Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon

I thought the race itself was pretty well organized and well marked but had a few major concerns.
1. They make you come to the expo on a weekday to get your number. This is very inconvenient and just seems greedy, especially when they force you to walk through their sponsored store.
2. There seemed to be less bands and cheerleaders than last year. It felt like there weren’t that many at all.
3. They still make you attach a timing chip to your shoe. Many much smaller races just have the chips attached to your bib, which is much more convenient.
4. Most importantly, I am 99% sure that the half marathon was AT LEAST a quarter mile too long. I’ve heard this from many different people who ran including the pace group runners. When you’re trying to hit a goal time this makes a MAJOR difference. It is unacceptable that a large and expensive race is not the correct length. After training for months I had a great race and was going to get a nice PR until the last mile was far too long. Very disappointing and frustrating and I will never sign up for this race again unless they acknowledge a problem and noticeably change the course. If you care about hitting a goal time I HIGHLY discourage you from signing up for this race.

Beautiful course… definitely one of the best I’ve seen in the RNR series. We had a start and finish at the Seattle Center, which was very easy and accessible via public transit. My friends and I took the bus in and we were dropped just a couple of blocks away.
This is one of the larger RnR races and this year had THREE distances: 8K (about 5 miles), half and full marathons.
One of the pros of starting at Seattle Center is the option for real bathrooms instead of portapotties if you are willing to wait. I was and was thankful for that extra pit stop since we commuted in from the suburbs.
The course had some hills, but overall not too bad. It was a picture perfect day and fortunately there were only a couple of sections that had us directly into the sun (I wear sunglasses, but on a bright day it’s still tough to have direct light).
We went through a number of neighborhoods, but by far, my favorite section was along Lake Washington. WOW. Simply stunning. And on top of that, a large portion of that section had folks from Wear Blue to Remember standing with American flags cheering us on.
We did spend a section in a freeway tunnel on a long incline. It got pretty steamy in there (yuck) and then continued on the highway back toward downtown. I appreciated the wide course, but it’s hard to run on concrete and on a sloped surface.
Be warned… there is one last hill at about mile 12.5. Yes, I’m serious… it was tough to turn a corner and see that when you just want to run into the finish, but it was there. Conquer that beast and you’re done!
Solid volunteer support and overall good crowd support. HUGE finishers area with plenty of snacks, photo opps, booths, etc. It took me a little while to find my heavy medal booth to get my medal for my 5^th RNR of the year, but I did find it.
Didn’t like the finisher concert… it just sounded like loud noise.
This is one I’d definitely consider returning to!

Great beginner ½ marathon course. This was my very first half and The course was the perfect level of difficulty. Relatively flat for the first 10 miles and then some inclines in the last 3 mi stretch but nothing too monstrous… Except the last 0.1 miles to the finish line LOL. Really good support like water /​Gatorade /​gels throughout the course. At the end you get an assortment of goodies like Choc milk, granola, popcorn, energy bars and bagels! Great way to appreciate the beauty of Seattle! I’d def do this race again. Maybe even try for the full next year :)

2015 Seattle Rock N Roll Wow just wow!
The start line was near the space needle, where they had fireworks to start the race. The course is beautiful great way to showcase this beautiful city. It didn’t hurt that mother nature cooperated and gave us a pretty perfect day!
A day before the race went to pick up my gear from CenturyLink its a bit of a walk from the city center but a nice walk you’ll pass by Union Square. The Expo was great, lots of things to buy and see. The shirts were nice love the grey color.
The course takes you from downtown Seattle, to several nice neighborhoods, around Lake Washington, and on the highway, several tunnels and back to downtown to finish back near the space needle. The support for this race was awesome, from local to volunteers. Water stations were awesome, lots of water and gatorade. The medal is always great with any Rock n roll so if you’re running for the bling add this to the list. The finish line festivities were awesome great way to celebrate peoples running accomplishments. I would highly recommend this race.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is the best ever! I lost my finishers medal the day of the race at the bottom of Greenlake. Yes, I know, it was stupid of me to take it out on my giant float but at the time I wanted to show off how awesome it was that even though I ran my first half marathon that morning, I was still out on the water in the beautiful Seattle weather enjoying myself. Suddenly my medal was gone… sunk to the bottom of the lake. Kayla over at Competitor Group is my new favorite person because she is going to replace it!!! If anyone is considering running it next year, sign up NOW, registration is only $ 50!

Compared to other races, this one was a particular disappointment. The course was taken through unwelcoming locations and there was little to no energy from bands on the sidelines. Water stations were spaced out quite far. Lack of signage at starting line. Smallest medal I’ve ever gotten for a race. All in all, I expected more for the price. Especially in a major city.
The afterparty was good. Expo was… Large so if you’re into that it was good. Volunteers were great and we’ll coordinated. Police and medical personnel per usual were amazing at keeping us all safe.

The marathon was well planned. I was so thankful for all those Gatorade/​water stations. they were plenty. the cheering crowd was amazeballs.

I’ve never seen a more poorly organized race. Zero signage or directions to the packet pick up and then you HAVE to pay another $ 20 to park and pick up the packet. The. No directions or signage once you park. Ridiculous!

Awesome experience! Very organized and so much fun. Would definitely do it again!

I’ve done this race twice now (half marathon) in 2009 and 2014. The inaugural year course was terrible as the start was in Kent and the finish in Seattle, but now that they have the start and finish in Seattle Center it is a much more enjoyable race. It’s price is on the higher end but it’s a fun way to see Seattle and log a race.
A few things: running through the tunnels is dreadful. I really wish they would cut out these parts of the course. When it’s hot the air in there is not great to breathe. Also, it would be nice if Expo hours ran later. I didn’t even travel in for this but getting to South Seattle isn’t easy and would be nice if they were open longer and might help to spread out the crowd. The bands along the course in my opinion don’t do much for the runners as you zip right past them and hardly hear their music, but I am sure it’s a lot more fun for spectators so that’s cool.
The post-​race concert is fun but you have to wait around quite awhile for it so if you are good with public napping you may be able to regain some strength on the Seattle Center lawn before you enjoy the show.
Also FYI, if you haven’t run a Seattle course before get ready for some hills! Not holding this against the race at all, I love some variation in courses. Just be sure to train for it!

I did the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Full Marathon last year. This was my second RnR marathon, and it was a great race.
The expo took place at Centurylink field, and was quite a big event. Parking was easy to find at the venue. Getting the race bib and swag was a breeze, with no waiting in line. Lots of free samples. Even a free photo booth with props and a green screen. Fun times.
Elevations were very doable for the novice marathon runner.
This race is almost always in June/​July, and Seattle is beautiful this time of year.
I was new to the Seattle area, and this race gave me an opportunity to tour 26.2 miles of the area on foot. It started downtown and ended downtown. I recall passing by the Space Needle. They also closed off part of the freeway that is a bridge over water, and it was really quite beautiful. A majority of the course had a view of water, as part of it ran through a park trail (on concrete) surrounded with trees. Part of the trail went through residential areas, which wasn’t bad.
As RnR events go, there were ample amounts of water stations.
Great live music throughout the course.
As the course got closer to the finish line, it passed through freeway ramps and tunnels (only open for runners, no cars). The medals were beautifully crafted.
If you’re looking for a great Full Marathon race in the Pacific Northwest, this is one is comfortable and a lot of fun.

Great course, great race swag, great city! Take out the underground tunnels please! Love the start and finish at Seattle Center! Wish the expo was more Central. Great time of year weather wise. Loved it! Highly recommend.

I really like this run and it’s a lot of fun. I’ve done it the past 4 years and am planning on doing it again in the near future.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that you have to go to the expo the day before the race. It’s an hour drive for me each way to get to Seattle with no traffic so going down Friday after work before race day on Saturday takes 2 – 3 hours each way. I would rather have the option to pay to have my bib mailed to me.

Big difference weather and rest makes!
Expo was at Centurylink Event Field Center. It’s kinda like Vegas in the expos… Beginning runners’ shopping eye candy. Bring cash and leave the credit cards at home. Those earbuds worked great while standing there at the vendor, but while running, you hear every footstep. Lotsa deals and no refunds.
Rule #1 at expos: Pick up your bib packet and get out
Rule #2 Do not wear ANYTHING for the FIRST time on race day
Rule #3 If you weren’t gonna buy it before the expo, you probably don’t need it. Ever.
Nice cool, 55 degree start, hadn’t raced since March, Pinoy Noir Runners reunited, we killed it! A full 27 minute improvement and a big smile throughout the race. Always tremendous support along the way, from elementary cheerleaders to Wear Blue: Run to Remember (a running community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American Military). Monkey love this scenic course. Expected every hill this time, paced myself better this year and thoroughly enjoyed every bit. More! Again please!
June 21, 2014
Monkey’s 10^th Half Marathon, 8^th RnR
Overall: 5863 out of 12 392
5k — 33:03
10k — 1:03:55
10mi — 1:45:25
Pace — 10:44
Chip — 02:20:34

This was my first half marathon race experience. After training in the hot, humid weather and steep hills of Atlanta, this was a refreshing change of weather and scenery. The weather was ideal at sunny, dry, breezy 68 degrees most of the morning. The path included a good portion of downtown including the over ramps near the stadiums, inside the tunnel, along the lake, and a view of the majestic mountains in the distance.
I was pleasantly surprised that it was a fairly flat course though there was a slightly annoying hill on the last half mile of the race. For those who have never done a half marathon, I would recommend this race given the mild weather and fairly flat course overall.

This was my 10^th half marathon but first one out of state. I’m typically not a «fan» of the Rock ‘n Roll series of races simply because they’re so crowded and expensive. But this one was well-​worth it!
The course is awesome and gives you all the best sights and sounds of Seattle ~ Space Needle, downtown, through some neighborhoods, along Lake Washington, I-​90 tunnel, freeway with view of stadiums, along the Alaskan Way Viaduct with views of Elliott Bay. I mean, seriously … the 13.1 course packs in a lot to see along the way. It does all this without being super-​challenging. Though Seattle has a reputation for being hilly, this course isn’t. There is ONE steep path around mile 9 but it’s so short … it’s done in a minute.
I didn’t attend the Expo so I can’t comment on that. Since this race was on a Saturday and I was coming from out of state, I wasn’t able to get to the Expo but was able to pick up bib at solutions tent that morning so … that was really nice! The race started on time and in typical wave fashion. Obviously, crowded but nothing extraordinary or unusual. My only complaint with the finish is wow, where were the snacks?! No bag of anything. No banana even. There was a ‘pretzel mix’ pack from Alaska Airlines and some kids handing out slices of bread. Slices of bread?!? For the cost of admission to this race, entrants deserve better than that. The PowerBar folks were also handing out stuff but that was it so … guess my point is, where were the food baggie options? It was very cheap-​of RnR organizers to have such limited options.
Otherwise, this race was fantastic! The course and crowd support were among the best I’ve seen. Water stations were plentiful. The bands were ok. Weather was spot-​on perfect but … I guess with Seattle, it’s a crapshoot. We lucked out for sure!

This was my second year running this race. As far as course (challenging), views (stunning) and crowd support goes, it’s the best of the Seattle-​area marathon events. This year, however, there were no bananas! I didn’t have much for breakfast, and by the end of the race I was really feeling pretty faint. I thought I could count on a bagel or banana to get me back into gear, but the finish line only had fruit cups and quarter slices of bread. Last year there were even smoothies! I know it’s a small oversight, but sometimes the little things matter:).

Oh RnR Seattle I just can’t quit you, with your majestic mountains and crisp clean fresh air you make running back home in smog filled LA seem so lackluster.
I chose to run Seattle again this year with my tour pass because it’s pretty much a no brainer as far as convenience is concerned. A hop skip and a jump from Los Angeles, super easy expo to attend on your way downtown from SeaTac and always organized.
I also love the VIP access to the expo ahead of all others when you have a TourPass.
I keep kicking myself for not doing Portland so I can have the Pacific Peaks medal but this year we were in San Fran running Bay to Breakers so I tossed out the idea, but hey! Third times a charm I think 2015 I’ll hit both.
I was not disappointed in anyway with this race. It remains a 5 star for me although I didn’t PR on the course this time around, which was solely on my part.
I loved the bands and cheerleaders, plenty of water and Gatorade stations (although I don’t use them), excellent pacers, amazing runners.
What’s not to love!!! I can’t find a single thing. I highly recommend this race.
It’s one of the most excellent ways to celebrate the first day of summer and I love that it’s on a Saturday (ummm hello! RnR must be rollin in the dough to afford Saturday street closures ;)
Run it! If you’re disappointed find me after and I’ll buy you a few rounds.

RnR Seattle is still one of my favorites races and the best part was the course. It was my first time to Seattle and we had such a blast!
RnR expos are usually my favorite. They have tons of vendors and tons of free samples. Race morning seemed like it might be a cluster since we were driving and Seattle traffic and parking is notoriously bad, but we left early, parked and took the monorail with no issue. The monorail was also neat to ride and the drive let us honk the horn! Since we did arrive so early as to avoid traffic we had some time to kill. However, we found an open building (sorry, I can’t remember what it was, but it was by the Space Needle) where there was a Starbucks and indoor bathrooms! Score! I wouldn’t recommend banking on the Starbucks though. The line was insane!!!
My group is absurdly faster than me and the husband was trying to BQ so they were in one of the first corrals while I was supposed to be back in 30something. I ended up just hopping into the first corral with them because no one checking and I didn’t want to wait alone for an hour. Normally I wouldn’t suggest this to anyone, but I have to say it was SO NICE starting so much earlier than I should have. It also meant that my group didn’t have to wait so long for me to finish (finished in 4:35, they were 3:15 — 3:40). I also made sure to run to the far right so I wasn’t in the way of people passing. The course itself is what made this race. For someone who has never been to Seattle, I think the course let us take in everything awesome about Seattle. Not many hills, but a great tour of the city, lakes, woodsy island and downtown. I like when courses take us highways and bridges because when do you ever get a chance to mosey around on a freeway? That sounds sarcastic, but the highways downtown were scenic and I had a great time with the skyline of Seattle always in sight. The only complaint I have is the rough uphill right before the finish. :)
After the race, the concert was on a hilly spot where I met up with my friends again. We got a few brews and then took the monorail back to our car. Easy!
There was so much to do in Seattle as well. I would hands down run this race again because Seattle is such a fun area to explore. Destination marathon at it’s best!

My 17^th halfie and my 6^th RNR race event.
I had taken a trip to Seattle earlier this year to check out the course, and low and behold, the course changes a month before the race.
The race was well organized and information regarding the transportation services and options were available for runners beforehand. With some research, traveling in Seattle was easy peazy and cheap!
Packet pick up was at Century Link Field Event Center, which is several miles away from downtown. Took the link to Stadium and it’s only about a block walk. Lots of goodies at the RNR expos and it was big. It was great!
I stayed in downtown and everything is walkable. My timeshare was about a mile from the start and finish from the Space Needle so it was a great warmup walk. Luckily it didn’t rain the day of the race (rained the day before).
Race morning, the corrals were easily identifiable and I was able to start in between corrals (this is the way to go). I didn’t utilize the port-​o-​potties or the gear check so I cannot comment on those at the event.
Expect HILLS!!! I was truly surprised with the amount of hills on this course. And just not any hills — STEEP hills! There was a time where there was complete bottlenecking after running Washington Lake and we were running single file. There was a tunnel that I felt claustrophobic in, and expect a lot of concrete vs. asphalt terrain, bridge and freeway running. NOT FUN!!!
This was one tough run. In fact, this race I experienced the worse pain I have done in any race. By the end of the race, I was experiencing lower back, hip, ankle, feet, hamstring and glut pains. My muscles were tight and I was cramping significantly in my hammies. What hurt the most were my hips.
When I crossed the finish, medical personnel had to carry me to the medical tent for treatment. I was carried to a cott and when I opened my eyes, there were about 6 medical personnel assisting and trying to stretch me out. IT WAS AWESOME!!! The medical volunteers get 5 stars!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I was then led to the massage area and was given a light massage to loosen up the very tight muscles.
Post-​race goodies were great with the Snickers marathon bars, chocolate milk, Gatorade, etc…
Decided to eat post-​race grub at the Seattle Center, which wasn’t crowded. Even got to use the bathrooms inside and not the port-​o-​potties. YIPEEE!!!
The concert with Gym Class Heroes was BOMB! LOVE THEM!!!
RNR Seattle is worth doing once. Great experience and definitely a fun city!
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STATS:
Overall: 3896 out of 14 089
Division: 409 out of 1772
Gender: 1782 out of 9470
10 Km 56:45
10 Mi 1:32:46
Pace 9:37
Chip Time 02:06:04