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Washington > Spokane Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay
& 5-Mile Run
Spokane, WA
Date
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Event
Details
The twists and turns of the winding Spokane River are the backdrop for
much of the course at the Spokane Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay and
Five-Mile Run, which unfolds along a route that's a mixture of
downtown city streets, rolling hills along the river, trails through a
nearby state park and sections of
the Centennial Trail, a 37-mile paved pathway for biking, hiking,
running, walking and inline skating that follows the flow of the
Spokane River through the city from the Idaho state line to the town of
Nine Mile Falls, Wash.
From the starting line on the outskirts of Spokane's Riveront Park,
near the River Square Mall, runners head west on Spokane Falls
Boulevard, staying with the road as it becomes Riverside Avenue. The
route makes a few turns through these downtown city streets, passing by
Coeur D'Alene Park on the way toward West Sunset Boulevard, through the
historic Browne's Addition district and up toward High Bridge Park.
This section of the race, which takes runners northward along
Government Way through Riverside Memorial Park, is identical to a
portion of the
course used in Spokane's annual Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K race.
After running through the memorial park and past Mount Nebo Cemetery,
runners keep heading northward toward the river and join up with a
roughly mile-long stretch of the Centennial Trail, which includes some
steep but short hills. Runners then get a break for the rest of the
trail, with a gradual downhill that features tall trees on either side
and scenic views of the river flowing at the end of the trail. The
course then flattens out for a bit as it winds along the river, taking
runners eastward toward the river and past the campus of Spokane Falls
Community College on the way to the bridge crossing at the T.J. Meenach
Bridge.
Once they're over the bridge, runners hit perhaps the toughest climb of
the race around the nine-mile point at the famed "Doomsday Hill." The
terrain thankfully evens out after that, taking the field along Pettet
Drive and Point Road high above the river, winding around the bend in
the river back toward Riverfront Park. There's a final brief uphill on
Lincoln Street and then the course flattens out again as it enters the
park, taking runners across one last bridge and finishing up in front
of the park's Rotary Fountain.
The event is sponsored by Spokane's Bloomsday Road Runners Club, and
tends to draw a medium-sized field of participants -- the 2008 race saw
just over 1,000 runners cross the finish line in all three races
combined, with an estimated 675 of those finishing the half-marathon.
Race
Weather & Climate
The fall months bring mild-to-cool and occasionally cold weather to the
Spokane area, with October temperatures that average between
36°F and 59°F. Rainfall tends to be scarce, averaging
just over 1 inch for the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
Registration for the fall 2010 running of
the Spokane Marathon & Half Marathon is not yet open. Please check back later for updated information on how to sign up, or visit the race website shown below.
Website
www.spokanemarathon.us
Half
Marathon Course
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Relay?
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