Course Information

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Both the marathon and ½ marathon start together at Gateway Corporate Center and run the same course for over 9 miles, culminating in an exciting side-by-side downtown finish outside Qwest Field. Keep your eyes and ears open as you run past some beautiful Seattle sites and hear the talents of local musicians on the entertainment stages.

Course Description

Both the full and half marathon start together on Interurban Ave in Tukwila, south of downtown Seattle. The course runs through Tukwila and makes its way to the scenic shores of Lake Washington for miles 4 through 9. Full marathoners only split off for 2 miles on the floating Lake Washington Bridge. Both courses merge together again, and all participants head toward downtown Seattle on Interstate 90, where the half marathon will split and finish downtown outside of Qwest Field.

The full marathon will continue north onto the Alaskan Way Viaduct, Hwy 99, with views of Elliott Bay, passing the Space Needle and Lake Union as the Alaskan Way Viaduct/Hwy 99 becomes Aurora. Runners will u-turn and head back toward downtown on the highway before finishing outside of Qwest Stadium downtown. There are some rolling hills in the latter half of the full marathon course.

Important note: There will be 2 different split points on the course for marathoners and half marathoners.  Read mile-by-mile description.

Course Highlights
  • Lake Washington
  • Seward Park
  • Views of Mt. Baker on a clear day
  • Downtown Seattle
  • Lake Union
  • Space Needle
  • Views of Mt. Rainier on a clear day
  • Olympic Mountains
  • Puget Sound/ Elliott Bay
  • Qwest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks & Seattle Sounders FC
  • Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners

Course Support

Water and Cytomax will be served at the start, finish and along the race routes.  GU will also be available at one location on each course. Medical teams will be on site to provide care at the start, finish and locations along the course. Clocks and mile markers are located at every mile.

  • Water will be available at the start, finish and along both courses. logo_cytomax

  • Citrus flavored Cytomax will be available at the start, finish and  along both courses.

  • GU Energy Gel

    • GU

    GU energy gel will be available at one location on the combined course route for half marathon and full marathon, and one additional location on the full marathon course only.  Flavors include Vanilla, Jet Blackberry* and Roctane Blueberry Pomegranate*.

    *Contains reduced caffeine

    To learn more about GU, visit www.guenergy.com

  • Medical Teams -The medical team for Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle will be lead by Dr. Lewis Maharam, the “Running Doc” and a handful of select local physicians. Utilizing their medical expertise, they will assemble a highly skilled Sports Medicine Team of multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional medical professionals to help assess and treat participants’ race day first aid needs. Numerous medical stations will be located at the start, at the finish, and on the course. All medical areas will be large RED and WHITE tents staffed by medical volunteers dressed in RED shirts.

  • Port-a-Potties – Port-a-potties will be stationed approximately every mile along the course, usually after an aid station.

  • Entertainment – Live local bands and cheer teams will be stationed approximately every mile of the course to keep you rockin’ all the way to the finish line.