This is the first year there was a 5k at Rock 'n' Roll Seattle; in past years the main races (marathon and half marathon) have been on Saturday. This year Rock 'n' Roll converted Seattle into a Remix Challenge location, where if you run the 5k Saturday and any race on Sunday you earn a bonus medal.

The expo for Rock 'n' Roll Seattle was one of the larger expos this year. The size seemed comparable to 2016, with plenty of other races, relevant vendors (running-related stuff, athletic nutrition, etc.). I walked from my hotel, and it was fine. In past years I've walked or gotten a ride with a Seattle-based friend. There is parking right there, but of course the venue owns the parking and charges for it. I was trying not to spend a ton of money, so I tried to ignore most of the expo. I did pick up my shirt and bib, buy a shuttle pass for the 5k, and look around a little.

I'm not sure if the race was technically in Seattle...it was way down the road, near the Boeing facility. The start/finish was at the Museum of Flight. To get there, most of us paid for a shuttle. (I paid for the shuttle too.) You could get shuttle tickets pre-paid online, or pay at the expo. The shuttle left from the parking lots around CenturyLink field, so there was a ton of parking if you had to drive to get to the shuttle. I walked from my hotel, along with some of my friends. When we arrived, there was no one there--race officials, yes, but literally no other runners. Huh.

At the Museum of Flight, there was plenty of parking for locals or those who had rented cars. The starting line was in the parking lot behind the museum. The museum's café was open, which was awesome--hot coffee and snacks for sale, and real bathrooms before the race.

The race used a wave start, which was smart due to the number of people there. It was a little crowded at first in the back, but by the time we crossed the start line there was plenty of space. The speed demons started in the front and some of them raced it hard. I was mid-back, running a bit and then walking the remainder after I ran into some of my friends from the East Coast. It was a mixed crowd, some people taking an easy lap as a shake-out, others racing this one.

The finish line was accompanied by the usual water, bananas, etc. and live music. One cool bonus: you got free entry to the Museum of Flight if you had a race bib! Unfortunately the race shuttle service ended not long after the museum opened, so there wasn't a ton of time to enjoy it.

I'm not going to lie, I love the bonus bling. Bring on the Remixes, please.

Link to this review