UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon
Seattle, United States · Saturday 2 May 2026
Running through Seattle in May means you'll be threading through the Pacific Northwest's emerald landscape at its most lush. The moderately hilly trail course winds you through the region's characteristic terrain, where dense evergreen forests alternate with glimpses of the Puget Sound and the city's skyline. Your legs will notice the elevation changes throughout the race, nothing extreme but consistent enough to keep you honest. The trail surface itself demands attention, especially after Seattle's typical spring weather, so footing matters more than it would on pavement. You'll run past neighborhoods in transition, through parks thick with Douglas firs and western red cedars, and in those moments when the trees open up, you'll catch views that remind you why people live here despite the rain. The humidity and dampness of the Pacific Northwest will be present, and the spring air will likely carry that particular freshness that comes before summer fully arrives. The physical reality of this course is that those 436 meters of elevation gain will accumulate steadily rather than hit you all at once. Your breathing will work harder on the climbs, especially if you've been training mostly on flat roads. By the time you're running at mile twenty, you'll feel every one of those hills in your quads and glutes. But the trail itself offers a different rhythm than road racing, with softer impact on your joints and the constant micro-adjustments that trail running requires keeping your mind engaged when your body starts to fatigue. The elevation range from eight to ninety meters means you're never truly flat, never quite at sea level, so the effort feels distributed across the entire distance. Spring in Seattle can be unpredictable, so you might run through patches of sun and cloud, possibly dodging some rain, and the variable conditions will keep your body working to regulate temperature and maintain effort.
Difficulty Calculator
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Adjusted Time
4:47:49
Time difference: +47.8 minutes compared to a flat, road, temperate course.
Course Details
Elevation Gain436m
Elevation High90m
Elevation Low8m
Weather Forecast
High23°C
Low11°C
Chance of Rain6%
UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon 2026 Course Analysis
UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon is a full marathon held in Seattle, United States, scheduled for Saturday 2 May 2026. The course is run on trail surface with 436m of total elevation gain, reaching a maximum altitude of 90m above sea level. For registration and full race details, visit the official UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon website.
Elevation Profile
This is a hilly course with 436m of total elevation gain. The route climbs from 8m to as high as 90m above sea level — a substantial 82m elevation range. Runners should train on hills and plan for a more conservative pacing strategy, especially on the climbs.
Expected Race Day Weather
Based on historical weather data for May, the expected race day conditions are as follows. Moderate temperatures between 11°C and 23°C are expected. While comfortable for most runners, those targeting fast times should pay attention to hydration, as these temperatures can impact performance over the full distance. There is a low chance of rain (6%), so dry conditions are likely.
Surface Type: Trail
UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon is a trail race, meaning the course includes unpaved surfaces such as dirt, gravel, or forest paths. Trail surfaces are inherently slower than road courses due to uneven footing, technical sections, and often steeper gradients. Trail-specific shoes with good grip are recommended, and runners should expect a finish time 10-20% slower than their equivalent road marathon time.
How Difficult Is UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon?
Our difficulty rating for UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon is calculated using a model that combines elevation gain, temperature impact, and surface type. Use the difficulty calculator above to enter your target finish time and see exactly how many minutes this course would add or subtract compared to a perfectly flat, cool, road-based marathon. Faster runners and slower runners are affected differently by the same course conditions, so the difficulty is personalised to your pace.
Looking for an easier marathon or a tougher challenge? You can also compare UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon against other marathons to find the right race for your goals.
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