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Washington > Vancouver USA Marathon, Half Marathon & Freedom 5K
Vancouver, WA • Sunday, June 17, 2012 • Course Map
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Known for its gorgeous natural beauty thanks to both its location along the banks of the Columbia River as well as the dramatic views of Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood to the north and the Cascade Mountains to the east, the city of Vancouver expects to welcome a few thousand runners and walkers for its now two-year-old marathon in the early summer of 2012, with the second annual running of the Vancouver USA Marathon, Half Marathon & Freedom 5K.
The weekend of running events -- the Freedom 5K and Kids Marathon races take place on Saturday morning, while the 26.2-mile full marathon and 13.1-mile half marathon are set for Sunday -- is the brainchild of a group of runners headed by Brian Davis, the race director for the locally-based Energy Events organization that stages five races around the Vancouver area throughout the year.
From the starting and finish line area at Vancouver's Esther Short Park -- known for the beauty of its towering trees, its 69-ft. bell tower and for its annual Wine & Jazz Festival -- runners head out on what is roughly a clockwise loop route through the city, with stretches that include runs through the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and the trails that unfold alongside the waters of the Columbia River flowing by.
Largely fast and flat throughout most of the 13.1-mile course, the half marathon offers runners what is probably its steepest hill around the mid-way point of the race, as runners are making their way along Evergreen Boulevard on their way toward the turn at Winter Park along the river. Once runners hit the high point at about the mile 7 marker, the course then heads downhill again and remains flat for most of the rest of the race.
Runners -- and walkers, the race is open to both -- in the half marathon will start their race at 8:30 AM (the full marathon starts an hour and a half earlier, at 7:00 AM), and will have 5 hours to complete the course. As runners are crossing the finish line and after, organizers plan to have an after party with live music and a beer garden in Esther Short Park.
Just over 2,400 runners and walkers crossed the finish line in all three races combined in 2011, including more than 1,400 finishers in the half marathon.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled along the northern side of the Columbia River in southwestern Washington, roughly 10 miles north of downtown Portland, Ore., Vancouver typically sees mild to moderately warm weather in June, when the city's average monthly temperatures range between 72°F and 50°F. On the day of the race (June 17), the average high is 72°F and the average low is 50°F, while rainfall totals for the month average just over 1.9 inches -- making June the city's fourth-driest month of the year.
Course Map
View the map for the Vancouver USA Half Marathon
Fees
$50 for the half marathon, if registered by September 30, 2011
$60 between October 1 - January 31, 2012
$70 between February 1 - June 1
$85 at the race expo on June 15 - 16
Registration
To reserve your spot in the early summer 2012 running of the Vancouver USA Marathon, Half Marathon or Freedom 5K race, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.vancouverusamarathon.com
Leave a Comment
Ever run in Washington's annual Vancouver USA Marathon or Half Marathon? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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