It would have been better to leave a longer gap between the start-time for the walkers and the 1/2 marathon runners, because it was fairly crowded between miles 2 and 4. The course was lovely, but lonely. There were few spectators and lots of rain drops. It would also have been better if the last bus back to race headquarters had been later.

Seattle is a beautiful city and the marathon route certainly offers picturesque scenery and a very enjoyable coarse. One can only wonder why in a climate favorable to ideal marathoning conditions during much of the year, the event is held at the end of November. This is a date that has a strong likelihood of cold pacific rains, clouds obstructing much of the scenic mountain views, and winds mixing in with that rain to make what could be one of the best marathoning experiences truly miserable. That was the 1998 experience, and it is not unreasonable to expect the same often at that time of year in Seattle. The event was so well planned and executed... what a shame that it had to be sabotaged by weather. Hopefully the organizers will someday realize the flaw in their planning and find a better time of year to stage this event.

Is there a better way to see Seattle than with a group of thousands of other runners? If so I've not found it. A couple years ago I traveled from Indianapolis to visit two very wonderful friends and we ran a wonderful marathon--the Seattle Marathon. It rained and was cold, yet the events of that marathon weekend stand as one of the best memories I hold from 1998. Would I do this race again? Certainly! Would I recomend this race to others? Absolutely! Will I run the Seattle Marathon this year? I'm absolutely certain I will!