1. Thank you to the RD and the awesome, hardy volunteers! You were a great part of this race (the 5 stars is for you all)

2. Whew! Rising and falling trails through the mountainous forest makes for a great, challenging race. Stunning vistas of the Olympic Peninsula added to the excellent course

3. Snow, slush, mud, DEEP (knee-deep at one point) slush and mud puddles don't let you forget the trail or to pay attention. (unintentional) dives into snow banks and sloppy, chilly messes only made me/us smile more.

4. One of the most challenging *and* most fun marathons I've done (this was #30). If you want big crowds, go somewhere else. This one is for the adventure and challenge - push yourself...

This marathon was really more an epic adventure than it was a race. From start to finish it was insanely difficult. Most of the course was on a single lane trail covered with snow, ice, mud and lots of slush. It led us up and down mountains with incredibly steep inclines and declines where it was impossible to keep your footing. I lost track of how many times I fell in the mud and snow but it was at least 100. And, along the way, we were treated to breath-taking views of the Pacific northwest. The organizers were wonderful. They were friendly, hands-on, and really well organized.
So, if you are the kind of marathoner who thinks that a couple of 1/2 mile inclines makes the course difficult, this is NOT your race. But, if you love adventure and a really tough challenge and like hanging out with like-minded runners, then this race is for you baby!