Spokane Marathon

The Spokane Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifying race, is one of the most scenic courses in the country. It takes the runners out of downtown Spokane through the historic Browne’s Addition where they run under a canopy of fall foliage. After that they run a few miles along the course of the famous Lilac Bloomsday run. Next, they run along the Centennial Trail, high above the Spokane River, eye level with the many birds that make the tall trees their homes. The course then meanders through the beautiful campuses of Spokane Falls Community College and Fort Wright Mukogawa. Then it is back out onto the Centennial Trail to again follow the Spokane River to the Seven-Mile Bridge. At this point (just past the 14-mile mark), the runners begin their trek back towards downtown Spokane on a quiet, paved road on the opposite side of the river. This course has several challenging hills along the way, and the runners meet the most famous one, Doomsday Hill, just after the 22-mile mark.

The runners then turn into the West Central neighborhood, passing many stately homes, as they run along Summit Blvd. The course then joins another part of the Centennial Trail with breathtaking views of the Spokane River and more stunning fall foliage. They pass through the trendy Kendall Yards neighborhood, and in the final mile, they run under the Monroe Street bridge where they have a front-row view of the Spokane Falls. Then there is one final, small climb up Lincoln Street (which might not feel so small in the 26th mile), and a couple of quick turns past the historic Flour Mill. Then they run into Riverfront Park, and the finish is less than 100 meters into Riverfront Park.

It’s an accomplishment to run Doomsday Hill. Can you do it at mile 22? The Spokane Marathon is the oldest marathon in the area. It is a non-profit race sponsored by the all-volunteer Bloomsday Road Runners Club with the proceeds going to Spokane area high school cross country programs.

The race features:
– Post-Race Party in Riverfront Park
– Free pizza for all participants
– Free finisher photos by Referee Photo
– Unique, Substantial medals
– Hooded sweatshirts for marathon participants and gender specific technical shirts for the marathon relay, ½ marathon, and 10K