Jack and Jill's Downhill Marathon

Jack and Jill's Downhill Marathon takes place on July 24, 2027, in North Bend, Washington. Two distances are offered: the marathon (26.2 mi) and the half marathon (13.1 mi), on a predominantly descending course through the Cascade foothills east of Seattle. Start times are not listed in our records.

Descending marathons produce fast times and sore legs in equal measure, and the mistake is almost always made in the first five miles, where the gradient makes goal pace feel effortless. Hold back deliberately there, and put two or three downhill long runs into the final six weeks — muscle damage, not fitness, is what decides the last hour of a race like this.