Tunnel Light Marathon

North Bend, United States of America 14 Sep, 2025

The event is held in Washington State, beginning at the Hyak Sno Park trailhead on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail just east of Snoqualmie Pass, approximately 50 miles east of Seattle. The course runs point-to-point from Hyak to North Bend, following a gravel rail-trail through scenic, forested terrain.

The race format features a single marathon-distance run on a packed gravel path with a consistent downhill grade of approximately 2.2%. Runners descend more than 2,000 feet over the course of the race. The first three miles are largely flat and include a passage through an unlit former railway tunnel, the Hyak Tunnel, which is 2.4 miles long. A headlamp or flashlight is required for this dark and damp section. Upon exiting the tunnel, runners encounter a long, gradual downhill stretch, passing through forests and alongside mountain scenery, waterfalls, and the landscape of Iron Horse State Park before finishing near North Bend.

Special features include the long tunnel section, the potential for fast times due to the sustained downhill, and the high likelihood of achieving qualifying times for the Boston Marathon the event is USATF certified and ranked among the nation’s top courses for Boston Qualification rates. Over 42% of finishers historically achieve Boston qualification on this course. Runners can drop off their light sources at the tunnel exit for later retrieval, allowing for unencumbered running for the remainder of the course. The setting is known for its natural beauty, cool mountain air, and quiet trail experience, with logistics tailored to support runners achieving personal bests and smooth race-day operations.

Generic Marathon Time This represents the time you would expect to run a "generic" marathon in. This is a marathon with around 250 m (800 ft) of elevation gain and a temperature around 10°C (50°F). For best results, use our Race Predictor.

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Tunnel Light Marathon Time


Statistics

Elevation
Elevation Gain 22 m 72 ft
Elevation Low 166 m 545 ft
Elevation High 761 m 2497 ft
Weather
Expected Temperature (Low) 13°C 55°F
Expected Temperature (High) 17°C 62°F
Chance of Rain 76%

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The event is held in Washington State, beginning at the Hyak Sno Park trailhead on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail just east of Snoqualmie Pass, approximately 50 miles east of Seattle. The course runs point-to-point from Hyak to North Bend, following a gravel rail-trail through scenic, forested terrain.

The race format features a single marathon-distance run on a packed gravel path with a consistent downhill grade of approximately 2.2%. Runners descend more than 2,000 feet over the course of the race. The first three miles are largely flat and include a passage through an unlit former railway tunnel, the Hyak Tunnel, which is 2.4 miles long. A headlamp or flashlight is required for this dark and damp section. Upon exiting the tunnel, runners encounter a long, gradual downhill stretch, passing through forests and alongside mountain scenery, waterfalls, and the landscape of Iron Horse State Park before finishing near North Bend.

Special features include the long tunnel section, the potential for fast times due to the sustained downhill, and the high likelihood of achieving qualifying times for the Boston Marathon the event is USATF certified and ranked among the nation’s top courses for Boston Qualification rates. Over 42% of finishers historically achieve Boston qualification on this course. Runners can drop off their light sources at the tunnel exit for later retrieval, allowing for unencumbered running for the remainder of the course. The setting is known for its natural beauty, cool mountain air, and quiet trail experience, with logistics tailored to support runners achieving personal bests and smooth race-day operations.

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