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Marathon Details - Green River Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > WA > Kent > Green River Marathon

Green River Marathon

Green River Marathon & Marathon Relay, Half Marathon

Kent, WA USA

June 7, 2025

http://www.greenrivermarathon.com

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Contact Information

Name:	Steve Barrick
Address:	4232 Carnaby St. Kent, WA 98032
Phone Number:	253-854-4916
Email:	Email the organizers

Race Organizer

Free race with excellent support. (9/20/07)

Steve Barrick

This is a low key run amongst friends with no entry fee. A commemorative T-shirt - high quality wicking material - will be available for about $12 with advance notice. There are no awards, but most of the runners treat themselves to a lunch at Spuds at the finish. Return transportation will be provided to those that request it in advance.

Runner Reviews (24)

Course 4.4

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.0

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Number of comments: 24 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

C. D. from IL (6/8/2016) "Beautiful, Sunny Quite Race" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 First off, a FREE marathon in a beautiful location is unbeatable! Thanks to the director for putting this together! And this year, what a surprise... we received a medal as we finished!!! That was a huge perk! The first half was on a beautiful and quiet trail, but with little shade. Second half was through some industrial parts of the town, neighborhoods and then along Marginal Way, a busy road heading to the waterfront trail. This is the only spot I got confused with the race course. Everything was very well marked, but around mile 20 is when i somehow missed an arrow and ended up running into tall grass and railroad tracks. knew I was close but ended up finding the course at mile 21. The last 5 miles heading toward Alki were more populated, partly because it was a beautiful 88 degree day, but made for good distraction to the finish. This was by far my worst finishing time for a marathon, but that was due to an injury.. but it allowed me to take in all the sights and smile at the finish line on a beautiful California-ish beach setting! There were many 50 staters running this race, and its a great choice for Washington... only 1 hill that I can recall!!! Great for such a hilly area.
Richard Ervais from California (6/7/2016) "Excellent FREE Marathon!!!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Wow, a free marathon. Lots of credit must go to the organizers and volunteers who put on this Boston-qualifier race. Money they make from t-shirt sales and donations goes to charity. The running community should get together and create more of these type of races. The course starts out running along a river in a beautiful forest. There is a middle section along busy roads and in an industrial area but the finish is along the water with a spectacular view of downtown Seattle. Not a lot of crowd support, but the volunteers outdo themselves cheering and the people who are coincidentally along the course (running, biking, etc.) could not be nicer!
Bob Kidder from Cincinnati, Ohio (6/7/2014) "great experience" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was a great low key no frills marathon. i don't have anything negative to say about it. Good organization, plenty of fluid stations, friendly volunteers, sufficient number of portapotties in the parks along the course and a well marked course made this a wonderful run. I prefer the smaller marathons and this was perfect. I found several runners along the way running close to my pace and talked to some very friendly people. I am from Cincinnati and will definitely do this one again. I did not run the full 26.2 but ran 19 as I was using this as a training run for a marathon in July.
William K. from Kent, WA (6/29/2011) "An Amazing First Marathon" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I would highly recommend lots of people for this marathon if it is your first one. The marathon is free which is great and the aid stations had people keep waiting until people up to 8 hours were still going. This was my first marathon at the age of 13 and finishing at the beach was nice with the restaurant close by at the end.
J. P. from Seattle (6/13/2011) "Great run!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A nice, low-key run with friends, and you definitely get more than you pay for. Many kudos to the race director for his efforts and generosity. I was surprised at the number of people who ran this as a first marathon, but it makes sense if you want to avoid the hassle and distractions from a larger event. I would definitely do this race again and recommend it to friends. No complaints, so here are some observations. 1. The aid stations were enthusiastic and had plenty of water and Gatorade for a warm June day, but they did not have any gels or other foods. (Since the RD is already shelling out for the drinks, it would get pretty expensive for him as the race gains in popularity.) So, just know you have to carry your own if you want Gu. 2. A very nice, flat course. One short but steep hill at mile 13ish. I think I lost about 20 or 30 seconds at traffic lights, but I wasn't really keeping track. The Army Corps of Engineers should be removing the sand bags that are currently along the original race course, so hopefully it will revert back to that course for 2012, because the river views were beautiful. It would also do away with the traffic lights on the first half of the course. 3. Obviously no spectators to speak of, apart from about ten people who would drive from aid station to aid station. But they were great. 4. There are no medals for this race, but don't let that stop you if you're big into medals. Go down to the beach, grab a sea shell and write GRM 20** on it and tie a string around it. Or do like me and laminate your Spud's receipt and hang it on the wall. 5. I wanted to run this race by feel and forget about my time, so I left my watch at home. Not a big deal, until I crossed the finish line and the guy with the clip board asked, 'So, what was your time?' Thanks, Steve, for a great run. I'll be back.
Lisa Gesualdo from Bel Air, Maryland (6/5/2011) "Very enjoyable run!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you enjoy running and want a marathon with no hassles and yet a great experience, this marathon is for you. I discovered this marathon while looking for a marathon to run in Washington and highly recommend it. There are no bibs, timing chips, finisher medals, or big expo. You had the option to order a shirt for $15, and the shirt was a really nice tech shirt. You get to run mostly on pretty trails and get great views of Mt. Ranier and Seattle. There were adequate aid stations with water and gatorade. I carried my own bottle since it was a hot day and the volunteers were more than happy to fill my bottle at each aid station. I stayed at the host hotel ( great value)and walked to the start. As Steve the race director promised, I easily found a ride back to the hotel afterwards. There are many positives about this race: it's free, the race director is awesome, the volunteers are fantastic, you get to meet a lot of wonderful people, the course itself is scenic, and there were NO hassles. The only negative is that there are no police at intersections, which means you will spend time waiting for traffic lights. For me this was not a big deal, but if you really care about having a longer race time because of the stops then this may not be the race for you. This race is meant to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience and you will not be disappointed. You will pay a lot of money to run in other marathons, but will not get the relaxed and fun atmosphere of this race. Thank you Steve for organizing this FREE event and doing such a great job! It is truly a marathon to run just for the enjoyment of running. I will be back!
a. d. from Shoreline, WA (6/4/2011) "Delightful Marathon" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A well-organized, fun event. I only have good things to say about the Green River Marathon and a few of the main points are: o Great group of volunteers and organizers o Mostly flat course, well-marked o It's free! o Finishes in a beautiful settings I'll hope to be able to run this again next year.
Brian Smith from Bakersfield, California (7/16/2010) "A great race for my first marathon" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great weather, great staff, and all in all, an awesome day to run. I had quit smoking a year and a half before this race, and I tried one down here in Bakersfield and bonked at 22. I trained for 16 more weeks, missed the registration for the R'n'R Seattle, and decided to do this one. I could not have made a better move, actually. A small race with a great crowd. The only downside for me was stopping at traffic lights for cars - "bad knees."
B. L. from Coquitlam, Canada (6/10/2010) "A Novel Experience" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 No matter how many marathons you may have run - and I had run 38 in four continents before this - the Green River Marathon has to rank among the top five on any runner's list for several reasons: 1. It's absolutely free. That in itself makes it unique. Incomparable. 2. The best bargain for an official hotel. It costs only $62.00 per night plus tax for a room with a king bed, microwave, fridge, TV that offers up to channels in the 900's, no line-ups at check-in and check-out and is within half a mile from the start line. You can't feel more at home than staying at a hotel where the manager has done this race a few times herself. 3. No bibs. You design your own number - which is assigned before the run - on your leg however artistically you want with a marker. You get to keep your design as a souvenir for the next three days before it's washed out. 4. No mile markers anywhere on the course. Instead of a deterrent, it keeps the mind focused and actually makes the run seem shorter because before you know it, you've already run another three miles as you arrive at the next water station. 5. Most helpful volunteers. I never used my phone during my runs. This time, I had to borrow a cell phone from a volunteer to call my wife, who was supposed to hook up with me at every water station in our family car. I lost her at mile 7 and I was starting to worry. The volunteer at mile 10 had no hesitation in letting me use his phone even after I told him that this was a long distance call outside the U.S. Minutes later, my wife reunited with me. After that, it was just a breeze. 6. A most personable Director. Steve Barrick did everything to ensure that everyone enjoyed his party. He punctually arrived at the "expo" at 6 p.m. and was the last to leave at 8. He answered every question you could think of, always with a smile and good humor. He even ran the race and greeted every finisher after him at the finish line. I haven't written any reviews in 15 years since I ran in Kathmandu and Canberra. Steve's organizational skills and personality speak volumes. 7. A stunning view of the Seattle skyline. You don't even get that from running the Seattle marathon. The last mile or two was so refreshing that it made me forget that I had been running for five hours already. 8. Reliable aid stations. Even a straggler like me never had to worry about having no water to drink or cups to drink from at any of the nine stations. The best part of it all was that I never saw or smelled any nail polish. 9. Late start. The official start at 8:30 was the second latest for me - still 3 1/2 hours earlier than the noon start of the Swiss Alps marathon. And if you arrive the night before, that means you don't have to wake up at 4 or 5 on race day. I had the option of starting an hour early, but I decided to join the big party at the official start because, after all, this WAS a party - Steve's free party. 10. The finish line. No fanfare. No timer. Just a 2-foot line marked by colored chalk on the sidewalk of southern California-like Alki Beach. This is no mirage. To me, it's the most fitting crescendo to another magical journey.
D. R. from St louis, mo (4/19/2010) "Great volunteers" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 2 Green River Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I have run this marathon twice, and each time i have been very pleased with the course and the volunteers. Plenty of aid stations and crowd to keep you motivated. If you want to run a marathon, but without all of the glitz and glamor of the big-city marathons, then this one is for you.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]



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C. D. from IL (6/8/2016) "Beautiful, Sunny Quite Race" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 First off, a FREE marathon in a beautiful location is unbeatable! Thanks to the director for putting this together! And this year, what a surprise... we received a medal as we finished!!! That was a huge perk! The first half was on a beautiful and quiet trail, but with little shade. Second half was through some industrial parts of the town, neighborhoods and then along Marginal Way, a busy road heading to the waterfront trail. This is the only spot I got confused with the race course. Everything was very well marked, but around mile 20 is when i somehow missed an arrow and ended up running into tall grass and railroad tracks. knew I was close but ended up finding the course at mile 21. The last 5 miles heading toward Alki were more populated, partly because it was a beautiful 88 degree day, but made for good distraction to the finish. This was by far my worst finishing time for a marathon, but that was due to an injury.. but it allowed me to take in all the sights and smile at the finish line on a beautiful California-ish beach setting! There were many 50 staters running this race, and its a great choice for Washington... only 1 hill that I can recall!!! Great for such a hilly area.
Richard Ervais from California (6/7/2016) "Excellent FREE Marathon!!!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Wow, a free marathon. Lots of credit must go to the organizers and volunteers who put on this Boston-qualifier race. Money they make from t-shirt sales and donations goes to charity. The running community should get together and create more of these type of races. The course starts out running along a river in a beautiful forest. There is a middle section along busy roads and in an industrial area but the finish is along the water with a spectacular view of downtown Seattle. Not a lot of crowd support, but the volunteers outdo themselves cheering and the people who are coincidentally along the course (running, biking, etc.) could not be nicer!
Bob Kidder from Cincinnati, Ohio (6/7/2014) "great experience" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was a great low key no frills marathon. i don't have anything negative to say about it. Good organization, plenty of fluid stations, friendly volunteers, sufficient number of portapotties in the parks along the course and a well marked course made this a wonderful run. I prefer the smaller marathons and this was perfect. I found several runners along the way running close to my pace and talked to some very friendly people. I am from Cincinnati and will definitely do this one again. I did not run the full 26.2 but ran 19 as I was using this as a training run for a marathon in July.
William K. from Kent, WA (6/29/2011) "An Amazing First Marathon" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I would highly recommend lots of people for this marathon if it is your first one. The marathon is free which is great and the aid stations had people keep waiting until people up to 8 hours were still going. This was my first marathon at the age of 13 and finishing at the beach was nice with the restaurant close by at the end.
J. P. from Seattle (6/13/2011) "Great run!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A nice, low-key run with friends, and you definitely get more than you pay for. Many kudos to the race director for his efforts and generosity. I was surprised at the number of people who ran this as a first marathon, but it makes sense if you want to avoid the hassle and distractions from a larger event. I would definitely do this race again and recommend it to friends. No complaints, so here are some observations. 1. The aid stations were enthusiastic and had plenty of water and Gatorade for a warm June day, but they did not have any gels or other foods. (Since the RD is already shelling out for the drinks, it would get pretty expensive for him as the race gains in popularity.) So, just know you have to carry your own if you want Gu. 2. A very nice, flat course. One short but steep hill at mile 13ish. I think I lost about 20 or 30 seconds at traffic lights, but I wasn't really keeping track. The Army Corps of Engineers should be removing the sand bags that are currently along the original race course, so hopefully it will revert back to that course for 2012, because the river views were beautiful. It would also do away with the traffic lights on the first half of the course. 3. Obviously no spectators to speak of, apart from about ten people who would drive from aid station to aid station. But they were great. 4. There are no medals for this race, but don't let that stop you if you're big into medals. Go down to the beach, grab a sea shell and write GRM 20** on it and tie a string around it. Or do like me and laminate your Spud's receipt and hang it on the wall. 5. I wanted to run this race by feel and forget about my time, so I left my watch at home. Not a big deal, until I crossed the finish line and the guy with the clip board asked, 'So, what was your time?' Thanks, Steve, for a great run. I'll be back.
Lisa Gesualdo from Bel Air, Maryland (6/5/2011) "Very enjoyable run!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you enjoy running and want a marathon with no hassles and yet a great experience, this marathon is for you. I discovered this marathon while looking for a marathon to run in Washington and highly recommend it. There are no bibs, timing chips, finisher medals, or big expo. You had the option to order a shirt for $15, and the shirt was a really nice tech shirt. You get to run mostly on pretty trails and get great views of Mt. Ranier and Seattle. There were adequate aid stations with water and gatorade. I carried my own bottle since it was a hot day and the volunteers were more than happy to fill my bottle at each aid station. I stayed at the host hotel ( great value)and walked to the start. As Steve the race director promised, I easily found a ride back to the hotel afterwards. There are many positives about this race: it's free, the race director is awesome, the volunteers are fantastic, you get to meet a lot of wonderful people, the course itself is scenic, and there were NO hassles. The only negative is that there are no police at intersections, which means you will spend time waiting for traffic lights. For me this was not a big deal, but if you really care about having a longer race time because of the stops then this may not be the race for you. This race is meant to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience and you will not be disappointed. You will pay a lot of money to run in other marathons, but will not get the relaxed and fun atmosphere of this race. Thank you Steve for organizing this FREE event and doing such a great job! It is truly a marathon to run just for the enjoyment of running. I will be back!
a. d. from Shoreline, WA (6/4/2011) "Delightful Marathon" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A well-organized, fun event. I only have good things to say about the Green River Marathon and a few of the main points are: o Great group of volunteers and organizers o Mostly flat course, well-marked o It's free! o Finishes in a beautiful settings I'll hope to be able to run this again next year.
Brian Smith from Bakersfield, California (7/16/2010) "A great race for my first marathon" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great weather, great staff, and all in all, an awesome day to run. I had quit smoking a year and a half before this race, and I tried one down here in Bakersfield and bonked at 22. I trained for 16 more weeks, missed the registration for the R'n'R Seattle, and decided to do this one. I could not have made a better move, actually. A small race with a great crowd. The only downside for me was stopping at traffic lights for cars - "bad knees."
B. L. from Coquitlam, Canada (6/10/2010) "A Novel Experience" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Green River Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 No matter how many marathons you may have run - and I had run 38 in four continents before this - the Green River Marathon has to rank among the top five on any runner's list for several reasons: 1. It's absolutely free. That in itself makes it unique. Incomparable. 2. The best bargain for an official hotel. It costs only $62.00 per night plus tax for a room with a king bed, microwave, fridge, TV that offers up to channels in the 900's, no line-ups at check-in and check-out and is within half a mile from the start line. You can't feel more at home than staying at a hotel where the manager has done this race a few times herself. 3. No bibs. You design your own number - which is assigned before the run - on your leg however artistically you want with a marker. You get to keep your design as a souvenir for the next three days before it's washed out. 4. No mile markers anywhere on the course. Instead of a deterrent, it keeps the mind focused and actually makes the run seem shorter because before you know it, you've already run another three miles as you arrive at the next water station. 5. Most helpful volunteers. I never used my phone during my runs. This time, I had to borrow a cell phone from a volunteer to call my wife, who was supposed to hook up with me at every water station in our family car. I lost her at mile 7 and I was starting to worry. The volunteer at mile 10 had no hesitation in letting me use his phone even after I told him that this was a long distance call outside the U.S. Minutes later, my wife reunited with me. After that, it was just a breeze. 6. A most personable Director. Steve Barrick did everything to ensure that everyone enjoyed his party. He punctually arrived at the "expo" at 6 p.m. and was the last to leave at 8. He answered every question you could think of, always with a smile and good humor. He even ran the race and greeted every finisher after him at the finish line. I haven't written any reviews in 15 years since I ran in Kathmandu and Canberra. Steve's organizational skills and personality speak volumes. 7. A stunning view of the Seattle skyline. You don't even get that from running the Seattle marathon. The last mile or two was so refreshing that it made me forget that I had been running for five hours already. 8. Reliable aid stations. Even a straggler like me never had to worry about having no water to drink or cups to drink from at any of the nine stations. The best part of it all was that I never saw or smelled any nail polish. 9. Late start. The official start at 8:30 was the second latest for me - still 3 1/2 hours earlier than the noon start of the Swiss Alps marathon. And if you arrive the night before, that means you don't have to wake up at 4 or 5 on race day. I had the option of starting an hour early, but I decided to join the big party at the official start because, after all, this WAS a party - Steve's free party. 10. The finish line. No fanfare. No timer. Just a 2-foot line marked by colored chalk on the sidewalk of southern California-like Alki Beach. This is no mirage. To me, it's the most fitting crescendo to another magical journey.
D. R. from St louis, mo (4/19/2010) "Great volunteers" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 2 Green River Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I have run this marathon twice, and each time i have been very pleased with the course and the volunteers. Plenty of aid stations and crowd to keep you motivated. If you want to run a marathon, but without all of the glitz and glamor of the big-city marathons, then this one is for you.

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Marathon Details - Green River Marathon