Iron Horse Half Marathon

Quick Take

The Iron Horse Half Marathon is a point-to-point half marathon on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, following a former railroad corridor through the Cascade foothills. The crushed-gravel course is known for its scenic views, gentle downhill profile, and reputation as one of Washington’s most popular half marathons.

Running the Iron Horse Half has an extra layer of fun for me — I’ll be flying from the Washington, D.C. area to Washington state for the race. 😄

I visited Seattle with my family last year, so this won’t technically be my first trip to the Pacific Northwest. We explored places like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, but this time the focus is entirely on race weekend.

This planning guide will evolve throughout my trip — from booking and training to race weekend — and I’ll update it with everything I learn along the way.

Why I Picked This Race

Washington has no shortage of scenic races, but Iron Horse stood out because of its point-to-point course, gentle downhill profile, and reputation as one of the state’s premier half marathons. It also fit perfectly into my goal of completing a half marathon in every U.S. state.

My Trip Costs

These are my expected trip costs for August 2026.

Registration

I registered for the half marathon on July 17, 2026 for $120 ($102.00 + tax).

Based on their pricing schedule, the cheapest registration was $83 in October, so I missed out on about $20 in savings. Oh well… my wallet will survive. 😆

As of writing this guide, registration is already over $120 (with tax), so registering early can still save around $30 compared with waiting until race weekend.

Flights

Flight: IAD ↔ SEA • Alaska • Nonstop • Personal item included (carry-on extra)

I booked flights in mid-July for travel from August 28–31.

Booking Tip: I booked a little under 1.5 months before race weekend and paid $255 round trip nonstop from IAD. Prices were already climbing, so booking earlier appears worthwhile.

Where I’m Staying

I’m planning to stay in Maple Valley instead of North Bend.

Maple Valley is about 20 minutes from North Bend and roughly 30 minutes from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), making it a convenient base for race weekend.

I’ll update this section after the trip with my thoughts on whether I’d stay there again.

Questions I’m Still Researching

• Parking strategy for race morning
• Packet pickup experience
• Best shakeout run
• Best pre-race pasta dinner
• How the crushed-gravel surface affects pacing compared with a road half marathon