If you are looking for a good time, a challenging course with good view of Seattle, then add this race to your list. This was my third year running this race and I cannot wait to go back again.

The start line is by Seattle Center near the Space Needle. Parking can be challenging so plan to arrive early. This is a great pre-race area because of its indoor seating so you don’t have to wait in the high-30s low-40s March weather in the Pacific Northwest. There is also actual bathrooms in the Armory building as well as porta-potties in the general area. All participants have preassigned corrals. The 5k-ers start quite a bit earlier than 15k-ers. In my experience the start times are pretty on point.

The first 2 miles have some gentle rollers, not enough to tire your legs out but do hold back for the later climbs. Mile 3-4 are the infamous I-99 bridge climbs, it starts off with a small down then uphill through the bridge, once the bridge ends the course takes you up to a never-ending climb on I-99 (or so it seemed!). Mile 4-5 takes you to Greenlake with a gentle down slope. Then you take a U-turn and climb right back up to the top, make your way through the bridge through mile 6-7. The last 2-ish miles are all downhill, so if you still have gas in the tank now it’s a good time to go full throttle!

Post-race area is a short walk from the finish line. This is where you reward yourself with hot chocolate, marshmallow, banana and various snacks.

P.S. All 15k participants receive a very nice tech jacket

Strava activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/3146067904