The Super Marathon course is one of the fastest in the country. The low starting elevation of 2,550' and gentle decent makes the courses great for fast times. It is the perfect race to set a PR, snag a BQ and have a great time. Don't let "trail" in the description deter you. The courses are smooth and runnable much like road events. You can expect fast feet with 1,500' of total elevation loss at a consistent grade.
The Super Marathon course starts at Snoqualmie Pass, makes a 5 mile out and back on the Iron Horse trail before entering the 2.4 mile Snoqualmie Tunnel. The first 7.5 miles of the course are relatively flat with minimal elevation gain or loss. The course becomes downhill after running through the tunnel to the finish at Rattlesnake Lake Park.
The Super Marathon was the 182nd largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 157th largest in 2022.
This year 20.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 17.1% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Super Marathon the 74th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 44th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 103.73 ranks it as the 13th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 6th fastest course in Washington.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are slightly above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Super Marathon a PR Score of 102.97. This PR Score ranks it as the 15th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 6th fastest in Washington.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Super Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 2578 feet (785m) Min Elevation: 992 feet (302m)
Beautiful Course, especially the first five mile loop along the Iron Horse Trail along Keechelus Lake. The tunnel was a unique experience and the descent was gradual and easy on the legs.
The race was small, so there was no "Expo" or packet pick-up event. Bibs were given out on race morning, which turned out okay. The return buses to the start seemed to be a logistical challenge for the race organizers. I think there were supposed to run every 20-30 mins, but I waited at least 30 mins and others were there before me for at least 15 mins.
Race Tips
Unless you have exceptional night vision, I would suggest carrying a bright light for the tunnel. The gravel surface in the tunnel is rutted in many places and you could easily turn an ankle if not careful. Also, it was very warm for the marathon this June, so I would suggest carrying a water bottle for the miles in-between aid stations in similar conditions. This really helped my in the later miles when everyone else was overheating.
While the gravel course was generally okay, please note you are essentially restricted to using two single track groves/lanes on the path during long stretches of the course (similar to car tires creating two hard packed lines on a dirt road). This sometimes posed a problem with oncoming mountain bike or hiker traffic as you would have to move back a forth between to the tracks and cross over the uneven center section with larger rocks.
I stayed at the Summit Inn, which made for a very short drive to the start. Even so, the Hyak Trail parking lot was full when I arrived an hour before the race start.
Anonymous's review of 2021 Super Marathon.
4 /
5 Stars
Review
I have run this course twice. Its a great course. - nice gentle decline, typically a cool temp to start, very scenic. Be sure to wear shoes appropriate for rocky trails - slipped on a rock and slid on the gravel on my back at mile 12 in vaporflys.
I placed first in my age group both times I ran this race. The second time I tried 4 times to contact the organizers after never receiving an age group first place medal. No response.
4 Stars from 2 Reviews
