The Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon course drops approximately 2,000 feet from the start just before the Snoqualmie Tunnel to the finish in North Bend, Washington.
The course is mostly on the the dirt/gravel old railroad beds of the Iron Horse and Snoqualnie Valley Trails.
Less than a mile from the start runners will travel over two miles through the Snoqualmie Tunnel.
The race features both a Saturday and Sunday marathon.
How does the Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon Rank?
The Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon was the 117th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 109th largest in 2022.
This year 30.1% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 30.6% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon the 17th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 20th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 104.88 ranks it as the 7th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest course in Washington.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon a PR Score of 103.38. This PR Score ranks it as the 12th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 4th fastest in Washington.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 2603 feet (793m) Min Elevation: 521 feet (158m)
Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon
View available accomodations around the Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon Finish Line and Course. Book your Reservation now before the best places are sold out.
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How Fast Can You Go?
If you ran the Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon in 4:42:00, what would your time in other marathons be?
See how your race times would compare on other marathon courses with our time conversion tool.
BA's review of 2024 Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
The gentle downhill grade is absolutely perfect for a fast time. Weather was also ideal and course was beautiful. Whats not to like?
Race Tips
One draw back is loose rock and gravel throughout the course. I don't think it slows you down much but you do need to be aware of where you're stepping
This is a somewhat low key race so bib pick up, start, finish were relatively small and relaxed compared to other races
SG's review of 2024 Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
I loved everything about the race, well organized, great pacers, awesome volunteers, fantastic Tshirt and medal 🅠A must do. Great trail with awesome view and simply enjoyable run....
I highly recommend this as MUST do...
Race Tips
The shoe you wear on this gravel trail will make or break your race. Make sure it's got grip and very well broken into.
Book your hotel well in advance to get good deals, not a ton of choices that that are convenient as it's out in the national park. If you can get someone to drop you off, you'll get a bonus 1hr of sleep
Melissa's review of 2022 Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Everything was great. Only complaint was the wait time to get a bus back to car after race.
Race Tips
Had extreme heat warnings so definitely want to hydrate days before the race.
Norm's review of 2021 Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
For 2021, the weather was great and the two COVID modifications were a rolling start and no pacers. Pre-race communication was a bit sparse (I'm guessing a lot of details were being sorted on the fly due to COVID) but come race weekend, everything went smoothly. I had set out hoping to run 3:45 and ended up with a 3:35 - BQ'd by 15 minutes! The downhill grade is perfect - enough to make every mile feel effortless, but not steep enough to shred your quads. The trail is packed gravel which isn't perfect, but given how I ran, I guess it isn't much of a factor!
Race Tips
GPS: My Garmin Forerunner 245 logged the race at 26.34 miles so I'd say it was pretty close
Pace: Unless you have experience with these downhill marathons, consider running based on effort, not pace. I had set out targeting 8:30 miles but once settled in, found my average pace at 8:10. I initially panicked but the miles kept clicking by effortlessly and I decided to roll with it. Ran out of gas in the final mile but that's what I had expected. Average pace turned out 8:12 - way faster than planned but that's the beauty of this course!
Rent a car and stay in Issaquah. Bonus if you can find a friend/spouse to drive you to the start then meet you at the finish. It's a small race so car access at the start and finish are easy
DC's review of 2019 Jack and Jills Downhill Marathon.
3 /
5 Stars
Review
Good course overall, but a little too warm to run it in July. The tunnel is awful. Watch your step. Also, I gave a volunteer something to hold at the finish line. He promised to do so. It was not delivered. The race director did not return my inquiry about this item. Communications leave a bit to be desired. They run a highly desirable race by runners, and they know it and act like it.
Race Tips
Do NOT lose time in the tunnel. That is easy to do. Stay with a pace group if your timer is not working. Pacer was great. Satellite signals are suspect here.
