The Dick’s-A-Thon is a circumnavigation of Seattle via the classic hamburger drive-in, Dick’s, making a 26-mile loop of the city while eating the famed Dick’s menu items along the way. It is a grueling test of 3 areas of fitness: physical, mental, and gastrointestinal. All proceeds are donated to the …
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The Dick’s-A-Thon is a circumnavigation of Seattle via the classic hamburger drive-in, Dick’s, making a 26-mile loop of the city while eating the famed Dick’s menu items along the way. It is a grueling test of 3 areas of fitness: physical, mental, and gastrointestinal. All proceeds are donated to the Mountaineers and Washington search and rescue organizations.
It started with a silly idea…
On April 21, 2018, Ian and Connor completed a 20 mile run around Seattle and ate at all 5 Seattle Dick’s along the way. Connor was moving to Santa Barbara the next day, and the brothers decided they needed to have one last, classic Seattle hurrah. Friends and family joined them along the way. Despite Ian and Connor having a lifelong competition at anything remotely athletic, the first Dick’s-A-Thon was a lighthearted way for the two to spend the day together and see Connor off.
On August 20, 2022, Ian went on a solo trek through the Cascades and didn’t return. In the days and weeks after we lost Ian, we came together to think of how we could honor Ian’s life. Ian was completely authentic, driven in his passion for the outdoors and in life, uncompromising with the things that were important to him and blissfully unaware of the things that weren’t. As we struggled to cope with a loss too big to comprehend, we poured our energy into recreating the Dick’s-A-Thon, a run that had become an epic story in Ian and Connor’s friends’ minds. We trained for a run for which no training plans had been made, and on October 22, 2022, the twins’ 30th birthday, we came together for the first annual Dick’s-A-Thon. Over 100 people joined us to celebrate Ian, and we donated $32K to Washington search and rescue organizations.
We’re back with bigger goals and excitement to grow the Dick’s-A-Thon. We’re excited to partner again with our founding sponsors, Dick’s and LifeStance, and build partnerships with new sponsors. Ian was an avid mountaineer and was passionate about guiding friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers on trips through the outdoors that they never imagined they could do. He took us to awe-inspiring places and instilled confidence in us that we could achieve whatever we set our minds to. Ian’s motto on these treks was, “I won’t let you quit the first time I hear you say ‘I quit.’” This year, we’re establishing a scholarship fund with the Mountaineers for aspiring outdoors-people who don’t have access to the resources or skills to get outside. We also plan to continue supporting 5 different Washington search and rescue organizations.
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Ridiculous Concept, Ridiculous Fun
*This is an updated version of my 2024 review after improvements and changes in 2025* I want to start by explaining that this race is not a traditional racing experience. … MORE
*This is an updated version of my 2024 review after improvements and changes in 2025*
I want to start by explaining that this race is not a traditional racing experience. People who have only run traditional road races will find the experience to be very different with a unique set of challenges. This “race” is more in line with activity competition races like scavengers hunts or Urban Treks.
Some things to be prepared for:
1. This is not a closed course. You will be running on sidewalks through a city.
2. The course is marked, but not in a way that is always easy to follow, a paper course map or a phone with the Strava course downloaded will likely be helpful but 2025 came with improved course markings.
3. There is a no longer an open start window, you are assigned a start wave which helps ensure that the restaurants don’t get overwhelmed leading to long wait times. Starting with a wave makes the course easier to navigate as you will usually have people to follow.
4. Race personal are only at the start/finish and the Dick’s locations, there is no on course support so you would be wise to bring your own water/gels.
Before I do a thorough review I wanted to start by talking about why this race is run. Several years ago a pair of twin brothers came up with the silly idea to run to all 5 Dick’s Drive in (A Long Time Seattle Staple) restaurants in Seattle and eat something off the Menu at each one before one brother moved away. Fast forward a few years and one of the twin brothers went on a solo hike, never came back and was never found. A few years later a group of friends from Washington State University who went to school with the twins and who lived in Seattle started this run as a way to remember their friend/brother and to raise money for local search and rescue teams. (If you expand the information at the top of the info page for this race you can read a more detailed description.) I point this out to help bring some perspective to the run. This race is about being silly and having fun, not getting a PR while eating some good food and raising money for a good cause. I don’t measure this race against one of the many traditional races I have run, I measure it by what it is and what it means. On to the review.
EXPO/PACKET PICK UP: This is done the morning/day of the race, or as of 2025 the day before. This race happens mid day because the food stops don’t open until 10:30 am. Packet pick up was very quick and easy, they had tables set up with candy to eat, a bunch of items which were donated as part of a raffle (everyone got one free entry) and several booths helping to showcase emergency rescue response teams and volunteer opportunities. Not your standard expo.
Parking/Access: Plenty of parking for free at Magnusan park about a quarter mile from the start. Additional parking was around the back of the start building but it was more limited. The race is on a Saturday and Magnusan park hosts TONS of youth soccer games on weekends so you are competing for sports with them but it was still not hard to find.
T-Shirts/SWAG: A short sleeve tech shirt with the race motto on the back, Decent quality. The race bib had places for stickers to be put on as you at the different Menu items and some bonus spots for things like running multiple times or eating the milkshake at the first stop. There is no medal for the race as it really isn’t a “race”.
Aid Stations: There are no aid stations in the traditional sense, you will likely want to carry your own water. Each Dick’s location, in addition to the food, had jugs of water and cups along with electrolyte powder.
Course Scenery/Elevation Difficulty: Not much scenery in the traditional sense. You do run about 6 miles on the Burke Gilman walking trail which is pretty and through the University of Washington Campus but the rest of the race is through city streets and not scenic. Hills? Anyone who has been to Seattle or run there knows that the city is extremely hilly. Over the course of the race you will gain 1000 ft of elevation in the half and 2000 ft in the full. The course is marked with blue and orange stickers/arrows posted on the sidewalk, light poles and other things easy to see along the road showing you where to turn and every so often where to go straight. I found the signs 95% of the time and never went off course without using a map, of course we were likely aided by having run the race the year prior as well. Course marking was unmistakably improved in 2025 vice 2024 though. Carrying a map or a phone with the Strava course is a recommended helpful tool especially if you don’t know that area.
Race Management: Definitely improving and learning from past mistakes. Still some minor growing pains for a race in only it’s 34th year but there is a lot to like. Part of the difficulty comes from the fact that the Race has grown from 120->260->450->650 runners in 4 years. There is a limit to how fast locations can cook food, the organizers discussed the fact that they might have to consider capping the race in future years. In past years when you arrived at a Dick’s location they had food ready for you in warming bags, if they had the items you needed you could move through a stop VERY quickly, if they didn’t have what you needed…you could be waiting 30+ minutes. This year when you arrived they gave you food vouchers and you stood in line to order from the Dick’s directly. This did mean that stops usually lasted a minimum of 5-10 minutes, but also meant that the timing of stops was MUCH more consistent. No more standing around for 30 minutes getting stiff. They also eliminated the need to eat two food items at the final stop which caused the majority of past problems. They now only eat 1 item at the final brick and mortar location and your final food item is at the finish line courtesy of the mobile Dicks truck (FYI they don’t serve fries at the truck so you need to check that item off earlier). Lots of people had saved the milkshake for last for obvious reasons, this year I did it first as a challenge and found that it didn’t cause me any issues. They could use just a few more signs on the course during the long straights so make sure you know that you are still on course but navigation was easier in 2025.
Overall this race was a very unique way for me to get in my scheduled 15 mile weekend long run. If you come into the race with the right attitude that this isn’t a race, it isn’t timed, its about having fun and doing something ridiculous then you will have a blast. The first time I did this race I tried to “race” it and seperated from my friends at times. This year I slowed down to stop and smell the roses(hamburgers) stuck with my friends and did a better job embracing the vibe. If you come in with traditional expectations of what a distance race is like and want those standards to continue then this is a race that might not be for you and you might struggle. That said I plan on coming back next year no matter what and I hope to go from the half to the full. I wanted to up to the full this year but this is the kind of race that you will enjoy more with your friends doing a half than you would doing a full by yourself. If you run the half you make 2 stops on the course and a 3rd at the finish and must eat 3 items (they can be any combo of Dick’s Deluxe Burger, Dick’s Special, Dick’s Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Milkshake). If you run the full you must make 5 stops eating one of each specific item, one per location. They do state that they have a vegetarian option. The burgers and fries are not very greasy and surprisingly I didn’t have any issues with my stomach, even after the milkshake (Pro Tip, don’t chug it like I did the first year…brain freeze). However doing the full it would be a lot of food. Bottom line, if you find yourself up for the “Ultimate Test of Physical, Mental & Gastrointestinal Strength” in a fun way for a good cause then you will enjoy this race.
A Stupid...ly Fun Running Experience
I want to start by explaining that this race is not a traditional racing experience. People who have only run traditional road races will find the experience to be very … MORE
I want to start by explaining that this race is not a traditional racing experience. People who have only run traditional road races will find the experience to be very different with a unique set of challenges. This “race” is more in line with activity competition races like scavengers hunts or Urban Treks.
Some things to be prepared for:
1. This is not a closed course. You will be running on sidewalks through a city.
2. The course is marked, but not in a way that is always easy to follow, a paper course map or a phone with the Strava course downloaded is a must.
3. There is a open start window which lets you mostly start when you want but also means there will not be a line of people to follow to help you navigate.
4. Race personal are only at the start/finish and the Dick’s locations, there is no on course support so you would be wise to bring your own water/gels.
Before I do a thorough review I wanted to start by talking about why this race is run. Several years ago a pair of twin brothers came up with the silly idea to run to all 5 Dick’s Drive in (A Long Time Seattle Staple) restaurants in Seattle and eat something off the Menu at each one before one brother moved away. Fast forward a few years and one of the twin brothers went on a solo hike, never came back and was never found. A few years later a group of friends from Washington State University who went to school with the twins and who lived in Seattle started this run as a way to remember their friend/brother and to raise money for local search and rescue teams. (If you expand the information at the top of the info page for this race you can read a more detailed description.) I point this out to help bring some perspective to the run. This race is about being silly and having fun, not getting a PR while eating some good food and raising money for a good cause. I don’t measure this race against one of the many traditional races I have run, I measure it by what it is and what it means. On to the review.
EXPO/PACKET PICK UP: This is done the morning/day of the race. This race happens mid day because the food stops don’t open until 10:30 am. Packet pick up was very quick and easy, they had tables set up with candy to eat, a bunch of items which were donated as part of a raffle (everyone got one free entry) and several booths helping to showcase emergency rescue response teams and volunteer oportunities. Not your standard expo.
Parking/Access: Plenty of parking for free at Magnusan park about a quarter mile from the start. Additional parking was around the back of the start building but it was more limited. The race is on a Saturday and Magnusan park hosts TONS of youth soccer games on weekends so you are competing for sports with them but it was still not hard to find.
T-Shirts/SWAG: A long sleeve tech shirt with a quote from Ian (the person who went missing) on the back. Decent quality. The race bib had places for stickers to be put on as you at the different Menu items and some bonus spots for things like running multiple times or puking on the course. There is no medal for the race as it really isn’t a “race”.
Aid Stations: There are no aid stations in the traditional sense, you will likely want to carry your own water. Each Dick’s location, in addition to the food, had bottles of water and electrolyte powder.
Course Scenery/Elevation Difficulty: Not much scenery in the traditional sense. You do run about 6 miles on the Burke Gilman walking trail which is pretty and through the University of Washington Campus but the rest of the race is through city streets and not scenic. Hills? Anyone who has been to Seattle or run there knows that the city is extremely hilly. Over the course of the race you will gain 1000 ft of elevation in the half and 2000 ft in the full. The course is marked with normal 8.5×11 sheets of paper showing you where to turn and every so often where to go straight. I found the signs 80% of the time and only went slightly off course twice but without my group carrying a map we would have struggled. Carrying a map or a phone with the Strava course is a must.
Race Management: Still some growing pains for a race in only it’s 3rd year but there is a lot to like and a little to critique. Part of the difficulty comes from the fact that the Race has grown from 120->260->540 runners in 3 years. There is a limit to how fast locations can cook food, especially the final stop which had an extreme bottleneck. They might need to cap the # of entries in the future or spread out people more and have a less fluid start. They tried to have bulk orders of food ready for runners as they arrived but certain items were in short supply at times. I had no issues at the first stop, but the 2nd and final stop I ran into the people who started early and walked the half, the full runners and myself all trying to finish the final food item. Everybody had saved the milkshake for last for obvious reasons and that meant a 30 minute wait while I was getting stiff. The race did their best offering Burgers or fries to people doing the half to allow them to continue but I waited it out to get the full experience. They even brought in orders from other locations which helped break up the bottle neck. They could certainly use a few more signs on the course but when I come back in future years I’m just going to carry a paper print out of the course which should help. They also could have used more water at the finish, there was still enough for me when I finished but they probably didn’t have enough for people finishing after me.
Overall this race was a very unique way for me to get in my scheduled 15 mile weekend long run. If you come into the race with the right attitude that this isn’t a race, it isn’t timed, its about having fun and doing something ridiculous then you will have a blast. If you come in with traditional expectations of what a distance race is like and want those standards to continue then this is a race that might not be for you and you might struggle. That said I plan on coming back next year and going from the half to the full. If you run the half you make 2 stops and must eat 3 items (they can be any combo of Dick’s Deluxe Burger, Dick’s Special, Dick’s Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Milkshake). If you run the full you must make 5 stops eating one of each specific item, one per location. They do state that they have a vegetarian option. The burgers and fries are not very greasy and surprisingly I didn’t have any issues with my stomach, even after the milkshake (Pro Tip, don’t chug it like I did…brain freeze). However doing the full it would be a lot of food. Bottom line, if you find yourself up for the “Ultimate Test of Physical, Mental & Gastrointestinal Strength” in a fun way for a good cause then you will enjoy this race.
Reviews are not accurate. Disappointed
I was really looking forward to Dick’s a ton reading the reviews, seeing the pictures and of course donating to a good cause. But for 115 dollars this is race … MORE
I was really looking forward to Dick’s a ton reading the reviews, seeing the pictures and of course donating to a good cause. But for 115 dollars this is race was a disappointment. Only two water stations in a half marathon really? We got lost once because poor signs. I didn’t see any volunteers along the way, no paramedics and no reindeers. Once we arrive to the finish line, shortage of water and nothing else = no bananas, no snacks, no beer, no gatorade. We were disappointed.
A Blast but still in its Infancy
Hands down the most uniquely Seattle running experience you can find. Passionate and fun group that puts this on, lending to high energy and comradery along the course with other … MORE
Hands down the most uniquely Seattle running experience you can find. Passionate and fun group that puts this on, lending to high energy and comradery along the course with other participants. Important to note this is not a race with timing or closed roads, rather a fundraiser with a running challenge component.
Overall, this was an extremely fun event, and the challenge lives up to the hype. However, there are some minor organziational aspects that feel missing or lacking as this event transitions from its humble origin to a large public running event, and I’m hoping the teething issues will work themselves out as more people and experience grow the event each year.
Pros:
– Aid stations and support at each Dick’s stop is great, medics, photographers, even a wild Rainier or two!
– Good pre-race organization – love that there is an indoors area to wait in, clean bathrooms
– Scenic course that will give you the full tour of Seattle if you are from out of town
– A pretty cool eating competition post-race
Cons:
– No Start or Finish Line. Very anti-climatic ending to just walk into a parking lot with nobody realizing you finished especially after the mental and physical challenge the full marathoners just went through, need some sort of pay-off
– Bring your phone! Open nature of the event means a lack of signage or volunteers to provide course directions, if you get seperated from thr group it could be easy to get lost.
– As this event started as a group of friends/community, during the race it felt clear who that community was and who the newbys/general public was. Hopefully as participant count rises that gives less of an outsider feeling.
Don’t let this discourage you from signing up, I fully expect the challenge to grow and get its feet under itself each year. This was simply my experience in the second year of the event that is rapidly growing, nd I am excited to see its growth and will be signing up again for sure.
Unique Seattle Experience
This is run to come to for community. Circumnavigate Seattle by stopping at each iconic burger join Dick’s in the city, and eating along the way. Form a group to … MORE
This is run to come to for community. Circumnavigate Seattle by stopping at each iconic burger join Dick’s in the city, and eating along the way. Form a group to run with, or find one along the way, and enjoy a one of a kind running experience.