Race: Sequalitchew Trail Marathon
Runner: Derek Siebert
Race Date: 03/04/2023
Location: DuPont, WA
Results: 3:55 4th of 37
Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/8660130876
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
Well organized and well marked course. Lots of intersections so you do have to pay attention. Really supportive runners, volunteers and race staff. It’s a lollipop course so you get to see full, half and 10k runners multiple times. Great scenery in several parts of the course and nearly all of it is very runnable. Hot soup at the end was awesome on a dreary day.
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
Smaller field meant lots of time running alone.
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
When you run on the beach, the rocks are very difficult to run on. Fortunately it’s only for a couple hundred yards. Enjoy the view while you’re down there!
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
I jumped in last minute as a training race with the goal of negative splitting. I missed this by a couple minutes, but still happy with the even effort. Wasn’t wrecked at end so that’s always a bonus.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
The first couple miles and the tunnel miles you can run pretty freely. The uphill switchbacks are steep, but only take a couple minutes. No reason to kill yourself here. Power hike and have something to eat and get back at it.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Not much I would have done differently. Make sure you wear trail shoes to have any confidence on the single track and downhill portions. It wasn’t muddy, but road shoes would have been dicey.
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
Course is marked with ribbons and flour with directional arrows and X’s. Pay attention. It’s well marked, but if you don’t see a flag for awhile, you went the wrong way. Look for the X’s on the ground and don’t cross over them!
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
Both on the beach, on top in the neighborhoods and through the tree tunnel were all enjoyable to run. A few neighborhood crossings that aren’t monitored, but no traffic to deal with.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
If you’re trained for a road marathon, it can be a tough course. If you’ve done some trail prep, then it’s not technical or steep with only 2000′ in the full marathon.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Organized by Run Super on the old DuPont Marathon route. First time they’ve been the race organizer for this course and it was very well organized, as usual. One aid station on course and one at start/finish line so much more of an ultra type spacing vs. a road marathon. Great photos for free, good food/drink, nice medal and t-shirt included.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
A lot more people registered for the half, but with only 37 for the full it was pretty spread out. Most of the racing was done in the first half as people settled into their paces.
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.
Very easy to get into. Just register. Local race and plenty of free parking. Can get out of your vehicle 10 minutes before race.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Pretty standard fare, but nice to have warm soup at the end!
Weather and typical race conditions
At race start it was 35 degrees with a rain/snow mix. Precipitation stopped after about an hour. Plan for a long, wet day.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?
Trail shoes and dress to stay warm.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
The full is 2 loops so there is some opportunity. But I don’t think I saw a single spectator on course or at end. You’ll be sharing trails with walkers, runners etc.
How’s the Swag?
Standard T-Shirt and nice medal.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
4/5 stars. It’s a great way to not have to run alone for a long run. I think the half would be fun to race.
