I'm new to trail running, and I've participated in two of the events through Northwest Trail Runs,…read moreand both have been a lot of fun. They're low key and inexpensive, and I like how most of their events have a short distance (~5k) option that's newbie friendly. The courses were well-marked, and they do a trail briefing before the event start. One of the things I like most about the events is what happens afterwards! For the trail to grill series during the summer, there are hot dogs and watermelon, and for the one I did, there was also yummy ice cream. For the opener of the winter series, pancakes and hot chocolate or cider warmed up runners at the end. They also do a nice awards ceremony followed by a raffle of little prizes that you actually have a pretty good shot at winning if you stick around.

This was one of my favorite runs because of two reasons: it was flat and you run alongside the…read morewater nearly the whole run. What more can you ask for? The starting line and finish line are at different spots, so when you first arrive, you park at the finish line (Madison Park) and then shuttle to the starting line (it differs depending on whether you're running the 5K or 10K). It was easy to find the shuttle pickups; just look for the long line of people. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to get on the school bus. They could cram a lot of people on the buses with runners awkwardly trapped in the aisle as the bus took us away. Upon arrival, check-in had no line, so it was very easy to pick up my bib. The bathroom line was super long though with 15 porta potties and a bunch of anxious runners. The race itself started on time. I know I said this was flat, but there was one TINY incline and then one actual hill you run up around mile 5. For the most part though, super flat. There were race photos taken during the run, water stations, friendly volunteers, and festivities at the finish line. I even won a raffle prize! Overall, great race, would highly recommend.

35 years of this event and nobody has Yelped it yet?!?!?…read more I was in town for my niece's graduation from Seattle Pacific University, so I looked on the calendar for any running events that might be going on this weekend. Luckily, I was able to come across the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Shore Run/Walk. For my family, this event was perfect. They offer a half mile kids fun run, a 5K walk for the non-runners of the family, and a 10K for those of us that are a little more competitive and enjoy a little smack talk. From the 10K perspective, this is a small race. The entire group looked to be now more than 250-300 runners - a STARK contrast from the 40,000 + from the San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon I ran 7 days prior. It was actually really nice to be a part of such a small and intimate run. With regard to the course, it was absolutely beautiful. The 10K begins at Ferdinand Park - be careful not to get confused with the 5K Furry Run that starts only yards away at Seaward Park (what was that all about?) - and continues along Lake Washington Blvd with beautiful vistas of the lake, through McGilvra Blvd and neighborhoods out of my tax bracket, and on to the finish at Madison Park. Beware the "hill" at about the 4.5 mile mark. Though a bit steep, its relatively short, so a little preparatory hill work should help you beyond that without too much issue. On the topic of water stations, there was one at approximately the 3 mile mark, and one more about the 5 mile mark (just a bit beyond the "hill"). The finish line at Madison Park was festive with booths and activities. The gear check was a bit difficult to find because the event is so small, there wasn't exactly a "booth", it was more like a volunteer holding bags in the back of her car. So to the gear check volunteers, and to the woman that volunteered her SUV, thank you! Thanks to all the sponsors, especially The Old Spaghetti Factory. I'm not one to dine at such establishments, but our bibs were good for a free dinner. For 8 of us, our bill came to $27 and a "congratulations" from our server - it continued to carry the intimate sentiment from the race through dinner (don't worry, we tipped her well). A chance to run a beautiful course with my family and to contribute to an amazing cause, I wish I could say I'll be back. The truth is, now that my niece has graduated and is now coming home, I'm not sure if I ever will. But what I will say is thanks to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and to the people and communities of Seattle. You have a beautiful gem of a run here and if you've never participated in it, mark your calendars for next year. Oh, and this is the first time I've ever run with my phone in hand, hence the pictures. You're welcome. ;)

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.....

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!

Have attended multiple race events put on by Run for Good Racing. This crew really knows what…read morethey're doing! So well planned - from parking, registration, race route signage - to racer awards and timing. No matter the weather - you'll see smiling faces of everyone enjoying themselves on these fun outdoor runs.

We have worked with Run for Good as a vendor for over 10 years and are avid runners. The team is…read moreprofessional, organized, and puts on great events the support the local community.

Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club has the goal to make Washington one of the best places in the…read morecountry to ride a mountain bike. Working to build and maintain trail systems, educate and train riders, and hosting group rides through out the State. They have built the I-5 Colonnade park as well as many others. I have only been on a few rides with the BBTC but all of them were really fun. I really like the web site and wiki page for finding spots to ride around the sound, and people to ride with. A great organization to volunteer for or just meet some like minded singletrack junkies.

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