Next April (most likely the first Sunday) will mark the 13th annual Yakima River Canyon marathon in Washington state. The 15 mile Yakima River Canyon lies in central Washington between the towns Yakima and Ellensburg. The area is designated as a nature preserve, home to the densest population of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state. The canyon walls rise as much as 2000 feet above the river that carved it. Just shy of a 2 hour drive from Seattle, it makes for a great destination. The marathon course is described as follows: "This point-to-point marathon course is exceptionally scenic as it offers spectacular views of the Yakima River Canyon. It starts on Canyon Road .2 mile south of the Berry Road intersection in Ellensburg, Washington. After two loops, it proceeds directly south to the canyon. There are two major hills and many curves as the course follows the Yakima River downstream on the asphalt surfaced highway. The long downhill just before the finish in rural Selah, Washington, near the canyon’s mouth contributes to the net elevation loss of a few hundred feet as it brings the runners to the Yakima Valley orchard and ranch country".
The marathon headcount is around 400 participants, and offers no alternative distances. The pre-race pasta feed appears to be the most optimum pre-race dinner location. Attending marathon pasta feeds are a nice diversion, as you get the opportunity to mingle with one another, and Bart Yasso is typically the guest speaker, who's very entertaining on and off the stage. (For those that don't know Bart, he works for Runner's World and wrote a book called, "My Life on the Run". We became friends when he ran on our relay team at Hood to Coast one year). Hey, for $8 a person, what a deal! I wouldn't expect an expo--just a packet pick-up at the civic center is mentioned. With a point-to-point course there appears to be a few moving parts to work through: shuttles, whether to stay near the start or finish, etc, but since it's small it's probably a lot easier to work through the logistics. Obviously, this is not a course for those who like a lot of spectators out on the course, nor does it appear to offer a lot of "swag". No, based on the reviews I've read from marathonquide.com the biggest draw is the scenery. Truly majestic. They offer a free awards ceremony/dinner late afternoon, which a lot of people said was great, but not sure how much "ruralness" I can take...I figure I'd be well on my way back to Seattle by then...who knows? Anyhow, this marathon truly falls into the "unique" category, so I'm considering it. How about you?
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