The best races are unique in some fashion, having aspects that are different from most other events. The Foothills B&O Half Marathon seems to have a couple in its favor. This point to point half mainly traverses a trail that has been created over an old rail line from Buckley to Orting, Washington on July 25th. The race is capped at 250 participants, and there is no day of event registration, so visit the link above soon to secure your spot.
The race starts at the Glacier Middle School in Buckley and follows the trail to the town park in Orting. It crosses a couple bridges and the site claims that only 8% of the route is on the road. Most of the trail is paved, but there is a section that is ‘rough’, looks like a wide dirt path in the video posted on the official event site.
Registration is $60, and as stated before, online only. Packet pickup is hosted by Fleet Feet in Bonney Lake on the 24th, from 11 am to 6 pm. There will be a few registration openings at the packet pick up, but not on race morning. Race start time is 8 am, and shuttles travel from the finish to the start from 6:30 to 6:45.
With so many possible races on the calendar in the summer, it can sometimes be hard to pick which ones to do. On July 25th, this looks like a great choice for those ready to tackle a half marathon. A point to point course can offer a sense of accomplishment a loop or out and back course does not. It can elicit a different feeling to look at a map and know you traveled from point a to b. With the 250 participant cap, there is a possibility of the event filling up, so definitely utilize the online registration option.