Jack and Jill's Downhill Saturday Marathon

INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:22:36. The Jack and Jill Downhill Marathon was my fifty-sixth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: drizzly and in the mid-fifties at the start. Starting in Hyak, we descended down the John Wayne Trail for 21 miles including, beginning one-fourth of a mile into the race, two and a half miles of tunnel; the darkness was offset by the headlamps worn by the runners. At the end of the tunnel, there was a volunteer who received them for transport to the finish line. The course was marked by forests, waterfalls, bridges over rivers and creeks, and for those who wanted to keep in touch with civilization, an occasional glimpse of Interstate 90. Just past mile 21, we turned right onto the busier Snoqualmie Valley Trail for the rest of the race that concluded off of North Bend Way a mile southeast of town. Weather at the finish was partly cloudy, 64 degrees. ORGANIZATION: Well organized; though the bus driver did not know the way to the start, all was well when a local runner was able to get us there. Good course and finish line support. Chocolate milk aficionados will be happy at the conclusion of the race. SPECTATORS: Trace. CONCLUSION: A well organized, very scenic and easy downhill race. Well done.

I was talked into this marathon by a friend that ran it in 2018. I was sold by his review and the pictures and video that I saw. This is pretty amazing since I had not run a marathon and was terrified of the distance. My nerves were pretty much gone by the time I came out of the tunnel and realized this was going to be a great experience. The 26+ miles flew by and it never felt like I was out there that long. The pacer I ran with was awesome and the course was beautiful. The water stops and portas were never too far away and I don't think I could've asked for a better first marathon experience. Thank you for work on this event!!

My wife and I both ran the full marathon on Saturday, and would do it again in a heartbeat. We run on both trails and roads, and this course was a nice balance between the two: the forest-y atmosphere of a trail run, but on a smoother and more predictable surface (albeit still not fully paved). If you're worried about the surface, don't be. We both wore road shoes without any trouble. Despite some rain (it literally only happened to rain for the 5 hours surrounding our race day, so don't be scared off by that either), we each knocked 14 minutes off the times we ran 7 months ago at CIM, and both ended up in the top 10. The views are beautiful, the field isn't overcrowded, the times are fast, and the volunteers are wonderful and supportive. Do it! PS - I'd be shocked if there's a better BQ option out there.