Breanna Tullos's Staging Area

I’m a new runner, and this was the third half I’ve run this year (the other two were also with Orca). This one was by far the most challenging for me as a beginner, but days later I’m still thinking and reminiscing about it. I started out late — finding parking was challenging and we ended up parking farther away than we planned for, and just barely made the last shuttle to the start line. Definitely make sure to arrive early enough to accommodate time for parking and the actual commute to the start line, it takes longer than you’d expect! The course itself was gorgeous, especially the first half as it goes along the water and through beautiful residential areas. Mentally, the course gets pretty challenging from the out-and-back starting at ~8.5 miles to the end. However, it’s that mental challenge that made me feel so accomplished and rewarded at the finish line. I think the race was a great experience and I’m already excited to come back next year.

This was my first half marathon and it was such a great experience! The course is slightly uphill for the first half, but it’s so gradual that it mostly feels flat. The Snoqualmie Valley Trail goes through beautiful wooded areas with plenty of shade and was so pleasant to run on. It’s a public and somewhat narrow path, so sometimes it got tricky when bicyclists were passing by, but as long as you stay aware of other people using the trail there shouldn’t be a problem. Everyone I interacted with, from staff to volunteers to other runners, was very cheerful and supportive. Thank you Orca Running for the best first half marathon I could have asked for!