on the course map. Miles 13-16 on a bridge /causeway. No fluid station but that was known. Then fluids and turnaround and then mile 16-19 back over bridge without fluids. Then a trail around mile 20. Covered with lots of leaves which could be a fall risk since stones and twigs were hidden underneath. One section with 3 planks to cover mud. Try crossing planks with tired legs and multiple runners bouncing up and down. Hills were expected. The trail was unexpected. Finished at the University of Washington stadium. Also where the start is. Nice place to wait before race. But it is 3 miles from the host hotel. Finish line on the field is a nice touch. Finishing nutrition and the top of the stairs of the stadium not the best thing after running 26.2 miles. Course was well marked. 3 bridge crossings means very little spectators. It was also 38 degrees so might have had an effect. Nice shirt and medal. Course was well marked. Long time limit of 8 hours. Pace groups were only up to 4 hours 20 minutes so slower run/walkers had no pacers. Combined with half marathoners later in race but groups of walkers on narrow paths made it harder to pass. Also some parks were open so bikers would zoom past without telling us to move to the side a little. No comment yet from the race director about the missing electolyte fluid replacement. I am curious what happened. | |
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R. H. from Milwaukee, WI
(12/4/2019)
"Average Marathon - Nothing overly special" (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Seattle Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 We flew from Milwaukee the day prior and stayed at the host hotel, The Westin. Nice hotel with a great location. Marathon expo was average for an event this size. Got my packet and got out rather quick. The day of the race was perfect weather conditions. There were no corrals but everyone seemed to line up accordingly. The beginning of the race ran about a mile down 5th avenue before turning onto an on ramp. We stayed on this freeway until about mile 5 or 6 and then it was a LONG out and back on a small/paved trail. When I say long, we were on this trail until about mile 18. The only thing to see was the University of Washington. After we were done with the trail, the race took us through Gas Works park which was really the one other thing worth seeing on the course. Mile 22 marker came along and it was a MAJOR uphill that went for over a mile. After that, it was pretty much downhill and back to the city. The finish line was in a stadium. Post race food was some of the worst I have ever seen at a full marathon. They had bananas and fruit cups and that was all I could find. Quickly took the bus back to the hotel. This was my 15th marathon and 14th state. Comparing this event to the others, I rank it somewhere in the middle to bottom. Nothing special but nothing really bad. The wife and I stayed an extra 2 nights to check out all the Seattle attractions. This is what made the runcation worth it! Seattle is an AWESOME city with lots to do. We had a great time! | |
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S. M. from CA
(12/1/2019)
"Super Disappointing Event" (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Seattle Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This was my 26th different marathon. Ranks second from the bottom. I am really disappointed. The course is boring- several miles along I-5 and then many miles out and back along a bike path. A few loops around parking lots and random spaces that just seemed silly. Worse- such few aid stations!!! Not 14 as advertised. Miles 3, 7, then every 3-ish miles. They didn't have a lot of volunteers. Ran out of Gatorade (I finished in 3:32 for reference). Positives - logistics are super easy. Several hotels in easy walking distance from start and finish. Great weather this year- dry and low 40s and no wind! Really nice volunteers at finish. Also - City didn't seem to know the race was going on. Zero mention on the local news. I expected the local weather forecaster to mention it. Nope. | |
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R. S. from SF, CA
(12/3/2017)
"Convenient, friendly, and beautiful" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Seattle Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Since this has been my first Seattle marathon I can only comment on the 2017 course, and I loved it. Sure, the rolling hills at the Arboretum impacted me mentally, and I had to walk those, but overall and in hindsight, the hills were manageable. I loved the mix of running in downtown and residential areas, and lots and lots of nature. Finishing inside a stadium has always been a highlight for me. The expo and race itself were easy to get to if you stayed at a downtown hotel. No waiting around, no rush, even no lines at the porta potties since the half marathoners had left by then. Better signage for out-of-towners, actually any signage, would be appreciated, as it was quite challenging to find the bag drop at the start, and even more so, after the finish. Not too many spectators (due to the weather I suppose) for which I would give 3 stars, however, there was this one cheerful person who recognized me (and my shirt in particular) at four different locations along the course, and clearly deserves 5 stars from me. Hence, my 4 star rating overall. The logistics behind that stunt must have been impressive! Great job! Overall a very nice, relaxed, and friendly race that I would recommend to anyone. | |
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G. R. from San Diego, Ca.
(12/1/2017)
"Hilly Course, But Worth it!" (about: 2017)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Seattle Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have to admit the first 5-6 miles sucked; just when you thought you had a little relief another monster hill was in front of you. It's not an ideal way to start a race, but if you put the training in like you should it won't demolish you. The beauty of the course shines. It was almost magical in many instances, seeing pollen fall off the branches as you ran through Seward Park, or watching the gorgeous fall leaves descend from their branches due to the weight of rain drops. The course is, indeed, challenging, but it's soooo worth the effort and training. I will undoubtedly be doing this race again. | |
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N. K. from Seattle
(11/28/2017)
"New course for 2017!" (about: 2017)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Seattle Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The course, that had been the same for about 10 years, had to be changed because the I-90 express lanes are being converted to light rail. So, instead of going through the tunnel under Mt Baker, you had to go over it. This added two significant hills in the first 5 miles of an already hilly course, so you should not expect to PR. Now, the hills were expected, so no complaints there. However, there were a couple of disappointing aspects to the new course. First, was the choice to use the I-90 trail from mile 2.5-4. This was very narrow in places and was about where the marathoners caught up to the walkers, which made pacing a challenge. Second, because too much distance was needed to get to Lake Washington, they had to remove the iconic Galer/Madison hill and replace it with two dinky out-and-backs. The course is beautiful and the event is well organized. As it stands, it's worth running once and I'm happy I did it, but I'll wait to see course updates before doing it again. | |
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K. R. from Seattle, United States
(11/27/2017)
"Beautiful views and excellent support crew." (about: 2017)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great spacing of water/Gatorade/GU stations. Volunteers were exceptionally helpful and selflessly supportive throughout the race. Couldn't have made it to the end with out the support crew at each booth. Spectator spots were nicely spaced and critical to pushing through. Beautiful views of Lake Washington and downtown sprinkled throughout. As a novice, the last 3 inclines were brutal and it was hard to gauge progress for miles 21 and 22 as I couldn't find these markers along the way. A memorable homestretch through South Lake Union up Mercer and into the stadium. Nice and warm recovery area. A positive first marathon. | |
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F. G. from Vancouver, WA
(11/28/2016)
"A good fall marathon in the Pacific Northwest" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Seattle Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 If you're looking for a fall marathon in the Pacific Northwest, choose Seattle over Portland. The Seattle Marathon course is more scenic than Portland's and the course distance is accurate. The weather was not too bad. The rain stopped just before the start of the race and stayed dry for over 4 hours. Good organization. |
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