Race for a Soldier
Gig Harbor, WA
- Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Race For A Soldier is presented by the Permission To Start Dreaming Foundation to raise awareness of the challenges faced by our military service members, veterans and first responders living with the effects of Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries. The Foundation has delivered Mind, Body and Spirit workshops; … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 13):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 75 | 64 | 72 | 69 | 66 |
| L (°F) | 54 | 53 | 54 | 60 | 53 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Great Race Production for a Good Cause.
I chose to run this race because I have spent the past decade running races all around the country and had never run the local race here in Gig Harbor … MORE
I chose to run this race because I have spent the past decade running races all around the country and had never run the local race here in Gig Harbor which, depending on the year, has a course that runs 100 yards from my house. The race supports a good cause and as someone who normally races half and full marathons a 12k was a nice middle distance that wouldn’t throw off any training plans too much. During this review I will compare the race to other races of similar size. It would be unfair to compare it to a world major or a large statewide half or full marathon.
EXPO/PACKET PICK UP:
The was no pre-race expo for this event, there was however a pretty large post-race expo/booth set up which I will discuss later. There were a lot of options available in terms of packet pick up. One month before the race they offered packet pickup at a local hotel ballroom. Bib #’s were not pre assigned and were instead assigned based on order of pickup which made things move quickly but meant that you couldn’t personalize your bib with your name or anything similar. They did provide 2 free Gu packets to anyone running the 12k (none if you were doing the 5k) because they would not have gels provided on the course. The only hiccup for me was that as one of the first 250 people to register I was supposed to get an extra shirt as a thank you, I arrived 5 minutes after they opened and the volunteers were unsure about how to verify who was supposed to get a shirt. A few days later they realized their mistake and sent emails to people who missed their shirt and stated that they would mail the shirts so really no harm no foul.
PARKING/ACCESS:
Parking at the start area was a little confusing and included a bit of a walk but was plentiful enough to not cause problems. The designated parking area was at a sporting club about .3-.5 miles from the start area and in order to access it you needed to drive a non-intuitive route to get there. They did send out emails which discussed how to get to the parking areas from state highway 16 which runs through Gig Harbor. I ended up parking in the nearby Costco parking lot then walking to the start, this seemed to be a non-issue and probably would only frustrate the Costco Business if you were a back of the pack runner or someone who planned on staying at the post race party until after they opened for the day.
T-Shirts/SWAG:
The medal for this race was average in quality, it is pretty thin and had the same logo as the shirt from this year. I prefer a medal that represents the area or the cause, this didn’t really do either, and instead it mostly focused on the fact that this was the 15th year for the event, pretty meh (See Picture). The shirt was a long sleeve tech shirt of good quality (See picture). As discussed earlier if you were one of the first people to register you also received an additional shirt.
AID STATIONS:
The aid stations were well stocked. I would say there was a pretty average # of them throughout the course but only some had water and Gatorade. They all had water. They were all manned by friendly volunteers. The minor critique I would give is I wish that they did something the help the volunteers distinguish between water and Gatorade, different color cups, teach volunteers to say things like water first electrolytes second. I don’t blame the volunteers, they should all be commended for freely giving their time but the race organizers could give some instruction/coaching about how to man them and give them the resources they need to make the aid station amenities clear. I didn’t hear anything about supplies running out at any time during the race. I was near the front so I was never really in a group, but the number of volunteers was more than enough at each station. I’m sure there were some real slow downs at aid station as volunteers were filling and handing out cups as fast as they could pour them at busier times. One additional critique it would be to have a few more garbage cans 50-100 yards after the stations so you could have time to finish your drink before trying to toss your cup.
Course Scenery/Elevation Difficulty:
The race started on the road adjacent to the Gig Harbor YMCA. The start area had a giant American flag hanging over the crowd from a crane which later was moved over the final hundred yards before the finish (see picture). The 12k runners started 15 minutes before the 5k runners so there was no overlap until the final kilometer. The course runs north from the YMCA along a wide road with plenty of room for the first half mile before passing through a roundabout and then through a neighborhood for the next mile. The course flowed back onto the main road through this part of town before entering another neighborhood until the 4k mark. This point is where the courses would later recombine but led the 12k runners onto a running/bike path for the next 3 kilometers. The course continued on roads through parts of the downtown waterfront area before heading back towards the YMCA. As mentioned earlier the course recombined with a little less than a kilometer to go, as with any course that recombines different distances you can have to deal with some slower traffic but the road at this point was quite wide so there was room to navigate around people. The course is decently pretty as it is tree lined, and green with a brief view of the water in downtown. The course is however also VERY hilly. Not that many people track a 12k PR but this wouldn’t be the course to try and achieve one on. The first 4k have some ups and downs but the 12k course has some large hills including the final 1.5 miles which is entirely uphill until you reach the YMCA parking lot/finishing chute. There wasn’t much crowd support other than the neighborhoods but I really didn’t mind.
Race Management:
This race was very well run, especially for a race of this size (~260 12k runners, and ~900 5k runners). I found their website to be the best source of info along with Facebook, they also email you a few bits of advice including things like where to park. The best thing I can say about this race was the post-race finisher’s area. After you pick up your medal you could get your picture taken at a photo booth and then email it directly to yourself. There were overall awards for the top 3 of each gender but no age group awards. Race photos are also free. The food at the finisher’s area was the best that I have ever experienced at any race, and I’m including World Marathon Majors. I was able to eat a fresh breakfast burrito, 2 pancakes and 2 sausages, cookies, fruit, donuts, Starbucks coffee or juice drinks and Starbucks pastries…ALL FREE. I stuffed myself on food and still ended up taking some home for my kids to much on. Considering the low price I paid for the race, the 2 shirts and a medal that I received along with all that food it was close to the best value that I have ever received at a race. The pre-race bathroom situation seemed to go very well, I never really saw long lines. Other fun things about the even which help to emphasize the meaning for the event was the recitation/spoken word poetry of “Old Glory” from memory by a member of the race team. It was pretty moving. After the national anthem there was also a military helicopter flyover. All that being said this is a race that I really enjoyed and would recommend, and plan on running again in the future.
The most organized race!
This race was so well organized. I especially loved the motivation and encouraging words before the race! So inspiring!! They had someone sing the national anthem (I think this should … MORE
This race was so well organized. I especially loved the motivation and encouraging words before the race! So inspiring!! They had someone sing the national anthem (I think this should be done before every race!) And they even had a helicopter do a fly over! Wow!! There was a big boom truck that held a huge American flag over the start and over the finish line, just all out. And I loved and appreciated every detail! And the race shirts were so beautiful! (And they were tech shirts, so I can run in it! Yay)
Goof event supporting a great cause
Great event and I had a lot of fun. The course was holly for sure. Many runners so it was hard to break out and I got stuck behind a … MORE
Great event and I had a lot of fun. The course was holly for sure. Many runners so it was hard to break out and I got stuck behind a loto of people several times.
Still had a lot of fun but I would not do this race again.
Very nice Finisher award.
Good post party for sure.
Product was great. Nice shirts