Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon WA: Awesome Race Report

YES sign up for this race. YES. If you’re reading this post because you’re debating signing up for Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon, the answer is YES you should. It’s incredible for so many reasons. It’s hard to name a race your “favorite” because they each have different pros and cons. But this one IS probably my favorite marathon I’ve ever done.

Ready to hear all about it?

A bit about me: I’ve run 7 marathons, 1 ultra marathon, and some other halfs and 5ks. I call myself a normal runner – I run regularly, I’m not super fast, and I have a love/hate relationship with running. Writing about running is fun for me, so check out all my posts here.

Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon Jump To:

Quick Info on Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon WA:

• Race Website: jackjillmarathon.com
• When: End of July
• Location: North Bend, WA, about 1 hour east of Seattle – park for the start at Hyak Parking
• Cost: Around $170, depending on when you register
• Elevation Profile: Gentle 2,000 ft elevation loss
• Terrain: Hard-Packed Gravel
• Sign up Here

About Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon WA

This race is awesome, especially if you’re trying to qualify for Boston. It is a gradual downhill basically the whole way, and many people get BQs. It is in the world’s top 25 fastest marathon courses. According to Find My Marathon, it is the 12th fastest marathon in the US.

Because it’s so popular, you can race on Saturday morning or Sunday morning. It can sell out.

It’s well organized, they had excellent pacers, and it was just a phenomenal race all around.

Fun tips and thoughts – Is Running a Marathon Hard?

Packet Pick Up

Pick up your packets at a local running store: Snoqualmie Running Company, 38843 SE Newton St. Snoqualmie, WA 98065. Bring your ID!

It’s not really an expo. The running shop offered sale items, but you don’t need to dedicate much time to it. Info on Packet Pick Up here. You get one of the best race shirts I’ve ever received.

I do recommend going to see Snoqualmie Falls before you head to your hotel. Beautiful waterfall not too far away. There’s free parking with a quick walk to the falls.

Where to Stay

You have a couple options…

You could stay closer to the finish line; there’s more to do in this area. But then you have to drive to the starting line, shuttle back to your car, then drive back to wherever you’re staying.

My vote is to park near the starting line. I despise waking up early, so I wanted to stay as close to the start as possible. We stayed at The Summit Inn – 603 Sr 906 Snoqualmie Pass, WA. It was affordable and decent. Would definitely recommend!

Also, my husband and I were nuts for this one… We flew in the afternoon before the race, ran the marathon, showered at a YMCA on the way back to the Seattle airport, and then flew home. It was cheaper but having to fly home the day of the marathon was not ideal.

Where to Eat the Night Before

Ok, this is the most important part of this blog post. The night before this race, I cried over my pasta dinner. CRIED. It was one of the best meals of my entire life, and I want you to experience it too. The little local spot is called Gianfranco Ristorante Italiano, and it is divine. I had mushroom pasta with truffle oil, ate every single speck, and then ran my fastest marathon the next morning.

I will be sharing no other places to eat because this is where you should eat. The end.

8150 Railroad Ave. SE. Snoqualmie, WA.

ENJOY.

Transportation

You will park at Hyak Parking for the start of the marathon. There is supposed to be a $10 fee for parking here, and there’s a kiosk to pay. Allow some time to wait in line to pay for parking; there’s only one kiosk. I won’t promote this, but the kiosk did break while we were waiting in line. The race was about to start, so we didn’t pay… and we didn’t get a ticket that morning.

It is very easy to see where the starting line is from this lot.

They have shuttles from the end of the race back to this lot. Very easy to spot, and they run regularly.

Read all about this on the race website.

Bathrooms

One of my least favorite things about races is the lack of bathroom options before a race. This one did pretty well. There are bathrooms at the parking area, and they supplemented these with porta potties. I didn’t have to wait too long.

They also have porta potties along the course, at most of the aid stations.

The Course

You start the race right by the parking lot. They stagger the start because you proceed to run through a 2 mile TUNNEL. If they let everyone start at the same time, people get bottlenecked at the start of the tunnel.

The tunnel is SO COOL. It’s an old train tunnel, you can see everyone’s headlamps bouncing, it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced in a race, and it’s a great start to this one. They take your headlamp at the end of the tunnel, and you can get it back at the end of the race – write your name on the band.

You then run 22 miles along the Palouse to Cascades Trail. You then turn right onto the Snoqualmie Trail to the finish. You’ll run over bridges high up in the trees, you’ll witness such beauty, and it’s just such a nature-oriented race. It felt like I was running through a peaceful forest.

The race starts at approximately 2549 feet above sea level and ends at 525 feet. The course is a very gradual decline on a hard-packed gravel and dirt old railroad trail.

Aid Stations

Aid stations are around every 2.5 miles. They offer water, gatorade, and some had energy gels.

Spectators

If you need people cheering you on during a marathon, Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon may not be for you. There were only a couple spots along the course where people were cheering. Most of it was a peaceful forest trail.

Click here for spectator info.

Post-Race Celebrations

There were decent snacks at the end. They had BQ BABY signs to hold up if you got a BQ time. Plenty of drinks and excitement. Cool medal. No complaints.

I found a shady spot to sit and cry, because that’s what you do sometimes after you finish a marathon.

You should feel like a total badass.

My Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon WA

This race summary is actually pretty short and sweet.

I was hoping for a BQ time. I felt pretty well-trained, and I knew it was within the realm of possibilities. But you also can’t super plan for a BQ because you never know what the marathon has in store for you.

I vowed to not start super fast, so I ran casually through the tunnel. I then picked up the pace and kept it for a very long time. Anytime I would start to wonder.. “can I keep this up?” my mind would immediately yell I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY. If you’ve ever seen the show New Girl, please use this during your races.

Telling myself “I can do this all day” over and over made me run faster.

I genuinely enjoyed my run until about mile 24 when I started to feel it. I managed an 8 minute 24th mile because I knew I was going to be close to the BQ time.

The last 2 miles were rough. I just did not have it in me to go any faster. I finished in 3:34, with my BQ time needing to be 3:35 or less. Hell yeah. I got to hold up the BQ sign and feel so freaking proud of myself. I, of course, did not actually end up getting into Boston because you needed an almost 8 minute faster time this year, BUT STILL. I did it. And now I just get to keep trying.

Also, my new Coros watch definitely helped me BQ this race. **affiliate link, thanks for supporting my blog!**

Should You Run Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon WA?

Yes. Absolutely yes. Go sign up right now.

Also, they have a course in the Poconos, PA as well. I’ve never done it, but if it’s anything like their WA one, I’d imagine it’s pretty great.

Happy Running!

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