Jack & Jill Marathon & Half

Jack & Jill Marathon & Half runs over July 24 and 25, 2027, near North Bend, Washington, east of Seattle. A marathon (26.2 mi) is held each day at 6:00 a.m. and a half marathon (13.1 mi) at 6:30 a.m., on a fast, largely downhill trail that passes through the Snoqualmie tunnel before continuing its descent.

The tunnel is the detail to prepare for: it is long, unlit and cold, so a head torch is essential and the temperature drop is sharp enough to matter early in a marathon. As for the descent, a net-downhill course flatters the clock and wrecks unprepared quadriceps — three or four downhill long runs in the two months beforehand are what separate a personal best here from a limp to the finish.