I signed up for this race because it was the only one I could find near Seattle the weekend me and my husband were in town and I wanted to … MORE
I signed up for this race because it was the only one I could find near Seattle the weekend me and my husband were in town and I wanted to check Washington off my list of 50 States. I’m so glad I did this race!
The course (while challenging) was beautiful, and even with the hills I was still only 3 minutes off from getting a PB. There were plenty of aid stations and I appreciated the selecting of Gu Energy Gels at each one.
The swag was also great. Plenty of recovery snacks available at the finish line, I love the color of my race shirt and the stone medal is so unique!
Overall this is a race I’d recommend and I’d love to run more races put on my Orca Running in the future.
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One of my favorite halves!
I signed up for this race because it was the only one I could find near Seattle the weekend me and my husband were in town and I wanted to … MORE
I signed up for this race because it was the only one I could find near Seattle the weekend me and my husband were in town and I wanted to check Washington off my list of 50 States. I’m so glad I did this race!
The course (while challenging) was beautiful, and even with the hills I was still only 3 minutes off from getting a PB. There were plenty of aid stations and I appreciated the selecting of Gu Energy Gels at each one.
The swag was also great. Plenty of recovery snacks available at the finish line, I love the color of my race shirt and the stone medal is so unique!
Overall this is a race I’d recommend and I’d love to run more races put on my Orca Running in the future.
Smooth, beautiful race
The setup and management of this race was awesome. It was my first Orca running race and everything was super smooth. Lots of photo spots, well marked course, plenty of … MORE
The setup and management of this race was awesome. It was my first Orca running race and everything was super smooth. Lots of photo spots, well marked course, plenty of restrooms, etc. The course itself was beautiful, but I’m from Poulsbo so maybe a bit biased. I didn’t mind the out and back, as the views of the mountains, water, and trees were great. The only negatives were that the course is not “flat and fast”, there were some decent hills. Also a lot of the course was very hard on my ankles because of how sloped the roads were. So either wear lower stack shoes or do some ankle conditioning before this race. Finally, this race had the coolest medal. It’s this awesome stone(!) medal with a Nordic dragon and runic letters etched on it.
Prob will skip next year
Half marathoners had to do an out&back then repeat that same out&back. We were just running back and forth on the same stretch of road, seeing the same landmarks and … MORE
Half marathoners had to do an out&back then repeat that same out&back. We were just running back and forth on the same stretch of road, seeing the same landmarks and volunteers 4 times. Lame.
Only a few miles of the course were on the water but it was pretty, as was the starting/finishing area. It was easy to park, check a bag, and pick up your bib.
Wonderful Fall Race
Easy and well-marked race. Everything was smooth from packet pickup to T-shirt exchange. Beautiful views and roomy roads. This was my first race with Orca Running, but it won’t be … MORE
Easy and well-marked race. Everything was smooth from packet pickup to T-shirt exchange. Beautiful views and roomy roads. This was my first race with Orca Running, but it won’t be my last!
Great Race!
Love this race! Beautiful start/finish line and running along the water for a large part of it. Super great swag! Orca always has the best shirts/medals. Only complaint is it's … MORE
Love this race! Beautiful start/finish line and running along the water for a large part of it. Super great swag! Orca always has the best shirts/medals. Only complaint is it’s an out and back. Looking forward to running again next year!
Fun race in a cute town!!
This race is moderately hilly through some cute neighborhoods and along the beautiful waterfront. The start and finish is right on the water which is fantastic. Race shirt and medal … MORE
This race is moderately hilly through some cute neighborhoods and along the beautiful waterfront. The start and finish is right on the water which is fantastic. Race shirt and medal are amazing as always. There are so many cute shops and restaurants/cafes/bakeries nearby that after the race, we stayed longer to have a yummy meal and explore all the shops! Highly recommend this race!
Fun, scenic and hilly
I had read somewhere that this was a flat course. WRONG! I was not sure if not knowing about hills helped or not but I enjoyed every minute. This was … MORE
I had read somewhere that this was a flat course. WRONG! I was not sure if not knowing about hills helped or not but I enjoyed every minute. This was the first event I’ve made it to this year. Tons of things got in the way. Next time I’ll be running it LOL Coming in 2nd in my age group just made my day
Beautiful course!
Great views! Course was well marked. The volunteers were all so encouraging and kind! There were a couple of hills, but nothing too crazy. Good snacks and hydration at the … MORE
Great views! Course was well marked. The volunteers were all so encouraging and kind! There were a couple of hills, but nothing too crazy. Good snacks and hydration at the finish line. I like that they provided some reusable cups for the runners who didn’t have one (like myself!). Good music at the start/finish too!
Fun, scenic, hilly course
This course was beautiful, a mix of charming neighborhoods, beautiful forests, and scenic beach views. There were more hills than I was expecting but the challenge made it that much … MORE
This course was beautiful, a mix of charming neighborhoods, beautiful forests, and scenic beach views. There were more hills than I was expecting but the challenge made it that much more satisfying. As always, Orca’s production was top notch and the Viking fish swag was adorable!
Beautiful fall race
This is a moderately hilly race through some gorgeous foliage in Poulsbo. The double out and back wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and the finish along … MORE
This is a moderately hilly race through some gorgeous foliage in Poulsbo. The double out and back wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and the finish along the water was beautiful. The race was well organized and supported.
Fun Hills and Great Views
This is another great Orca Running race that brings you to beautiful Poulsbo. There are a couple rollers and one pretty decent hill at the turnaround point. Parking wasn’t bad, … MORE
This is another great Orca Running race that brings you to beautiful Poulsbo. There are a couple rollers and one pretty decent hill at the turnaround point. Parking wasn’t bad, especially for Poulsbo which regularly fills up its parking on the weekends.
Beautiful fun hilly race
This is a relatively small but well produced race. The town of Poulsbo is beautiful and very fun to run through. The course has great scenery. I wasn’t expecting the … MORE
This is a relatively small but well produced race. The town of Poulsbo is beautiful and very fun to run through. The course has great scenery. I wasn’t expecting the large hill in the race, but because it is out and back you also get the downhill. Definitely a race I would recommend.
Hills, charm and fun
Poulsbo is a charming town and this race is well-organised and well-supported. Beautiful setting and it definitely helps to love (or at least not mind) hills. I loved it! Swag … MORE
Poulsbo is a charming town and this race is well-organised and well-supported. Beautiful setting and it definitely helps to love (or at least not mind) hills. I loved it! Swag is good and there is plenty of post-race food.
So much Fun
This was my first 10k and it was a total blast. The production was amazing, the course was great and the scenery was beautiful. Orca running is super organized and … MORE
This was my first 10k and it was a total blast. The production was amazing, the course was great and the scenery was beautiful. Orca running is super organized and professional. I can’t wait to do the half marathon next year! Thank you orca running for putting this on!
Would love to run this course again!
This course was beautiful. I love running with Orca Running. They are a great company. Race day is very smooth. The course had a few hills but it was very … MORE
This course was beautiful. I love running with Orca Running. They are a great company. Race day is very smooth. The course had a few hills but it was very reasonable. All the volunteers were awesome!!
Fantastic Run!
Great endurance half marathon for light elevation for 4-6 miles. It’s not crazy inclines like downtown Seattle, but I felt the hills ran were great for strengthening. I wish there … MORE
Great endurance half marathon for light elevation for 4-6 miles. It’s not crazy inclines like downtown Seattle, but I felt the hills ran were great for strengthening. I wish there was more water side streets to run on. The sections by water were incredible. Orca Running puts on the best runs!
Neat town, great event and very scenic.
Another great event by Orca. I am a run leader who brings my group to various events. This year I am scoping out races to find new ones for my … MORE
Another great event by Orca. I am a run leader who brings my group to various events. This year I am scoping out races to find new ones for my group. I have been doing many of Orca’s events this year. I am getting very lovely run tours of various areas near Seattle. I am from Canada and these are worth the drive! The town this is in is adorable and the people there are great! We enjoyed our stay and the community/small town vibe. I ran with a participant from my group so the pace was nice and easy. This is a bit more challenging of a course but not too bad. I loved all the Halloween decor in neighborhoods we ran through. We got a nice soft T and medal which well…..was the worst one I have gotten from them as they are usually really cool. Sorry Orca, hated this one! I am happy to elaborate if you email me and I’ll design you some cool ones! Better yet, different swag, no more shirts in my opinion of course. I would recommend this race and any that Orca does. I drive many hours to support their races. They are my current favorites.
Great Run
This run was not a PR for me, but despite the hills it was a fun run and I was able to keep a 9 min mile pace throughout. My … MORE
This run was not a PR for me, but despite the hills it was a fun run and I was able to keep a 9 min mile pace throughout. My only complaint would be that it was difficult to pass people due to limited space from cars passing on the open course.
Gorgeous views with a few hills
This was my first race I’d run where the road wasn’t closed. I was a little nervous but didn’t feel unsafe at all running the portions of the race where … MORE
This was my first race I’d run where the road wasn’t closed. I was a little nervous but didn’t feel unsafe at all running the portions of the race where there was limited shoulder on the road and no sidewalk. The race course was well marked so 10k runners didn’t continue past the turn around point. Course has great water and mountain views with a few hills that got your heart pumping. Post race snack selection was pretty good but was disappointed with the Mac and cheese. This was also one of the few races I’ve run that didn’t offer a free post race beer; however they did offer a discount at the local brewery for runners. Overall a great experience and I’d definitely run it again.
Great race with some scenery
The race is an open road race with some parts where there is limited shoulders and no sidewalks. However the roads were not heavily trafficked and there were plenty of … MORE
The race is an open road race with some parts where there is limited shoulders and no sidewalks. However the roads were not heavily trafficked and there were plenty of volunteers directing people to the correct sides of the roads.
Overall, race was a great venue on the waterfront and great area to congregate before and after in the heart of Poulsbo. Orca does a great job putting races on and this was no exception. The course is somewhat hilly but nothing too difficult if you train on hills. The last 5 miles are essentially downhill so it makes for a fast finish though! I would definitely do this race again. Only downside is that it is a bit of drive coming from the Seattle area but still worth it!