You park at Hyak Sno-Park on Snoqualmie Pass before dawn, clip on a headlamp, and within the first miles you are inside the Snoqualmie Tunnel, 2.4 miles of cool dark on hard-packed gravel with a pinprick of daylight far ahead. Once you are out, the old railbed does the work: a flat-feeling first half, then a long, steady grade that drops roughly 1,300 feet to the finish in North Bend. Nothing is steep, which is why so many runners negative-split here and why about one in three finishers has hit a Boston standard. The course is USATF certified, so a qualifier counts without any downhill adjustment. You have six and a half hours. The race sells out, buses return you to your car afterward, and the half starts thirty minutes behind you on the same trail.
USATF-certified (WA26017RMB) rail-trail course that starts at Hyak Sno-Park on Snoqualmie Pass, passes through the 2.4-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel, then descends about 1,300 ft total (roughly 1,000 ft net) on hard-packed gravel to the finish in North Bend; flat first half, sustained runnable grade second half. Course map ↗
Registration for July 2027 is open on RunSignup: marathon $152, half $122, with a price increase after October 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. No refunds, transfers or deferrals, including switching to other races; switching days or distances is subject to availability and upgrade fees. The race has sold out annually since 2015. Headlamp or flashlight required for the 2.4-mile tunnel. Register ↗
- The organizer reports a 32% Boston-qualifying rate ('1 in 3 runners BQ') with no downhill time adjustment, and findmymarathon ranks it #35 among fastest BQ courses. ↗
- All runners need a headlamp or small flashlight for the 2.4-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel; the marathon has sold out every year since 2015. ↗
- Marathon starts 6:00 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. cutoff (6.5 hours); post-race buses return runners from the North Bend finish to the start parking at Hyak between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. ↗
- Course is USATF certified (WA26017RMB) with about 1,300 ft of total descent and roughly 1,000 ft net downhill on the Palouse to Cascades Trail. ↗
- Produced by Run Super Series, which was established in 2016; the race is also an Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group Qualifier. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.