Race: Jack and Jill Marathon
Runner: Annelie Stockton
Race Date: 07/28/2019
Location: North Bend, WA
Results: 3:05:03
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
Course was beautiful, weather was perfect, and very well organized.
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
Course surface was a bit challenging, packed gravel with some bigger rocks in the mix, I felt like I had to continuously watch my footing.
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
First two miles of the race are in an old train tunnel. It was dark, cold, and something I’ve never done before.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
Goal was to have fun and enjoy the race which is exactly what I did. As I was running I enjoyed the beautiful scenery and I finished feeling good.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
It did get pretty warm by the end of the race. If you’re wearing layers at the beginning make sure they’re easy to take off, and focus on hydration is important.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Wear better shoes and know what to expect for packed gravel running. It is a net downhill course and I think most people go in to it expecting to PR, there were a couple parts of steep downhill which was hard on my quads and I felt the gravel was pretty challenging to run on.
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
The start can be a lot colder than the finish, wear layers that you can take off. Packed gravel and downhill can be difficult to run on, use this during your training runs to practice this type of running surface before the race.
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
Beautiful! One of the prettiest courses I’ve run on.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
Overall not a difficult course. As mentioned earlier, I found the packed gravel challenging.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Very well organized. Everything from the start to the finish of the race was great.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
Yes, there were quite a few people in this race. I usually had about 5 people around me at all times.
Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
Easy registration!
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Yes, aid stations about every 5k.
Weather and typical race conditions
Weather can be a bit unpredictable. The day before my race was cold and rainy, however race day was sunny and warm.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?
Layers to take off and a head lamp for the trail tunnel.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
Not super spectator friendly. You can watch at the start, the half way point, and finish. Since it is on trail in the mountains it’s harder to get to by car to see the runners.
How’s the Swag?
Cool shirt and medal. Prize money for top 3 winners of male and female.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
5, if you’re looking for a beautiful course I highly recommend this one.
Annelie Stockton is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with Coach Annelie, check out her coaching page.