Beat the Blerch
Carnation, WA
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Beat The Blerch is a 5K, 10K, half, and full marathon created by The Oatmeal and inspired by this comic about running. The Carnation, Washington race will take place in a quaint little town located about 35 minutes outside of Seattle. It begins at King County’s Tolt MacDonald Park, and … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 12):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 71 | 70 | 69 | 73 | 66 |
| L (°F) | 60 | 58 | 57 | 62 | 57 |
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Can't go wrong with cake and donuts
This was my second time participating! It's a good sized event, but very low key. Everyone seems focused on having a good time. They tossed marshmallows to runners before the … MORE
This was my second time participating! It’s a good sized event, but very low key. Everyone seems focused on having a good time. They tossed marshmallows to runners before the start line for a little pre-race sugar boost. The couches and cake on the course always make for a laugh, even if you don’t stop for them 😆 I love this course because of the gradual uphill, and then you can just coast all the way back to the finish!
A Glutonous Well Done Race
I have wanted to do the Beat the Blerch race for years. Ever since my husband introduced me to the Blerch creation of the Oatmeal I have been interested. My … MORE
I have wanted to do the Beat the Blerch race for years. Ever since my husband introduced me to the Blerch creation of the Oatmeal I have been interested. My first permanent race shirt was Blerch themed. For those that don’t know, the Blerch is the gluttonous part of many distance runners that we are constantly running from. That is what makes this race so fun. Gluttony is offered at every corner. From a make your own donut burrito station, to the cake served at the finish line. There are are couches on the course to rest upon and more than one blerch running around, Overall, this makes this a race with a fun atmosphere. However, it is also a well run race. From sign up to packet pick up, to guided parking, and a well supplied and staffed course, this is is a well organized race.
The course is an out and back on a state park paved and gravel trail. It is a pretty course though I am not a huge fan of out and backs.
The shirt and medal for this race are better than average and I would say the bling is worth it.
The one thing that I can say is that you should not care too much about accurate time keeping. I am convinced that there were cheaters on the course and because there is only a timing mat at the beginning and the end, it is easy to make shenanigans happen.
If you like a quirky trail race then this is definitely the race for you. If you want to be a glutton, this is the race for you. If you care about getting the best time and many pictures along the way, this is not the race for you. I had a fun, enjoyed my cake, and am pleased with the race.
Love this run!!
Beat the Blerch is such a fun run. The swag is fun, the course is beautiful, and everyone was having so much fun. The cake is a fun treat mid-race, … MORE
Beat the Blerch is such a fun run. The swag is fun, the course is beautiful, and everyone was having so much fun. The cake is a fun treat mid-race, especially as a walker. I highly recommend this run.
Best race with all the FUN!!
Possibly my favorite race to date! The comic book behind this race is hilarious, so I have been wanting to run in this race since 2014! And it lived up … MORE
Possibly my favorite race to date! The comic book behind this race is hilarious, so I have been wanting to run in this race since 2014! And it lived up to ALL the hype!! There was a huge amount of food before the race even started (burrito-donut bar, anyone?) The race was along a trail and in the woods, we ran along a river and over a bridge, it’s a really great location!! The trails are super wide too, so no issues bumping into people (they had wave starts with like a minute in-between waves, to spread people out at the beginning, super smart!). There were people dressed up along the trail, with a fat cherub (blerch!) Offering people rides in a little chariot! There were couches in the middle of the woods and signs to “take a rest, you deserve it” …. and cake at the aid stations. It was amazing! I appreciated every detail this race put into making it great. It was great.
And despite having to run at a slight uphill for miles and miles…. after halfway, we got to run downhill!! (Out and back course). All the racers were in such good moods, even the fast people who are usually so serious at races!
Overall, this is THE race to do if you like having fun while you run!
There is cake and couches!
The environment was fun and supportive! The route was flat and straight. There was cake and couches at the water stations. This run was well organized, and was quite enjoyable. … MORE
The environment was fun and supportive! The route was flat and straight. There was cake and couches at the water stations. This run was well organized, and was quite enjoyable. Would definitely recommend, and will be running it again 🙂
Most creative race ever
This particular race event was created by a PNW local comic book artist, Matthew Inman, who is also the creator of the Oatmeal. There are couches along the race, plenty … MORE
This particular race event was created by a PNW local comic book artist, Matthew Inman, who is also the creator of the Oatmeal. There are couches along the race, plenty of tongue in check places to take snaps, and lots of cake with a Burritoughnut Station, where you can build a burrito out of doughnuts. You’re also celebrated for your personal worst. You even get chased by someone dressed in a Blerch costume, and along the course people were dressed as characters from the comics. The swag bag had the cutest t-shirt, and the cutest Blerch medal. Would I do this race again next year? Heck yes, and I would bump it up to a half marathon!
If you like the Blerch you have to run
The course itself is an out and back with a slight uphill for the first half which means a slight downhill for the second half. With the hill and the … MORE
The course itself is an out and back with a slight uphill for the first half which means a slight downhill for the second half. With the hill and the trees it makes for a mostly shaded run. The water stops have cake pops (I didn’t try these), a couch and a blerch to talk you out of continuing to run. In the race village you could get all sorts of terrible foods, including a burrito-nut (doughnut wrapped in a burrito). I highly recommend this race and will run it again as often as I can.
CAKE, CAKE and more CAKE
Wow what can I say the Blerch got me.... A beautiful course on the trails in WA, but the temptation of cake and couches got me. I rolled up to … MORE
Wow what can I say the Blerch got me…. A beautiful course on the trails in WA, but the temptation of cake and couches got me. I rolled up to the first aide station and not only was there a blerch there but big foot too! They invited me to sit and have nutella sandwich and cake with them. So of course I stopped and had some tasty sweet snacks. Everything about this race was awesome from the free pictures, to great tasting cake, awesome medal and shirt, to meeting MATT himself. I would definitely come back to have some cake with the blerch every year. My one complaint is that the half marathon started a little late for my taste (9am) and it did get a little warm out there on the trails.