Marathon Details - Dog Lake Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > WA > Naches > Dog Lake Marathon

Dog Lake Marathon

Dog Lake Marathon & Half Marathon

Naches, WA USA

October 13, 2018

http://doglakemarathon.com

Marathon Results

By Year:

2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

The marathon starts at 9:00 a.m. near the Dog Lake, Washington, campground two miles east of the White Pass Ski Area. The course loops around Clear Lake and continues along Rimrock Lake down toward Trout Lodge. The first 5.5 miles downhill are steep and incredibly fast (-200 ft/mi). If you train for it, you can expect to run the first five miles approximately 60 seconds/mile faster than race pace. The middle 13 miles around Clear Lake and past Rimrock Lake are fairly flat with a few surprises, notably a 180-foot hill (+8.5% grade) near mile 12. The last 7 miles through the Rimrock tunnel and along the Tieton River are gently sloping downhill (-100 ft/mi) but are a refreshing finish to a great run. Most of the race is on asphalt but miles 10-12 around the east side of Clear Lake are on a gravel/dirt forest road.

Contact Information

Name:	Brian Anderson
Address:	5861 W Clearwater Ave Kennewick, WA 99336
Phone Number:	509-734-1345
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (2)

Course 3.0

Organization 3.5

Spectators 1.5

Write a review

Number of comments: 2

W. D. from Denver (10/15/2018)

"Great Small Marathon" (about: 2018)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Dog Lake Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2

This is a great small marathon. You really get the small town feel and the race director and the volunteers were outstanding. The views of this course are beautiful. There were a few problems but the racing staff were quick to fix them. I would recommend that more of the course could be on trail rather near the busy roadway. I think the RD did everything possible to put on a great race!

T. K. from Cincinnati, OH (10/27/2015)

"Exhilaration ends in disappointment" (about: 2015)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Dog Lake Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1

First, the positives:
1) This course is absolutely beautiful. My wife and I drove the course the day before and were just exhilarated by its beauty. I could hardly wait to run it the next day.

2) Just getting to the course is a wonderful experience - for an out of towner like me, it was a beautiful drive past the massive and impressive Mt Rainier.

3) The timing of this race in mid-late October makes for spectacular Fall colors.

4) This location is truly an escape - no shopping malls, sketchy internet service - just you and the beautiful mountains.

Unfortunately, some negatives:
1) First and foremost, I did not feel safe. Highway 12 is a 2 lane winding highway with a lot of traffic which is not stopped during the race. Speed limits on this highway are often as high as 55 mph and cars are speeding faster than that. There are not only cars but a heavy semi-truck presence. Runners run on the shoulder with traffic. The shoulder can be narrow, sometimes non-existent. Cars from the opposite direction can veer into the lane closest to you to pass slower traffic. This is extremely disconcerting to see two cars bearing down on you - one in the opposite lane and another screaming inches away from you in the lane next to your shoulder. During the later miles, things can be particularly precarious as runner's gaits become less reliable, more unsteady. The possibility of tripping and falling into traffic is real. The traffic and safety issues became so disconcerting to me that it was frequently impossible to enjoy the tremendous beauty surrounding me.

2) Not that I expected a medal the size of Little Rock's, but the medal here is pretty pathetic.

3) Not that I expected the grandeur of NYC, but the Finish Line here is merely a digital clock.

In summary, although the race organizers are wonderful people doing the best they can in a beautiful area, there are serious safety issues that need to be addressed before I could recommend this marathon to fellow runners.