http://www.lakesammamishhalf.com/…read more Lake Sammamish Half Marathon is probably the easiest run from Evergreen Trail Runs. I thought this would be a good experience before I try more of their runs. I thought the race event itself was well organized and all the volunteers who involved were very nice and friendly. This race started in Marymoor Park in Redmond and ended in Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah. And, there's shuttle (school buses) dropping participants back to Marymoor after the race. That's very nice. In addition, Gear check in from Marymoor and Gear check out from Lake Sammamish. I was able to change to dry t-shirt after the race. I really appreciated that! If you are looking forward to having your PR, this is a race for you. I would say this trail is all the way flat. My last 4 half-marathons I had time around 2 hours 10-15 mins but this time, I was able to make it under 2 hours. I was very happy with it. In fact, a lot of first time half-marathoners were very happy with their first one! Highly recommended if you are looking for your first half-marathon to run!!

This is a flat and fast race! A lot of my friends have their PR on this course and I do as well…read more I have done this half twice now and would be happy to come back in the future. This was very organized and the shirts and metals were great quality (although be warned that the shirts sizes always run small for this one). The shuttles at the end that take you back to the start were very easy to use and left often. The density of runners was great, not too crowded but enough that you could pace with people. They also had some pacers running which is always much appreciated! My only negative on this run is that darn back and forth they do in the parking lot before the finish. I admit this year was much better that the 2013 course which had a painful number of repeats but when you are at mile 12 it is torturous to be looping around. I always wonder why they don't add that mileage on at the front at Marymoor instead? Still a great race and definitely worth it!

So, Are you interested in running a 50km trail trail race near Snoqualmie? It was my 77th marathon…read more/ ultra & kicking off 2nd round 50 states marathons with WA. :) The Mount Si 50 mile / 50km ultra marathon distance events are for those seasoned marathoners who want to get into the ultra distances, but don't want to have a tough course. Don't get me wrong, 50 km (31.4 miles) is a long way on two feet, regardless of running, jogging or walking (or a combination thereof). I had signed up for the 50 miler, thinking that I can try to finish within the time limitations of 12 hours, but my training for it seemed to dictate otherwise. And with that information presented to me. I opted to drop down the distance to the 50 km instead and have a better experience rather than trying to slog through 50 miles. They also have an ultra marathon relay as well, having many teams covering 50 miles and 50 km in a faster time. The Mount Si trail ultra marathon events are a small bunch, attracting those who love to run and run longer they thought possible. The experience of being in Washington state astounded me, especially when you're outside the Seattle sprawl. Entry fees for the Mount Si 50 mile and 50 km were exactly the same! I was kind of floored when I saw that on the website. It was $50 for both races, which was definitely affordable and a great price for an ultra marathon. It's comparable to those urban city marathons that charge $75 or more for the same experience. Online registration accepts major credit cards, so that's always the industry standard for registration. It's a race that's somewhat low key and the scenery along the course was quite scenic. The 50 km course was an out and back course along the Snoqalmie Valley Trail, 16 miles out and 15 miles back. It starts and finishes at the Snoqalmie elementary school in Snoqualmie, WA. I really don't like out and back, since you see the same stuff twice, not like point to point courses, where you just see anything once and be done with it. What I liked about the course was the stunning views of the mountain scape and the lush scenery along the trail. Yet, seeing the same thing twice is okay, on the trail - just not in an urban setting. Packet pick up is held at the Everyday Athlete specialty running store in Kirkland, WA. It was kind of weird having it in Kirkland and the race itself was about 45 minutes at least in Snoqualmie. Not sure how this came to pass, but that's how it is. There is even race morning packet pick up, but you would need to get there early enough to secure your bib and get everything ready before toeing the the start line. At the Snoqualmie elementary school, be there early, as many relay teams take up a lot of the parking stalls. I was lucky enough to find a space on the other parking lot next to a curb. The official time limit for the 50 km is 8.5 hours, but it's flexible if you need to take more time. I'd advise that you notify the race director, if you do so, so they can make the necessary adjustments for you. The Mount Si 50 km race was indeed a humbling experience. Having drank an entire bottle of wine 30 minutes to the start, I managed to score a PR / PB in the 50 km distance. How I did that is beyond me, but it worked. It's not recommended. Still, the mount si ultra distance events are well run with a touch of beautiful scenery. There aren't any individual mile markers, so you would have to rely on the scenery, your sanity, and the love of nature to get you through the miles. The nice part of the out and back is that you get to see your faster friends speeding past you. It's nice to see them and say hi. And so, if you are a trail runner and a long distance endurance athlete wanting to test your limitations, physically, mentally challenged and spiritually, you may want to come here and take on this challenge. Run more! Support local! A+

Great group of volunteers! Had so much fun. Well run and beautiful viewsread more

Don't be intimidated by triathlons. You can easily become a triathlete, regardless of prior…read moreexperience! GOOD NEWS The Danskin race itself is fun. It's all women and great for any skill level, age, ability, or size. It's empowering! It's exciting, especially because of its size! And they give great medals and shirts and other swag! BAD NEWS Danskin fills up quickly, often on the first day of registration, which is in February. If you do get in, there will be about 5500 women racing with you. It's crowded. Last year's expo (my first) was a long mess. Allow lots of time to register on the day before the race. If you don't get in, don't worry. The Trek Tri is the same route and also women-only, run by the women who used to run Danskin; it's better anyway and not as full. It's commercial--you will be innundated with advertising for Danskin everyime you turn around. And they love to promote straight, pink femininity. Sometimes it feels like women's triathlon organizers and those who market to us are trying to compensate for the fact that we're athletic by dressing us in pink flowers. Yuck. TIPS Find a good training program online or in book and follow it. Check out some of the great workshops offered by the Lunachix (all money goes to charity). http://www.seattletrilunachix.com/ Get out and swim in a lake, ride a bike, run outside. And ask other people for tips--you don't have to be an expert or have lots of fancy stuff to do a tri. Most of all, have fun!

When my BFF told me she was signing up for the Danskin Triathlon, I was confused. A triathlon?…read moreAren't you a smoker? And don't you need to be in awesome shape to participate in a triathlon? Answers: yup, yup, and nope. The Danskin Triathlon is open to all women, regardless of age, weight, and disability. Throughout the training process and actual triathlon, coaches are always on-site to encourage, support and cheer the participants. My BFF quit smoking and wore a patch through most of the training. Today, as I got up at 5:45 so I could make it to her start time of 7:52, I watched a triathlete swim, bike and run with nary a nicotine patch. The energy present at the triathlon was incredible. Woman after woman crossed the finish line to the sounds of cheers and excited friends and family members. Greeting her at the finish line and giving her a big congratulatory hug almost brought me to tears.

This is one of the most fun races you could ever run. Everything was so thoughtfully organized and…read moreexecuted flawlessly. The location was easy to find and parking was plentiful. Now, if you don't know what the Blerch is - look up The Oatmeal. Read two of his short comics: The terrible and wonderful reasons I run long distances" and "the do's and don'ts of running your first marathon." Now, you are in the right mindset to Beat the Blerch! We were greeted by the Start line. Disney songs and pop music flooded the area. Blerchs were wondering around offering mallow puffs (bacon and chocolate covered marshmallows) to all. We quickly registered and received: a headband, sticker, tattoo, bib, and long sleeve technical t-shirt with the specific length we were running on it. We snapped a quick picture on the sofa with the Sasquatch, while the Blerch snoozed along side of us. We stretched and took off in one of the 2 minute waves that spread people out and made the course comfortable. Blerchs chased us and people showed up in droves, dressed as food, dinosaurs and hornets. The first water station had cake on a stick, purple juice, water, pb&Js, and..a couch. We ran along side the river and over the beautiful gold Tower bridge. All the water stations had couches, Blerchs, and cake. The mood was light and cheery. We ran along the front of the Capitol, back over the bridge, and ended with a high five from Sasquatch and our names over the loud speaker inside Raley Field. This was my daughter's first race. She is not a runner. She had a blast. All because of a guy that draws funny pictures. Amazing.

I've been trying to contact Matt for weeks now. My race kit was sent back to sender due to wrong…read moreaddress. Since then I've been trying to get in touch with Beat the Blerch team to help me resolve this problem. I emailed him on Beat the Blerch, I emailed him on The Oatmeal account, I just can't seem to get response from him. I'm a huge fan of his work and I've been supporting this race since 2020. last year (2021) I didn't receive my race shirt, I let it go because I love the race. I contacted him and no response. This year I never even got my race kit. I am deeply disappointed in such poor customer service. I really want to support this race. I respect Matt as a runner but being disappointed two years in a row might be the reason I stop supporting him completely. Please check your email and social media Matt and help send me my race kit again.

There are a number of pretty cool half marathons in the Seattle area and count the Kirkland Half…read moreamong them. It's a little smaller than some of the halves around here (a little over a thousand people this year), but a good choice for a low-key race. So there's not really an expo and the finish line is tiny, but the course is interesting and well-marked with volunteers at all of the potential trouble spots (i.e. busy cross streets, confusing intersections, etc.). Five water stations are present along the course and there's a medical tent if you happen to blow a hammy on a hill. There's a nice amount of hills, if you're interested in that type of workout (or just masochistic). The first seven miles are run through residential areas and are a series of back-to-back hills with a nice elevation increase. From miles seven through ten, it's a steep downhill: my fastest mile was the eighth in this race. The course gets more scenic along this stretch as you head back toward Lake Washington with the Olympics in the distance (mountains, not London). The last few miles are along the waterfront with a few more hills thrown in for good measure. The timing is nice in early May since it's usually pretty nice running weather. They also have day of race registration, so if you find yourself bored on a Sunday morning.....

Women of all ages, sizes, and abilities can do this!…read more The Trek Triathlon is often compared to the Danskin Triathlon. In Seattle; they're both run on the same course in and along Lake Washington. It's a beautiful course with few hills. There's been political fighting between the two races, which you can ignore. The Trek is smaller and it's a lot of fun. I've done both, and I liked Trek better. Be prepared to get some speeches and advertising from Sally Edwards, famous triathlete who's turned her career to the business side of things. But stay focused on the race itself--you can swim (paddle if you need to--with swim angels nearby)! You can bike (at your own pace)! You can run (or walk if you prefer)! It's a sprint level tri--.5 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run. The Trek is a great time--highly recommended.

Wow, this team is fantastic! The T&H Timing Team were absolutely wonderful. They set the bar for…read morehow we want and need our event to run this past year, and we will definitely be using them in future years and recommending them to anyone who asks. You won't get a more professional, down-to-earth, hard-working, problem-solving crew out there! Our vision was way surpassed, the crews suggestions for improving competition and for adding items like music and an announcer to give shout outs as people crossed the line was epic. It really made people feel special and enhanced the experience. If you want a professional no hassle event, the T&H team are your people! We can't thank them enough for all of their support!

This company ran the race timing for a Turkey trot I ran this year. It was sloppy... I signed up…read morethe day of the race and paid extra for the fee. Either the volunteer wrote down the wrong bib number or it was typed in wrong. Either way, my name was not associated with my time. While all that can happen, what is inexcusable is that I used their online correction form that evening to address...which was ignored. It is now over a month later. Pretty sloppy stuff for a company that does this for a living.

A really fun 10 or 15K walk/race/run happened this morning from and around Gasworks Park. A few…read morehundred hardy, helahty friendly people picke dup their packets, checked their things if needed and headed out on a brisk earlyish morning run/walk. Prizes! Zico water samples, food and strawberry shortcake! Lots of volunteers and friendly faces.