'No medals, no t-shirts; no glory, no wimps' is the advert for this race. It's definitely no-frills.

Course: two loops of a peninsula. Start in Birch Bay State Park with the mountains on one side and the bay on the other. Very pretty; just a touch monotonous at times.

Organization: Was expecting plain water at the aid stations, so was pleasantly surprised with the gel offerings. Was also surprised that it is chip timed. RD answered my registration questions promptly and in detail.

Spectators: none except volunteers (who were great), but got some thumbs ups from pedestrians. There seems to be much interest in this race; sounds like locals would support the event should it grow in the future. And those Marathon Maniacs from Seattle are nice people.

For accommodation, Driftwood Inn is about a mile from the start. Super clean and comfy, with helpful staff. (The Birch Bay hostel is closed during winter).

Proximity to the Canadian border, the fantastic weather this year and friendly atmosphere made this a fine February race. Recommended.