PORT ANGELES — Online registration closes at noon Friday for the 10th annual North Olympic Discovery Marathon, which will start in Sequim and finish in Port Angeles on Sunday.
The only other opportunity to register will be at the Red Lion Hotel in Port Angeles on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. if space is available.
Register at www.nodm.com.
North Olympic Peninsula’s only marathon has become one of the most popular boutique marathons in North America.
It is considered one of the most visually stunning marathons in the country, starting at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim and ending at City Pier in Port Angeles, where a celebration of music and fellowship will combine with awards ceremonies after the various races.
Race weekend is a combination of seven events, including running and walking for children through the elderly.
The marathon and half-marathon are the featured events, attracting close to 2,000 participants the past couple of years.
Marathon walk
There are also a marathon walk, a marathon relay race in conjunction with the marathon, shorter 5-kilometer and 10K races, all on Sunday, and a kids’ marathon Saturday.
The kids log 25 miles in a six- to 10-week period leading up to the marathon, and run the final 1.2 miles in a fun run format with their families at City Pier the day before the big run.
The North Olympic Discovery Marathon (26.2 miles) and Half Marathon (13.1 miles) races are held on a rails-to-trails course, which is a wide, mixed-hard surface trail.
The race is organized by the Port Angeles Marathon Association — a group of accomplished amateur athletes.
The marathon is a USATF-certified course and a Boston Marathon qualifier.
While the marathon starts at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim, the half marathon starts halfway between Sequim and Port Angeles at Agnew Soccer Fields.
Both races finish at City Pier in downtown Port Angeles.
The marathon and half marathon races start promptly at 9 a.m.
The marathon course will remain open for 6 hours.
There will be pacer bunnies for the 3:15-, 3:30-, 3:45-, 4- and 4:15-hour groups.
These events will be chip timed.
Walkers
There are full marathon and half marathon walkers.
The half marathon walkers will follow the same information, same course and same start time and place as half marathon runners.
Marathon officials have based start times and aid station operating times on a 15-minute per mile (4 miles per hour) walker.
Flexibility for faster and slower paces have been built in to accommodate the natural variations that will occur.
Marathon walkers have an early 7 a.m. start time.
The full marathon walk will start at Carrie Blake Park. The early marathon start time is for runners or walkers anticipating a 5½-hour or greater finish time.
The early start is not an option for marathon runners planning to finish in less than 5½ hours.
Runners who start early and finish in less than 5½ hours will be disqualified.
The early time is to encourage walkers and runners with a slower pace the opportunity to have a positive race day experience, according to organizers.
Kids Marathon
The Kids Marathon and family fun race starts at 4 p.m. at City Pier on Saturday.
Registration is still open for the kids marathon. Late registrants will receive a shirt, a bib and a finishers ribbon.
Go to City Pier between 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to get signed up.
Clallam County children who have completed their mileage log should bring the signed log and turn it in to one of the completed mileage-log boxes at the City Pier to be eligible for the Gene and Norma Turner Achievement Award Scholarship.
OMC 5K-10K
The Olympic Medical Center’s 5- and 10 kilometer run or walk is along the Port Angeles waterfront.
Both events start together at City Pier at 9 a.m. Sunday.
The course goes out and back on the Olympic Discovery Waterfront Trail.
The course runs east on the Olympic Discovery Trail, then turns south at Ennis Street, and follows to Front Street.
Turn east on Front and and go a half block to the Rayonier truck access road.
Turn north and follow the creek to the Rayonier parking lot.
The 5K runners turn west toward the finish line at City Pier.
The 10K runners turn east and follow the Olympic Discovery Trail to the turn-around.
There will be food and music at the finish, and the runners and walkers can cheer the half marathoners and marathoners to their finish later at City Pier.
