Originally published June 27, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 27, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Seattle's Seafair Marathon to cross Lake Washington bridge
The 26.2-mile marathon will feature 12 miles of waterfront in Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland. Both the full and half marathons begin at Husky Stadium, with the Seafair pirates manning the pace car, and end at Bellevue Downtown Park.
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seafair marathon
Races: Marathon and half-marathon runs, marathon relay, all start Sunday at 7 a.m. Half marathon walk starts at 7:05 a.m.Course: All races start at the south end of UW's Husky Stadium (Pacific and Montlake Boulevard), cross the Evergreen Point floating bridge, traverse nine miles of Kirkland's waterfront and finish at Bellevue Downtown Park.
Registration: Open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Seafair Health and Fitness Expo at the Bellevue Hilton. Marathon costs $100, and the half marathon $85.
Bridge closure: Evergreen Point floating bridge eastbound lanes closed Sunday 6:45 a.m. to 9 a.m.
For information: www.seafairmarathon.com
The two eastbound lanes of the Evergreen Point floating bridge across Lake Washington will close Sunday morning, allowing for the first race over it in 24 years.
In the fourth year of the VM Team Medicine Seafair Marathon, organizers have added what they hope will be a defining twist, one that could raise the young race's prestige. The race, which formerly only trekked through Bellevue, will begin near Husky Stadium and then cross a three-mile stretch of Lake Washington via Highway 520.
"We wanted to make this event a marquee event that could be a destination run, for people to come in from out of town," said Dan Wartelle, Seafair spokesman, who added that the changes will also offer local runners a unique opportunity to run across the lake.
Wartelle said it is the first run across the floating bridge since the opening day 8K — for boating season, not baseball — in 1984.
The 26.2-mile marathon will feature 12 miles of waterfront in Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland. Both the full and half marathons begin at Husky Stadium, with the Seafair pirates manning the pace car, and end at Bellevue Downtown Park.
It took work with several government agencies to get access to the bridge, which will close on the eastbound side from 6:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. Several other road closures on the Eastside will follow.
Seafair moved the race up two weeks — so that it now unofficially kicks off the two-month-long festival — in part to ensure it could use the bridge, and it hopes for it to be a yearly tradition.
"I think it's a great idea, especially if the weather's like it's supposed to be — sunny and nice," said Seattle marathoner Uli Steidl. "It's a big attraction going across that bridge."
Steidl will run in the 13.1-mile half marathon. He ran a marathon in Hamburg, Germany, in April and hasn't trained for the longer distance.
"I could run it, but it wouldn't be good," Steidl said.
A trio of Kenyans — Edward Kiptum, Gilbert Kiptoo and Paul Rugut — figure to be the favorites in the men's race. Oregon native Wendy Terris and Romania's Claudia Colita should be the favorites in the women's race. Winners in the full marathon win $1,500; the prize for the half is $500.
More than 5,000 people have already registered, an increase of more than 1,500 from a year ago. Registration will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Seafair health and fitness expo at the Bellevue Hilton. The full marathon costs $100, and the half $85.
A percentage of each registration fee goes to cancer research at Virginia Mason Medical Center, and Seafair hopes to surpass last year's marathon fundraising total of $15,943.
Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
First load of rescued fish moved to Salmon Creek
Fishing | Where they're biting, where they're not
UPDATE - 10:28 PM
Media: Man pleads not guilty in Erin Andrews videos case
NEW - 09:29 PM
NW Briefs: Golf: UW's Nick Taylor is in fourth place after 36 holes of Texas golf meet
Sideline Chatter: Fourth-down gambles leave New England in shambles

New Beginnings Christian Fellowship
Coming in this Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine: Pastor Braxton's mission is to preach a message that appeals to everyone.
shopping
events for Tuesday, Nov. 24
- Asher Anson Black Friday and December Sales
- Holiday Sale at Pink Ginger
- Clementine's December Daily Sale
- Shenui.com Holiday Sale
editors' picks
- Local jewelry designers
- Maternity shopping
- Vintage, consignment and used clothing
- Independent bookstores
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Jerry Brewer | Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Husky Football Blog | Ranking the Pac
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
435 - Bellevue residents blast new bikini espresso stand
241 - Jose Lopez appears to be on his way out
182 - Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
180 - Next Seahawks GM should be Mike Holmgren
136 - Washington State coach Paul Wulff says he's excited about Cougars' future
133 - Some fans at Fort Bragg see themselves in Sarah Palin
75 - Hate crimes against gays, religious groups up, FBI says
68 - Monday practice report
53 - Civil-rights suit against officer, city settled for $87,500
51
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Nicole Brodeur | Homeless woman bent on giving
- Portland cafe's specialty: medical-marijuana tokes
- Hutch gets $10M from Bezos family for immunotherapy research
- Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'

