If you’re ready for an almost all-downhill run along a pair of riverside trails in the Seattle area, then the Iron Horse Half Marathon has what you’re looking for: a point-to-point route that starts in Olallie State Park and finishes in nearby North Bend, taking runners alongside the Snoqualmie River as they make their way near the end of the race.
Iron Horse Half Marathon
August 24, 2025
North Bend
Road
Ready to sign up?
1,000-10,000
Some Hills
Forested
High: 74°
/ Low: 51°
Run between two parks. Runners start the race at Olallie State Park, a 2,336-acre park that lies just over 45 miles west of Seattle and features a series of hiking trails and the waterfalls that it’s perhaps best known for, as well as the rocks and rubble left behind by a massive landslide eons ago at Cedar Butte.
From there, the race heads onto the Iron Horse Trail that the race is named for, built on the old railroad corridor that was part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad from 1908 all the way up to 1980. Today, the walking, hiking, running and biking trail stretches more than 200 miles from Washington all the way into Idaho.
You’ll follow the trail through Iron Horse State Park, where you’ll pass through forests and old railroad tunnels, and over trestles as you wind through 3 and 4, on your way to the southernmost point of the course, where the trail meets up with Cedar Falls Road near Rattlesnake Lake.
Second half on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. After you make the turn northward, you’ll then head onto the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, also built on top of an old railroad and 32 miles long, stretching between nearby Duvall and Rattlesnake Lake.
There’s a brief flat stretch here, and then it’s mostly downhill for the rest of the race, all the way north to the finish line in North Bend at Meadowbrook Farm. There, organizers say they’ll have “a post-race beer garden and free barbecue,” as well as free professional photos for all race participants.
Overview
If you’re ready for an almost all-downhill run along a pair of riverside trails in the Seattle area, then the Iron Horse Half Marathon has what you’re looking for: a point-to-point route that starts in Olallie State Park and finishes in nearby North Bend, taking runners alongside the Snoqualmie River as they make their way near the end of the race.
Course Description
Run between two parks. Runners start the race at Olallie State Park, a 2,336-acre park that lies just over 45 miles west of Seattle and features a series of hiking trails and the waterfalls that it’s perhaps best known for, as well as the rocks and rubble left behind by a massive landslide eons ago at Cedar Butte.
From there, the race heads onto the Iron Horse Trail that the race is named for, built on the old railroad corridor that was part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad from 1908 all the way up to 1980. Today, the walking, hiking, running and biking trail stretches more than 200 miles from Washington all the way into Idaho.
You’ll follow the trail through Iron Horse State Park, where you’ll pass through forests and old railroad tunnels, and over trestles as you wind through 3 and 4, on your way to the southernmost point of the course, where the trail meets up with Cedar Falls Road near Rattlesnake Lake.
Second half on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. After you make the turn northward, you’ll then head onto the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, also built on top of an old railroad and 32 miles long, stretching between nearby Duvall and Rattlesnake Lake.
There’s a brief flat stretch here, and then it’s mostly downhill for the rest of the race, all the way north to the finish line in North Bend at Meadowbrook Farm. There, organizers say they’ll have “a post-race beer garden and free barbecue,” as well as free professional photos for all race participants.
