Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon - Race Reviews

During the pandemic Rock and Roll was the only race I entered that didn't offer a refund. They offered to let us run in 2021 when there won't be a full option which doesn't help people doing 50 states. The other races they offered weren't an option for me and when I explained this they refused a refund and tried to lay on a huge guilt trip about the global pandemic. They should be the ones feeling guilty about keeping profits that all of us affected by the pandemic could use to help our situations. This is horrible company. Do not race a Rock and Roll Race.

I decided to give a Rock 'n' Roll race another try after being somewhat disappointed by Vegas five years ago. I remain unconvinced that these races are worth the high entry fee, though Seattle had some bright spots. The highlights included a beautiful view of downtown Seattle and Mount Rainier as runners descended from the Queen Anne hill neighborhood around Mile 12, and separate inspirational miles honoring those who serve, as well as St. Jude kids (St. Jude was the race's beneficiary). The lowlights were many, but admittedly some of that was on me. It started at the expo. I had been emailed my bib number, but didn't have it with me. What usually is a simple lookup became a royal pain because few of the computer stations were working and when I finally got to a working one, it defaulted to the race in San Diego, not Seattle. Next up was a shirt snafu. I asked if I could try it on because while I usually get a medium, sometimes that's too small. This try-on shirt fit perfectly, so they gave me a medium. Alas, the one they gave me was either a female medium or the one I tried on was a large because you'd probably have to go back 50 years to find a time when I was tiny enough to wear a shirt that small. Next up was race day. A volunteer pointed out the gear check tent and because I had plenty of time, I didn't check things right away. Alas, the tent wasn't gear check; it was in a separate building. I and several others ended up racing to the real gear check moments before the start, and then found chaos afterward as we tried to get in the correct corral. Funny, the only time I've had a similar problem was at the Vegas Rock 'n' Roll. Again, some of it is on me because there was pre-race communication telling where gear check was, but when I'm in another city, I get directionally confused and rely on volunteers. I hate to criticize them because of all the good things they do; I put it on the organization for improper training. In fact, I probably would've given the organization 1 star were it not for the receipt of an age-group award. Of my 44 marathons, this was the most difficult course so I surely didn't expect any awards when I finished in my second-worst time ever. But in checking results the next day, I discovered I was second in my age group (tip: get old!). I emailed the organizers and while it took about 6 weeks, a very nice trophy came in the mail. The course itself was fairly nice the first half. The hills were brutal for this flatlander, but I knew that going in. But the second half was mostly boring, and as if you weren't beat up enough, they tossed in some more steep hills around Mile 20. Then to top it off, the gear check was on the lower level of a building so you got a bunch of steps afterward. You can't really do anything about the topography of a city, but it seems they could've avoided hills for the gear retrieval. And oh, if you're into the rock 'n' roll aspect of the event, you might be disappointed. Not all that many acts (though more than Vegas). I see more than twice as much entertainment in half the distance at the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon.

Hills at mile 20 and Woodland Park were so unnecessary. Also, consider moving race to May for cooler weather.

I have run Rock 'n' Roll Seattle all ten years and was given a Ten Year Legacy Runner shirt. Thank you for the recognition. Pros: The Start/First line returns to the Seattle Center. I really like this venue. The Wear Blue mile always evokes emotion Interlaken Blvd was new to the course. A peaceful oasis of old growth trees and singing birds. Weather was mostly good, although a rain squall did pass through just as the Headliner Concert started. Cons: The new course had lots of hills. The King of the Hill run was as steep of a grade that I have ever seen. For the first time, the course did not run along Lake Washington. I miss those scenic miles. Fewer bands and cheer squads on the course.

The weather this year is wonderful and I thought it is well suited to run a marathon. Cloudy skies, very little breeze from the ocean, good temperature in the 50s, and even little mist touching your face. So I don't have complain on what was given by mother nature. However I got two things to mention: 1. I purchased parking and shuttle tickets online and I didn't receive email notifications that I should pick up the tickets at the expo until Saturday which is after I got my bib on Friday. I did not want to go back for the tickets and pay another $20 for parking (ridiculous!) so I decided to take the train instead. Communication is an issue. 2.The tunnel is the worst section of the course because you're body is slanted the whole time and very taxing on the legs/feet when at that point you're almost dead. Suggestion: Re-route it. Big applause to my pacers (5:10) who ran exactly as expected!

I have run this half marathon twice before and 2017 was a year of disappointing changes: 1- The date change from a Saturday to a Sunday, Father's Day, Sunday; 2- the course change left out the viaduct - some of the most beautiful scenery of Seattle, the ships, Ferris Wheel, Seattle Center; 3- the start was not at the Space Needle, but a football stadium; 4- the corrals were more narrow; 5- not enough porta johns, making the lines very long; 6- for a Rock N Roll marathon, the bands were terribly disappointing; 7 significantly fewer spectators and cheerleaders, probably due to it being FATHER's DAY. If you expect to see a good tour of the city, don't run the Rock N Roll Seattle Half Marathon.

Organization was overall excellent. Minor issues were: not enough port-a-johns at the start (but that is true of many races), and lack of organization/signage at the start - I searched for the gear bag drop for quite a bit. In addition to this, transportation to the start was problematic for many runners. Many people tried to ride the Link light rail to the start, but they did not plan on enough trains so early in the morning, and many of the cars were full and could not take passengers at the stations close to the start. I guess that's more of an issue with the Seattle transportation agency, but RnR should work with them to solve the issue (assuming the race starts there next year). Course: They had a new course this year, starting from Husky Stadium at the University of Washington, going through the Arboretum, towards Seward Park, then going to Downtown through Rainier avenue. At around M18 the course went by Century Link stadium, and from there the marathoners would head north to a section on a viaduct, tunnel, and highway for an out and back. That last section was my least favorite part of the course. It was dreadful because of what felt like a long incline, and because running through the tunnel was very unpleasant. Also, that late in the race you feel that the turnaround will never come. Overall the hills before that section were not too bad but that long incline between M20-22 really killed me - and a lot of other people. It's unlikely that the course will stay the same as I heard that the viaduct will be demolished so who knows how they will change the course. Another course-related item is the marathoners/half-marathoners merging. The marathoners split from the half at M8 to run around Seward Park, and then merged back with the half marathoners at M13 until ~ M18. I have seen worse merge situations, and the organizers did a good job at making lanes specific for each of the race. So even though I was running ~7:30 pace next to slow half marathoners, it did not really impact my pace. Crowd support was almost non-existent. I don't really care about this, but I am mentioning it just in case. It seems like they were barely any spectators, except maybe around Rainier avenue and in the 0.1 miles before the finish line. The finish was well organized but the food at the finish was not very fulfilling. However I really enjoyed getting a marathon-specific jacket. Not only did it make for a nice perk, but it also came handy because of the cold drizzle at the finish. The medal was also good-looking even though it's not a major factor for me in deciding whether or not to run a race. Overall I don't think I would travel again for that race as I feel that the last part was very difficult. However it's a nice option for a late spring marathon and I think the race has the potential to be faster, assuming they eliminate that dreadful out and back section on the viaduct.

I ran this race because I was going to visit my friend in Washington for a week, and I wanted a spring/summer marathon to improve my BQ time. I had heard wonderful things about RnR races and was very excited! I did not finish with the time I wanted. I would not blame it on the course, but I was nevertheless disappointed. As others have mentioned, the long highway slogs, particularly 18 miles onward, are demoralizing and painful. My best friend came to Seattle with me, and race officials would not let her get close enough to cheer after Mile 18 because the entire road was the race, and there was apparently no room for spectators. You only hear the bands for a minute or so as you pass, and if they were playing every mile I definitely missed them. I love running trail races, and don't need someone to cheer me on when I run. That being said, the fans lining the course were weirdly silent except for their specific runners? I'd rather have no people than silent spectators. There were many sections of the course that doubled back and you watched your future pass you by. The views of the water were beautiful, and the Blue Mile was inspiring (my brother started at the Air Force Academy this fall). Temperature was okay. Water stops were sufficient. Overall, it was extremely overpriced. I would much rather have paid $80 for a small marathon with beautiful views and a comfortable running surface and no spectators than for highway running and over-promised support and enthusiasm.

For me, this marathon was an excuse to visit a great city. As far as R&R events go, this was better than most. All R&R events are half marathons with a marathon option, but this marathon course was actually pretty good. No industrial parks (Nashville) or far off suburbs (Las Vegas). This was a course where the Half runners missed out on some good scenery, although the best scenery is in the first 13 miles. The hills weren't as bad as this Florida flatlander expected. I found steep inclines with gradual declines that worked to my advantage. Running through the tunnel was bad. Uneven roadway and it smelled like a dirt horse barn. Overall I was pleased with the course. The expo was OK. I found the start area at the Needle easy to find, but getting to the bag check and then back to my corral through Seattle Center was confusing. At the start there was no corral integrity. I started in corral 3 and had corral 38 Half people get in front of me at the start. I liked the finish next to the stadium and the finish area as a whole. I would not travel just for this marathon, but use it as an excuse to visit Seattle and you won't be disappointed. Its also the beginning of Orca season so rent a car and head to San Juan Island after your race.

Where we live in the Southeast where summer marathons are few and far between. We jumped at the opportunity to run Seattle in conjunction with a larger family vacation that went out of Seattle. This was part of the Rock n Roll series. I guess I can see the allure with it as I met a few veterans that had run the series through the country, but Im not part of that crowd. Seattle is a beautiful city with a lot to offer, so Id suggest staying a day or 2 later to take in all that it has to offer. Just a warning  the start and finish/expo are about 1.5  2 miles apart, so make the appropriate accommodations when you get a hotel. We were lucky to get a hotel blocks from the start near the Space Needle. The course had nice views of the city visited many different areas of Seattle, but Ive run nicer courses. Overall, I think running on the uneven highways was worse than the few hills that the course had. I think the profile map was a bit misleading  the hill just before mile 26 was an on-ramp to an overpass. The worst hill to me was mile 22 coming back from the bridge  it didnt seem to end. The hill at mile 17 before was steep, but pretty short. Start: Very crowded start where half and full start together. Good idea with the corrals, but see below. Mile 1  4: very crowded through a tunnel and highway. Beautiful views of the city Miles 4  9.5: Industrial and residential area. We split off from half at 9.5 and meet up with them again at about mile 15. Miles 9.5  17: Best part of the run along Lake Washington and around Seward Park. Absolutely flat. I always like seeing the leaders (out and backs), so I was able to see the front-runners before doing the 2 mile loop in the park before running by the people behind me. Mile 17  23  After a sharp uphill to the expressway, a death march on a highway that you can see. Note that once you get to the other side of the lake, you still have another 1 mile out to get to the turnaround. Mile 23  26.2  more highway running. Mile 25 is on the exit ramp where you run between the stadiums to the finish. Pros  After running with the half-marathon for the first 9+ miles, I personally liked meeting up with the half-marathon at mile 15  16 (wear blue) and then miles 23 -26.2. It made me feel fast passing all of the half-marathoners still on the course. Pros  lots of great aid support  water, Gatorade, etc. The electrolyte drink was great. Pros  great weather. Probably started in the 50s and maybe ended in the low 60s. Temperature not a factor. Cons  the highway running was not fun, but probably most convenient for the race director. I didnt mind the tunnels as much as others did. Cons  not a testament to the race, but the people. They did a great job of having starting corrals, but that seemed to blow up at the beginning. I started with the 8:00 per mile crew and was passing 11 min milers 3 miles into the race. This was very inconvenient for all involved, especially once we did a short out and back and the course was cut in half. With chip times, there is no reason to start at the front of the pack. Overall, it was a good experience in a beautiful city. Plus my wife BQed and works for CenturyLink (the stadium where the race ends), so it was good pub for her. Nonetheless, I probably wouldnt do it on a yearly basis if it were in my back yard since I would imagine there are a lot of other marathons in the area that may have more to offer in terms of scenery.

This race is exactly what you expect from Rock n' Roll and from the other reviews you read here. As with other of this brand, the focus is on the half. The full and half start together and the full folks branch off from the course twice. Both of those branches tend to feel like after thoughts - once is a nice (quiet) park, the other is a bridge with tunnels and sadness in the final 10k. These races have organization down to a science. The expo is organized and efficient and the corral start really prevented course congestion despite all 3 races (8k, half, full) starting in one group. This is my 2nd Rock n Roll and in both the start has been delayed by at least 15 minutes - doesn't seem like much but when you're timing the last pee break and when to ditch your outer layer it can be frustrating. I had to pee for 42.5k. Aid stations in the first 10 miles were crowded as there were so many half marathoners as well. Bathroom lineups, water lineups etc. But plenty of volunteers and actual aid. The pacers were great and the ones I kept my eye on brought folks in just under the goal. I enjoyed the experience. I didn't mind the course, I don't think it really showed off the best of Seattle, but it was fine. Not very hilly. we had perfect weather - overcast and a bit drizzly, not too warm.

The part of the course through Seward Park and along the Lake Washington coast was spectacular. It coincided with signs bearing portraits of cancer honorees and fallen soldiers. Those were very powerful miles. The course before that was average. The course after that, across a very long highway bridge and through a very long tunnel, was pretty dreary. Overall, I think they should keep what's good and try to improve the rest. Regarding race organization, I had high expectations from many years running the RnR San Jose Half, and I was disappointed. At RnR Seattle, there was no signage or staff to help when we arrived at the starting area. Everyone was wandering around trying to find the Gear Drop and Staring Line. They were super-slow at starting corrals, pausing at least a minute between each one (there were probably 40 corrals!). It took us an hour to cross the start  longest I have ever experienced. On the course, I did not appreciate that a water stop worker didn't want me to fill up my water bottle from the pitcher. It made no sense, and I was dehydrated after 4.5 hours. I paid hundreds of dollars to get here, and you're going to deny me 12 oz of Gatorade? There wasn't much spectator support on most of the course. Maybe due to road closures and parts of the course run on bridges, through tunnels, and on elevated highways.

R&R Seattle was my very first marathon and it was a great experience. I thought Seattle was the perfect size. Great course support, a scenic course. Of course, the bands on the course. I would recommend any one of the Rock 'n' Roll races to a first timer.

This was my 10th marathon, first in Seattle and first Rock 'n Roll marathon. I honestly do not see the draw of these Rock 'n Roll marathons. They seem really overpriced for what you get in return. Course - I pretty much hated this course. I did like the part around the Lake Washington but other than that is was pretty awful. Running on freeways and through tunnels with zero spectators and atmosphere was awful - and it comes at the worst part of the race, miles 16-22. The 'Wear Blue to Remember' mile was beautiful and touching. I can't let myself get emotional during a race like this so I had to kind of push it aside - but it was very cool! I did NOT like when we merge back with the Half Marathoners. They did a relatively good job of keeping them separate with tape but there was one water stop where everyone was together. People running a sub 3:40 Full Marathon approach a water stop MUCH MUCH differently than someone running a 4+ hour Half marathon. This should NEVER happen. Also, the screechy DJ music in the tunnels was nothing short of horrid!!! SO completely unnecessary. I couldn't wait to get out of those damn tunnels. Spectators - Maybe I'm spoiled from races like Twin Cities Marathon and Boston but there were hardly any spectators. Some of the bands were pretty good - for the 1 minute that you run by them... But having 'cheer teams' just doesn't do anything for me. I don't pick races because of the 'swag bag' and other little things like that. I pick races because of what fits into my schedule and the course. But this race seemed really spendy for what you got. I hate when they can't even give you a separate shirt from the Half marathoners. And it was just a short sleeve, gray shirt. The jacket for full marathoners is really nice (very thin but nice for summer) though and a fun bonus. There was nothing additional in the bag beside your number and shoe tag. Post-race: I was in the family meeting area when I started having extremely had cramps to the point that I almost passed out. There was no additional medical personnel walking around that could have assisted me. I have seen this before in other races, it would have been nice this time. They had some bands around and it looked festive but after a full marathon, I was in too much pain to enjoy any of that. I trained really, really hard for this race and the conditions were quite nice but I did not meet my goal so I was a little disappointed. I still got a 5+ min. BQ but I had bigger dreams! Something about running on all those freeways just chewed up my legs! I don't regret doing this race but I have zero desire to do this race or another RNR marathon again.

I like June marathons. It allows me to train through the Spring and minimizes winter weather running. Rock 'n' Roll Seattle is a quality marathon. Scenic course. Good energy. Great organization. The Wear Blue mile was great. I became aware of this organization from watching the Ironman Triathalon last fall. The featured athlete was the founder of Wear Blue.

I've been running the various Rock 'n' Roll races since the very beginning. I won't rank the races because each city is unique and every year it's a different experience. This was another good year for Seattle. The weather was sunny, and the temperatures were perfect for a marathon. I like the course. The run along Lake Washington is very scenic. As to be expected from a Rock 'n' Roll race, organization was solid from start to finish. The bands and cheer squads made the run even more enjoyable. Good job Seattle. I'll be back.

It is interesting to read the positive and negative reviews of a race. I thought R&R Seattle was well staged. It certainly met my expectations. Was it perfect? No, but I have yet to run in the perfect race.

This is the first time I ran a Rock n Roll marathon. When you pay top-dollar for a race, you expect everything to be the best - from the goodie bag to the course to the post-race treats. Overall, this race was a significant let-down from start to finish. The expo was well-attended and the typical hard-sell for a bunch of cool stuff. The goodie bag, which didn't even say the name of the marathon on it, was virtually empty. It included the purchased tech t-shirt, plus a small bottle of fish oil and two water flavoring packets. That's it. Not even a little packet of icy hot or a mini-Clif bar. I've run in much less expensive races that went all out on the swag. Not the end of the world, but just wanting value for money. The medal was cool, though. The morning of the race, port-a-potties were at a premium. I estimate the average line was 30+ people long. We scrounged around at an indoor food court to get to a shorter line (for men, anyway). I lined up in my corral at 7am for race start. I was aiming for a sub-4:00 time and was in corral 17. It took me 26 minutes to cross the start line. By the time I started, my knees ached a bit from standing and I had to use the restroom (again)! But away I went. The race was shoulder to shoulder for the first six miles. That's when the half and full marathons split. An earlier split or allowing the marathoners to go first would have been much preferred (there were 6 times as many half marathoners). We spent four days in Seattle leading up to the marathon and found it to be a beautiful city. More than half of the course led us through downtown, around lakes, and in parks. That was great. But a significant part of the run (many miles) were in tunnels. This was a horrible way to run (and I sure didn't train for that). They were dark and without spectators. The tunnels were banked so that by the time I emerged, one leg was killing me due to overuse (until I turned around and ran the same tunnel - then both were in equal amounts of pain!). There was a multiple-mile stretch on an exposed highway, which was without spectators, without bands, and without vistas. Between the tunnels and highway, the run was boring. I had always pictured a Rock n Roll marathon to be highly populated with cheering people and bands rocking the whole way through. Seattle did not live up to this expectation. Im a bit of a data geek and the tunnels totally messed up my watch. By the time I was done, my watch showed 26.8 miles. I checked with a handful of people who finished with me and their watches ranged from 26.5 to 26.85. That made staying true to my plan very difficult throughout the race. I didn't bring music because I expected frequent bands. There were many the first half and they were very enjoyable. The highway and tunnels were lonely and music-less. There were good crowds around the bands, but sparse or non-existent everywhere else. The way the course was designed made it very difficult for families to find a place to watch and cheer (unless you have a car and could navigate around closed roads). The web site did not list 'spectator spots' like most marathons do, because there were none. And signing up for text alerts cost $5 and you had to agree to Facebook updates. Yes, there was enough water and Gatorade. Yes, there were enough port-a-potties on the course. Yes, I got a finisher's medal. But these are not the signals of a well-organized race. These are table stakes. The Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon was poorly done on enough of the basics that it makes signing up for the race a big mistake.

When the Minneapolis Marathon was unexpectedly canceled, I immediately started looking for a replacement race. I chose Rock 'n' Roll Seattle, because I've always wanted to visit this city. As a slow runner, my race experience was very satisfying. Easily one of the best Rock 'n' Roll races I have run in the past few years. Organization was great all around. Everyone was extremely helpful. The expo was big, and there were free samples to be found everywhere. It was like trick-or-treating for adults. The huge Brooks exhibit was really fun. The race shirt is attractive, and the finisher's medal is a keeper. The start line is next to the iconic Space Needle, and the race begins with a run through downtown Seattle. The course is enjoyable despite a few hills and a couple of miles in an industrial part of town. After sharing the road with half marathoners for the first 10K, the marathoners get a separate race lane for the final 20 miles of the course. I loved all the bands and cheer squads. My favorite race moment, though, was the tribute to our fallen soldiers. Amazing! Race day weather was ideal. A sunny day with perfect running temperatures. Beautiful views all around, especially Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier. Aid stations were nicely spaced and well-staffed. More importantly, course support was still out late in the race for all the slow runners. Fans were pretty sparse, mostly there were curious onlookers. I missed the post race concert, but the finish area was well organized and well stocked. I was happy to see plenty of food still on hand since I started in a high number corral and took over five hours to run the course. I was given an arm load of food and drink. The chocolate milk was delicious. I would definitely recommend RnR Seattle if you are looking for a June marathon, or simply want a reason to visit one of America's great cities. One suggestion to the race organizers: Change the day of the race to Sunday. Traveling to Saturday races is more of a hassle.

RnR Seattle is a good summer marathon. 2013 had beautiful weather. The route along Lake Washington is as scenic as any in-city marathon in America. I especially appreciated the aid stations at this race. I tripped during the run and skinned my knee. Luckily there was an aid station at the next mile. The medics had me sit down while they washed the blood off my leg and bandaged my knee. A few minutes later, it looked like I never fell. I was off and running and finished the race.

I ran the inaugural RnR Seattle in 2009, and have run the Seattle marathon in November. For years I have called these races the 'Ankle Breakers' because of our awesome potholed streets and steep hills. After running this years RnR marathon I have changed the nickname to the IT-band slapper :) The reasoning was that although the course changed a bit, the stretch through the I-90 tunnels were so angled it actually felt like I was making a v-8 commercial(running at an extreme angle, LOL). Other than that, course was BEAUTIFUL! ..here's my pros vs. cons list: Pro: -Expo was fun, games-they had ski-ball! The automated fortune tellers were hilarious! -Race start had good music, plenty of porto potties in my opinion -Good energy at the start -The part through Rainier valley was not that bad, it's an area the city is trying to make nicer, but really, what mattered was the road was smooth and the locals(and the homeless) were out cheering. -Best view..Seward park! Prepare to pull out your camera for a quick pic of the water + Mt. Rainier. I live here and was taken aback by how beautiful it was. -All the little highschool cheer teams were full of energy and cheering -Ample water/Gatorade stations -Medics on bikes riding the course were ample and necessary -Medal was nice, as was the free Jamba juice at the end Cons: -Parking for expo could be difficult or very expensive for out of towners. -Long time to start...I started near the back to run with a friend doing the half...the race started at 7AM, we didn't cross the start until 8:15AM. -HILLS-this is a hilly race, Steep hills. Up and Down. Do HILL work while training or it will bite you in the legs...come prepared. -After mile 15 there is a narrow(narrows to 1 person width) path that is almost crawl worthy vertical up to the I-90 bridge. I got stuck behind people barely able to make it up. It is short though, so be patient getting up it. -Miles 18-23, all on the I-90 bridge (nice views though) -Miles 18-23: Bring music if you need it, there wasn't much for this portion of the race -Miles 18-23: The tunnel portion had steep curving angles that I mentioned above that really did a number on my IT bands. It was also warm and sunny, so being on the open freeway bridge while running made it even hotter. Be prepared to grab extra water cups and dump water on your head to get through the hot freeway section, it will keep you going as it is open and roasty almost all the way to the end...unless it rains, then you're golden:) -This is not a race to just jump into without training. By mile 21 people started dropping like flies. There was a medic golf cart that drove by me at least 4x's delivering hurt runners to the end and at least 4 people(young and old, male and female) sitting on the ground with medics next to them. I ran at a 4hr pace, so these were mostly middle pack average to fast runners who where dropping. -One complaint about the Medics..at mile 23 I asked one on a bike for biofreeze...nope, none to be had. WTF? The guy next to me offered his little sample, but since he was limping there was no way I was taking his last bit of biofreeze. -Steep(and I mean steep) hill straight down right before or around 25. I tried to bust down it, but my IT bands were burnt after the tunnels, so had to limp down, but it's short and then immediately goes up hill then evens out until almost the home stretch. -Why, yes, there is a steep hill at the last .4 miles of the race, it's always been there and always will be. Be ready for it. -Finish line was quite narrow for the marathoners. -It's a RnR, so yeah, it's expensive. All in all, a very challenging race, with gorgeous views of the city and mountains. I'll probably run this race again since I live in Seattle.

I love Rock n Roll marathon series, already ran 5 of them in 2013. At my turn to claim Rock Star heavy medal from the Station, a runner collapsed from behind me. Peoples looked for the Medics at this emergency situation. Then a young runner check the patient's heart and tried CPR. Just a right person on the right time before medics arrive. He saved a life!! Real Hero!!

While there were some scenic stretches along Lake Washington and some nice downtown waterfront views, there were also a lot of sections of this course that were awful. The seedy section of town along Rainier Avenue - really? Then the 2 tunnels and I-90 express lane section. Fumes in the tunnel, felt claustrophobic, and in the case of the Battery Street Tunnel it is just kind of creepy. As others have commented, the hill up to the finish was horrible - really - right at 13 miles we need that steep of an uphill? There was also a super steep downhill section that was very tough on the joints. Finally, the course was long according to my Garmin and other runners who I've talked with. It measured 13.4 miles for us. Come on, Rock-n-Roll - Seattle is a nice town. This has the potential to be a great race - work on the course for next time. You can do better than this! Additionally - logistics comments: 1. The way the porta potties were organized in a narrow pathway made it tough to squeeze through the crowd and actually get to the corrals. This needs rethinking to enable foot traffic to flow better. 2. Security - I ran in Boston this year so security was very top of mind for me. I was really surprised you didn't use clear gear bags. I saw more bomb sniffing dogs for which I was grateful. But lots of areas where I expected access to be more blocked than it seemed to be too. I'd feel safer with a few more visible precautions including the clear bags.

I will remember the 2013 RnR Seattle for the gorgeous weather. It was a sunny day that put Seattle's natural beauty on display. Course modifications eliminated a nasty hill from last year. A definite improvement. Run support was excellent. Thank you volunteers! The Seattle Center is a great venue for this event. Relaxing around the fountain was a great way to finish a race. This was the 5 year anniversary of RnR Seattle, and I have run this event every year. It was nice to be recognized as a legacy runner and given an extra shirt. I drive almost 300 miles to run this race. It's worth it.

This was my first year running Rock'n'Roll Seattle. Well organized wave start kept the first mile from being too congested. Very scenic race, with the several miles along Lake Washington being a highlight; you see just about all the major Seattle sites along the route with great views of Mount Rainer and the Olympic mountains. Great crowds everywhere except when the route heads on the I-90 bridge. This route was fairly flat until around mile 15, and from that point on every 1-1.5 miles had a significant hill... not a good race to attempt a negative split. Apparently one dangerously steep hill from the 2012 route was eliminated so sounds like the 2013 course was improved over the prior year. Organizers kept half and full marathoners split when the courses merge for the last ~6 miles. That worked well for the marathoners who had ample room, but not so well for the half-marathoners who I noticed were often shoulder-to-shoulder with little passing room, since about 5x more folks were running the half than the full. Plenty of on-course hydration with 2 GU stops. Gatorade was provided every 3 miles or so (wished they had Nuun or just about anything else.) Post-race plenty of free energy drinks, smoothies, bars, bananas to re-energize. Not nearly enough restrooms pre/post-race, although presumably that's not a problem if you pay extra for the pre/post race VIP.

Perhaps I went into this race with expectations a tad too high. I blame the glitzy magazine ads promoting the local bands performing at every mile marker. Awesome, right? However, I was less than impressed with this race from the expo to the finish line. Pros: efficient wave starts that allowed plenty of room to avoid weaving in and out of the masses, a decent finisher's medal to add to a collection. Cons: Exorbitant entry fee didn't include parking ($15 to attend the mandatory expo as no one else is authorized to pick up your race packet & $20 to park in downtown Seattle on race day), generic dri-fit participant shirt, a pathetic 30 porta potties at the start for 17,000 participants, local cover bands at every other mile marker whose music more-so made me want to jump off a bridge than feel inspired to run 26.2 miles, a less than scenic course, and to add salt to the wound...an uphill finish line. To top it off, the unknown headliner band at the finish only had two people (non-race participants) cheering them on. Bottom line, I don't intend on participating in future Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series events any time soon.

Pros: Expo - the flow and organization of the expo was excellent. Lots of vendors and space. Usually I like to get in, grab my number and shirt, and leave ASAP but I actually stuck around and had fun at this one. Spectators - lots of cheering, music, and fun along the way. It was amazing. Water stations - more than adequate. Never got to the point where I was dying for the next water stop, which is exactly how it should be. Cons: Course - I like a few hills in my races, but the ones in this race were flat out dangerous. After Rainier Ave, it's just a wall of hill and it's just as steep coming back down. Everyone had to tip toe down so as not to slip. Then when we had to run on I-90 I felt like I was choking on the exhaust fumes in the tunnel. There were also a few freeway overpasses we had to run on that did not have nearly enough railing to ease my acrophobia. Port-o-potties - they were organized so people had to wait for individual stalls. So if you're unlucky like me and got in a line where everyone was taking their time, you didn't get to use the bathroom at all (I waited 45 minutes and hardly moved). They should have had at least a couple volunteers organizing lines for groups of stalls. Or a couple really long lines for all the stalls. Bag Check - the bag check was no where near the start or finish line. After not being able to use the bathroom, I literally had to sprint to get to this place to make my corral. It was ridiculous. And then when the race was over, you had to walk up a hill to the opposite end of the Seattle Center to get your stuff (and considering this is after 13.1 or 26.2 miles, really not an easy thing to do).

I have ran this 1/2 marathon every year & was so excited when they changed to an out & back course & did away with the shuttles to the start. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed by the course selection however. Even though the original course had some dead areas I'll call them, I much preferred that to the new course. The beginning was nice & no issues there, but once you leave downtown you're on Rainier Ave for awhile, which isn't exactly the nicest part of town. That wasn't the worst of it though. There was a long treacherous hill (Dakota, I think) that was just downright dangerous. It wasn't the uphill that was the scary part, but the downhill. The hill was so steep that everyone around me was shuffling baby steps down the whole thing just to keep from taking a header. Fortunately, I was in the middle, so I was there before it started to rain, because if the pavement were wet lord knows how many people would have bit it. They need to find some other way to cut over to LWB, becausse this was just stupid. The other thing I disliked was the miles on LWB were shortened from years past. Everyone I've spoken with who has ran this said the same thing, that the LWB miles were the most scenic & enjoyable part. I won't complain about the I-90 tunnel as you really don't have many other options there, but coming back to the Center we went through yet another tunnel (Battery Tunnel), which was musty, dark & dreary. This was another poor choice in my opinion. Last item I'll bark about is the crappy finish. Uphill on Mercer Street, come on! At least give us a fast finish. I have ran the Seattle Marathon 7-8 times & am pretty tired of this same stretch of finish. I hope they re-think the finish & eliminate Battery Tunnel & Mercer to give us a more scenic & fast finish. I'm all for a challenging course, but these negatives took the enjoyment out of this race, and unless the course is altered I likely won't run this again. I think a start/finish Queste Field would be awesome & give this something a bit different than the Seattle Marathon in November.

This was my first marathon that I ran. There were many hills and a hill at mile marker 26. I cramped up at the end because I had water and cytomax at each fill station.

I've run all four Seattle RNR Half Marathons and was excited to see how the new course would play out. I liked the logistics a lot compared to the point to point start and finish from the previous three races. Everything from good access to porta potties to the UPS gear check (yah!). IN addition, the coral system they use at the start is really cool. You basically go out every two minutes based on your predicted time submitted when you sign up. The Seattle Center/Space Needle is a great start and stop location as well. The course itself seemed harder to me although on paper I was not expecting it to be. I'm far from elite but had been in the 1:38 range on the prior three races and this time was 1:42. Still can't tell if it was NOT my day or others felt the new course was more challenging as well? (any feedback here from others would be appreciated). The hills on the 2nd part of the course were larger and longer than I anticipated. Lots of water and energy drink stations which helped that part. I was on pace for a 1:38 the first 6 miles but then it kind of fell apart but was still happy to be part of this race. Great fan support and it didn't rain (I'm a Seattle native so this is a good thing). I'm not a morning person so the 7am start was/is an early one for me. Also too early to take a bus downtown so driving was required. Cheers!

I am a novice runner, but I enjoy traveling to different cities and indulge in the marathon experience. This is my 5th marathon, others being Denver, Disney, Nashville, Hartford. I thought this was a beautiful course up until the 15th mile which then turned into an out and back along an expressway! For about 6/7 miles there was little to no crowd support and the only entertainment was a couple of DJs in the tunnels. The course had a few challenging hills, but considering the location, it could have been worse. The start staggering also eliminated most of the congestion I have experienced at other marathons. (even those with staggered starts) My largest complaint (and this also occurred in the Denver Marathon 2010), but mile 15, according to my GPS ran 1.23 miles long. I understand the length of a marathon will be longer than 26.2 miles since I cannot follow the tangent due to congestion, but I certainly expect the route to be marked appropriately. I usually expect about an extra 1/4 but this marathon was near a 1/2 mile long. The tunnels of course caused my watch to lose signal but after the signal was established the GPS calculated the straight line distance between entering and existing the tunnels. All miles according to my GPS were in line with what I expected with the exception of Mile 15. It is frustrating to pay the fees associated with the race and they cannot seem to get the race course marked appropriately. I will be shying away from R/R marathons for the next few to see I if there are better experiences.

My first marathon EVER, 2nd race ever (1st was a 1/2 marathon) and it was SO fun! Hard course, but fun! (of course, it was 26.2 miles..nothing easy about that...) The cheering crowd was AMAZING and very encouraging! Outside of the tunnel where we had to run on a sideways incline, it was wonderful. I LOVED the lake and views of the city!! The water breaks & PP's were perfectly placed, (my first race, I was worried about this!) the last hills were very hard and I wanted to walk, but didn't, knowing the same great people would be there to help me afterward. And I was right! I had to visit the medic tent for a bad blister and they were so kind and caring. Thank you to all who make these races possible...couldn't have had a better 'first race' experience!! I'll be back! (and I qualified for Boston, so that made me even happier!)

I ran the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Seattle in 2009 and had a great race experience. I came back this year when they announced a new course. The new route is loop course with more hills. Even though it's harder, it is an improvement over the old course. The Seattle Center is a great race venue and was very accommodating to runners. They opened the Center House prior to the race so runners were able to stay warm and dry. They even had an open Starbucks stand inside where I was able to buy my morning cup of coffee. The Seattle Center is close to downtown hotels and is easily accessible. The new course runs through downtown. It has some scenic sections although Lake Washington is the nicest part of the course. Marathoners and half marathoners were separated from each other along the route - nice touch. Course support was very good. The volunteers at the water stations were great. There were plenty of bands and cheer squads to keep us entertained. The finish area was organized and efficient. It was a bit crowded when the bulk of the half marathoners finished, but it cleared out by the time marathoners arrived. No one can control the weather, and this year it rained leading up to the race. It stopped raining by race time, but the humidity was noticeable. Overall I enjoyed this race. Definitely recommended.

It was my first time to run this race and I found it challenging but good. They debuted a new course in 2012 and miles 6-13 featured the beautiful Lake Washington and Seward Park. There were more hills than I expected and a couple of them in the last 3 miles were killers! But the race organization was top notch, the volunteers at the aid stations were excellent and the weather at this time of the year is typically excellent. On top of that, the Expo is fantastic with a real 'big race' feel to it. Starting and ending in Seattle Center is very convenient. One bit of advice, waves are released at the the start in approximately 1-min intervals. So if you belong to a wave in the back (there were over 30 waves), then take your time getting to the race which starts at 7am. I was in wave 29, got there before 6am, and felt that a 90-min wait before gun start was tiring on the legs. You're better off relaxing and lining up for the porta potties as the first few waves go off and then just join your wave as they near the start line. Overall, this is a very good race to join... good race in a great city. So the trip is more than worthwhile. Really good restaurants in downtown Seattle too so lots of excellent choices for a post marathon dinner!

The Rock 'n Roll Series has gotten their race process down to a science. The expo was extensive and well-organized, with an easy flow through packet pick-up and a wide variety of options. The course was well-supported with great spectator support when it could be there. There were many sections of out-and-back and highway miles which could not allow for crowds, but I wouldn't trade the view on the bridge for anything. Pretty nasty hill in the last couple miles, but it seems like every course has one of those. My one big complaint was the post-race. They ran out of blankets quickly (I finished in 3:12 and went without), and the beer garden line took half an hour. Other than that, great weather, great course, great race.

I have run several Rock and Roll events over the past 3 years and it's more and more obvious they are cutting runner amenities to put more money in their pockets. I've seen their race entry costs go up while shirts remain unisex and uncreative. They add more premium options like private port a potties and VIP shuttles for added costs. Now they've cut back on the Cytomax handed out on the course to every other or every third waterstop. I will go out of my way to AVOID Rock and Roll events unless they do a couple little things to show me they care about runners as much as their bottom line.

Big time Rock n Roll Marathon. Organization was good and support excellent. Bands good. Course was poor. I think they did the best they could given the limitations. I mean no one would have wanted to run in-town with the hills. So we were running along the edge of town with out and backs and concrete. The hills around 17-19 were not good.In addition, there were a few mile markers which were miss marked. Ordinarily not a big problem, unless you are using them to track your pace especially toward the end.