I’m breaking from my normal routine to let you know that prices for the Seattle Marathon are going up tomorrow. So this is your last chance to register at the amazingly low, low price of $125 for the full or $95 for the half. Register now, don’t wait!
As an ambassador for the 10k race put on by the Seattle Marathon, I had an easy time promoting the summer race, but what can I say to make you register for the late November hilly race? What hill?!?! What rain?!?!
This was the morning of the 2013 race. It was foggy and beautiful. By the end of the race, it was sunny and breezy. Perfect weather.
Seriously though, I don’t often repeat races unless I get to travel to them. I’m already planning my return to Medoc, but for some reason despite being ditched by Artboy last year, I returned to the Seattle Marathon alone and in the freezing wind.
I don’t look at course maps so I was not prepared for 2013, so 2014 was supposed to be my year to conquer it. I pretty much failed at that aspect of it, but I finished strong and smiling (even if for 6 of those miles I was not strong nor smiling).
I’ll just give you some of my key points of why I’m returning and so far am registered for the marathon!
- This is not some big corporate race that treats you as a number, and if that number is too slow will not have support or food for you. This is a local race, run by a local non-profit. It is run by locals, staffed by locals, and brought to you by (you guessed it) locals! This is what they do; they spend all year putting on this series of races, culminating in the half and full marathon on November 29. They will support you the same way you are supporting them!
- This may be the last year for this particular full marathon course. It seems the 90 will no longer be available for closure for any race. If you chose the full, this may be your last chance to run the bridge!
- The legendary hill is nothing compared to the arboretum. I didn’t know there was “a hill” until the Saturday before the race in 2013 when someone mentioned it to me. I spent the whole race looking for the hill. Instead I found the arboretum, which is hilly and never ending, but beautiful. I can guess which hill is THE HILL. I walked up it, slanted, and kind of slow two years in a row. If you spend all your time worried about that one hill, and training for that one hill, the rest of this course will be a breeze. Because that crazy hill you’ve heard about; it’s the next one. Plus the extra 13 miles of the full from the half are all the flat miles! So I might as well run the flat part this year right?
- Did I mention the perfect running weather? It will be chilly, but it won’t be hot and for us PNW runners that is a huge plus!
- The people: Seattle races all tend to be very friendly, but the Seattle Marathon has a great crowd of runners, walkers, supporters, and people! Plus, the people watching: in 2013, I saw a couple in jeans holding hands and strolling the half. They looked happy; I hope they finished. So many great people to talk to, cheer on, and watch as you make your way through one of the best courses in Seattle. And last year, not a single car drove on the course near me!
A big ol’ giant expo full of stuff you want, and probably even need. The only time I have ever registered for another race at an expo was during the Seattle Marathon expo. There were so many to choose from and I got sucked in. The expo is at the Westin. And the Westin lobby bar serves amazing cocktails. You should stop by and have one while picking up your bib. The expo is Friday and Saturday so you can head over Friday night and enjoy a cocktail without ruining your Sunday morning race. Or if you’ve given up giving up stuff to run, then you can have one Saturday! Whatever you do enjoy!
And seriously, there probably won’t be rain and the hill isn’t so bad. So register today before prices go up tomorrow!
