Michelob Ultra Tacoma City Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Kathy D.
San Francisco, CA

  (05-11-2010)

"To cross Washington off my 50-state list, I considered either the Tacoma City Marathon (TCM) or the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle. Because the Marathon Maniacs were having their reunion at TCM, I ended up doing that one to be surrounded by runners as crazy as me. Completing TCM marked my 12th state and brought me up to 4 stars (Iridium level) in the Maniacs.

The Good:
- Taking public transportation to and from the airport was a breeze. You just jump on the ST 574 Express Bus, get off at the Tacoma Dome Light Rail station, and jump on the Light Rail to the Convention Center stop, which is right in front of the host hotel. Total cost one-way: $2.50 because riding the Tacoma Light Rail is free.
- For out-of-town races, I usually stay at a cheap motel, but decided to splurge and stay at the host hotel -- the Courtyard Marriott. Runners got a room discount, and the finish line was right across the street. I also had a good night's sleep, giving me plenty of rest for the race.
- Dick Beardsley, a legend in marathon running, was the guest speaker the night before the race. He was also the pace leader for the 4:45 pace group, but I couldn't find that pace group.
- There weren't too many people at the start, for a couple of reasons. There was an option for full marathon walkers to start an hour earlier, and the halfers and the relay team started 1/2 hour later than the full marathon runners. It was nice not having walkers at the regular start. For once, people were lined up appropriately to their pace time.
- Great running weather throughout the entire race. There were threats of rain, but I only felt a drop here and there. Perfect weather on a hilly course can make you run faster than hot weather on a flat course.
- GU at 3 aid stations. At other marathons I've ran, they only had GU at mile 20, but at TCM, I ended up getting GU at miles 7, 14, and 20.
- The absolute best part was running through Point Defiance Park. Right before Mile 12, you pass by a flower garden. You start ascending uphill, but you don't even notice because you're transported into a fairy tale book. There are trees everywhere, and the moss on the trees made everything around you look green. I felt like I was on the movie set for "The Wizard of Oz." This sounds wussy, but I actually teared up just looking at the incredible beauty surrounding me, and half-expected to see a unicorn. I'm not a fan of out-and-back marathons, but I wouldn't have mind if TCM changed their course next year to be an out-and-back, just so I can run through Point Defiance Park twice. Heck, I wouldn't have mind if the course was a 3-mile loop in the Park itself that we had to run around 9 times. Too bad the halfers didn't have the opportunity to run through the Park.
- The last mile or so is completely downhill, guaranteeing an easy finish.

The Not-so-Good:
- We had one of those timing chips that straps around your ankle. I've never had to use a ankle timing chip for a race longer than a half, and this timing chip was more uncomfortable than others I've worn in the past. Wearing that sucker for 26.2 miles was not fun, and I hope they consider disposable timing chips for future races. On the plus side, I actually ran faster with the timing chip because the pain tearing into my skin caused me to rush to the finish line so I can rip that dratted thing off my bleeding ankle.
- The full and relay runners got the same finisher's medal, though it is cute because it's in the shape of a killer whale. At first, I had thought they had given me the wrong medal because mine said "Marathon Relay" on it. I went back to the volunteer who was handing out the medals, and he told me that it's the same medal for the full and the relay. After running 26.2 miles, I wanted a larger medal than the relay team. The relay runners only ran about 5 miles each. I ran 5 times longer, so it would have been nice to get a different medal. Fortunately, all Maniacs received a second medal (a special Marathon Maniac Reunion Medal), so that made up for the finisher's medal.

Overall:
I normally wouldn't run the same out-of-state marathon twice, but in this case, I would do this race again so I can run through that magical Park. Some fairy dust must have gotten on me because I did PR by 16 minutes (with hills), and I finally beat Oprah! In a nutshell, this race is organized by a Marathon Maniac, and who better to organize a marathon than someone who runs hundreds of them."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Paul G.
Belfair, WA

  (06-16-2009)

"I am at a disadvantage on reviewing the hills as I had run the Big Sur marathon before this one and it was a walk in the park for me comparatively. I loved this marathon, my favorite Washington state run actually. I loved the old Tacoma City areas I ran through and even along the highway. It ran through a great park too and overall I think it was well run. The RD is a main marathon maniac, so he knows what he is doing. I plan on running this many times more Lord willing!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Megan M.
Killeen, TX

  (06-10-2009)

"It is a fun race. The crowds and volunteers are great, but the hills. If you want to run this, train on hills. Worse than Seattle. Great time though, I'd run it again."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008