Woodinville Half

This is a young Puget Sound race that grew quickly because of what it is built for: a flat, paved, early-season time trial for runners who want a clean half marathon mark before spring racing. Aid comes roughly every 2.5 miles and the entry includes a full-zip hooded sweatshirt rather than a tech tee, which tells you something about the weather it plans for.

Paved multi-use trail the whole way, out and back along the Sammamish River Trail and the Eastrail. There is effectively no climbing, so pacing discipline matters more than terrain reading. Trail width is the real constraint, since a two-way out and back on a shared path means passing traffic in the middle miles.

Early March in the Seattle area usually delivers upper 30s to upper 40s Fahrenheit with a real chance of rain and a damp trail surface. Conditions favor fast running, but standing around at the start in the wet is the part people underestimate.