Galloping Gertie Half Marathon

Join the Galloping Gertie Half Marathon, 10K and 5K that shows off Tacoma’s and Gig Harbor’s finest views. Each race will run on the iconic Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Galloping Gertie), which features stunning views of the Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, and the surrounding cities of Tacoma and Gig Harbor. This is one of the few races that traverse the bridge span to span. All participants in the race will receive a custom finisher medal, free downloadable race photos and a cool tech tee! The best part? It all supports great local charities!

Galloping Gertie is the nickname of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a local icon that spans the Puget Sound between Tacoma and Gig Harbor, Washington. Crossing it provides breathtaking views of the Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains.

The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge suffered a catastrophic collapse in November 1940, just four months after it opened. It earned its nickname while it was under construction, when workers observed the bridge deck jump during periods of high wind. A fatal error in the engineering of the bridge resulted in its collapse when the winds caused something called aeroelastic flutter. At the time, Gertie was the third longest suspension bridge in the world.

The replacement bridge opened in 1950 (this is the existing westbound bridge) and the newer eastbound bridge (the one you will run across) opened in 2007. The engineering disaster that resulted in the collapse of the bridge makes the Tacoma Narrows Bridge one of the more famous in the world.

For the past eleven years, Rotary Club of Gig Harbor North has sponsored a half-marathon, 10k and 5K across the bridge. Local beneficiaries of the fundraising event will be FoodBackpacks4Kids, Children’s Home Society and Communities In School Peninsula.