Seattle Marathon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seattle Marathon
Memorial Stadium, location of the finish
Date	Usually November
Location	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon
Established	1970 (55 years ago) (1970)
Participants	1,439 finishers (marathon) (2017)

The Seattle Marathon is a yearly running race held in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is a full marathon distance, which is about 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometers). The race usually happens in November, right after Thanksgiving. It's a popular event that brings many runners to the city.

History of the Seattle Marathon

The very first Seattle Marathon took place on November 15, 1970. A group of friends from the University of Washington organized it. Only 38 runners joined the first race, and 31 of them finished the entire marathon.

In 2020, the in-person race was cancelled. This happened because of the coronavirus pandemic. Runners who had signed up could choose to run in 2021 instead or get their money back.

The Marathon Course

The Seattle Marathon course has changed a few times over the years. Each course offers different views of Seattle's famous landmarks.

Past Marathon Routes

Course on the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge in 2013, showing runners on the bridge.

One older course started near the Museum of Pop Culture. It went through Downtown Seattle and the International District. Runners then crossed Lake Washington on Interstate 90 to Mercer Island. They turned around and came back across the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge.

The route then followed Lake Washington Boulevard S. to Seward Park. It looped around Bailey Peninsula before heading back along the shoreline. The course continued through the Washington Park Arboretum and Interlaken Park. Finally, it finished inside Memorial Stadium in Seattle Center.

Recent Marathon Routes

The 2018 marathon course started near the Space Needle. It also finished in the nearby Memorial Stadium. This route first went southwest into Downtown Seattle. Then, it headed north on Interstate 5. Runners crossed the Lake Washington Ship Canal using the Ship Canal Bridge.

The course then led runners up to NE 103rd Street, past Matthews Beach Park. They ran back using the Burke-Gilman Trail. The marathon continued west on the trail. It turned around near 8th Avenue NW. Finally, runners headed south across Lake Union using the Aurora Bridge to finish.

Current Marathon Route

As of 2024, the marathon course begins next to the Space Needle. This is on the Seattle Center campus. It travels south on 5th Avenue through Downtown Seattle. Then, it turns north onto the Interstate 5 express lanes. Runners cross the Ship Canal Bridge over the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

The course exits in the University District. It goes east and south across the University of Washington campus. Runners pass through Stevens Way and Rainier Vista. They cross the Montlake Bridge. The route continues through the Washington Park Arboretum. It turns west onto Interlaken Boulevard. Runners then cross the University Bridge.

The course turns west onto Northlake Way towards Gas Works Park. It then turns north onto State Route 99. This part goes through Woodland Park. Runners circle Green Lake before returning to the highway. The course continues across the Aurora Bridge. The race ends at Memorial Stadium.

Marathon Sponsors

The Seattle Marathon has had different sponsors over the years. It was once sponsored by Amica Insurance.

As of 2023, the main sponsor is UW Medicine. They help make the marathon possible.

The Seattle Quadzilla Challenge

The Seattle Marathon used to be the last race in a special series. This series was called the Seattle Quadzilla. It involved running four marathons in four days!

The series included:

• The Wattle Waddle Marathon on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day).
• The Wishbone Run on Friday.
• The Ghost of Seattle Marathon on Saturday.
• The Seattle Marathon on Sunday.

In 2010, the first year of the series, 24 runners completed all four races.

Things have changed for the Quadzilla series in recent years. The Wattle Waddle still happens on Thanksgiving. However, it is now managed by new organizers. The Wishbone Run no longer takes place. It has been replaced by a race called the Grateful Runners Turkey Revenge.

The Ghost of Seattle Marathon also has new owners since 2024. It is now known as the Seattle Ghost Marathon. The Seattle Marathon is no longer an official part of the Quadzilla series. To earn the special Quadzilla medal, runners must now complete a different race. This new race is called the It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas pop-up race.

Seattle Marathon Winners

Here are some of the winners of the Seattle Marathon over the years:

Date	Male winner	Time	Female winner	Time	Notes
November 15, 1970	Evan Shull (USA)	2:38:41	none
November 21, 1971	Sean O'Riordan (IRL)	2:31:09.8	Suzanne Taylor (CAN)	4:16:34
November 19, 1972	Wolf Schamberger (CAN)	2:35:45	none
December 1, 2019	Cesar Mireles (USA)	2:33:16	Kristina Randrup (USA)	3:03:59
2020	cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
December 15, 2021	Alex Forte (USA)	2:29:32	Jordan Oakes (USA)	2:56:45
November 26, 2022	James Wenzel (USA)	2:32:32	Fawn Whiting (CAN)	3:00:19
November 26, 2023	Max Randal (USA)	2:27:03	Callahan McKenzie (USA)	2:47:54
December 1, 2024	Max Randal (USA)	2:30:29	Devin McMahon (USA)	2:59:30