Snoqualmie Valley Half Marathon 2026

I went into race weekend feeling like I hadn't even trained. You know how sometimes the taper-crazies fully eat your brain, and suddenly you can't remember the last time you did a long run, even though it was less than a week ago? That was me the night before race morning.

Maybe it was because my summer half was originally going to be in August, and the change to June 20 meant I had a mere seven weeks to train after the Kirkland Half. Maybe it was because I did my last long run on a Friday morning, giving me a full weekend of recovery before the race. Maybe it was because I trained for this one alone, and was running it alone. I'm not sure what got into my head, but I pretty much went into race day feeling like I had zero miles under my belt.

Luckily, how I felt was very different from reality.

The night before the race, Matt tried to figure out how he could come spectate. I told him not to worry about it—the course is an out-and-back, and it wouldn't be worth the early morning and 40-minute drive. (It only occurred to me after the fact that this is the first half I've ever run totally alone, with no running buddy or support at the finish line. This fact didn't faze me, which I think says something about where I am mentally these days!)

Anyway, I chose my race outfit in anticipation of hot weather because we'd had our first heat advisory the previous weekend and sunny skies all week. I also prepped my electrolyte bottle with LMNT instead of Nuun. I know trying something new on race day is a risk, but I have started to feel like I may need more sodium during summer runs. 

Race morning, I woke up to the wonderful realization that I was going to get the clouds and cool temperatures I'd been hoping for. I had an espresso with milk and half a Katz toaster pastry before heading out. My plan was to arrive an hour early to give myself time to park at the race venue (last year Nick and I parked off-site) and get my bib. 

I had plenty of time to warm up, use the bathroom, prepare mentally, and get my stuff together. I had my usual mocha caffeinated UCAN gel about 20 minutes before the start and put three caffeinated Maurten 100s in my pocket. Despite being in denial that I had a race to run, I didn't even feel a moment of anxiety or race nerves. I just felt ready. I guess running three half marathons back-to-back has finally gotten me over race day jitters.

At 8:30, we were off! My plan was to start at a nice slow pace, which was easy to do because the first half mile or so was pretty congested. I also chose to listen to a podcast instead of music for that first hour, and Probably Fine helped me keep a steady pace.

Miles 1-2 were all about warming up. This race is along the Snoqualmie River Trail, which you enter from Tolt MacDonald Park, and in the first mile there's a long stretch of loose, chunky gravel. I remembered this part being hard at last year's 10k, when the rain made it extra slippery. This time, it didn't cause me any major issues, but I was still glad to climb the embankment to the first bridge and onto the packed terrain.

Yes, that is a man in a chicken suit. Yes, he beat me.

After mile 3, I learned a secret about this race—the views get better the farther you go! Having done the 10k last year, I didn't get a chance to see how gorgeous this trail becomes as you head deeper into the Snoqualmie National Forest. For all of miles 3-5, I was simply enjoying myself. I felt strong, the views were incredible...it was truly like I was running along my favorite kind of hikes!

I ate my first gel at mile 3 and just kept plugging away. The route is all uphill on the way out, and there were some moments where I could feel that a little more than others, but generally my legs were unbothered. And of course, since it's an out-and-back, it was all downhill from there.

Around mile 6.5 I ate my second gel, and I took my first walk break at mile 7. I don't know why I walked; I didn't feel like I needed it, but I did want to take a bigger swig of LMNT than I had been getting along the way, and I wanted to update Elizabeth with my progress.

I was legitimately this happy the entire race.

I decided not to walk again until mile 10, and that's when I ate my last gel. I really should've had it sooner, and I know I need to be better about being willing to eat gels before I feel like I need the energy, but I always find myself trying to stretch them out and conserve them.

Anyway, around 11.6 I finally hit what I'd call the wall, but it wasn't that dark. In fact, I never got to the point of thinking why am I doing this? I want to go home. I felt confident, strong, capable, and generally joyful the entire race.

It's a good thing I took so many photos, because I'm completely blocked by Mr. Charisma in this entire set.

Crossing over the first/last bridge at mile 11.6.

After that last little walk, I dialed it in for the end. There was a woman in front of me keeping a pretty steady pace, and I chose to just follow her as long as I could. When we turned the corner toward the finish line, I found that last bit of energy and kicked it into gear, passing her and finishing with a powerful sprint.

This race is an exemplar for how much difference cooler temperatures make for me. My finishing time was nearly identical to my time at the Lost Dutchman, when I was in peak condition, and six minutes faster than the Kirkland Half last month.

Very pleased to see mile 13 was my fastest.

On top of that, my race strategy was excellent. I paced myself and fueled consistently, which made a huge difference: at the Lost Dutchman, I walked 17 minutes of the 2 hour 16 minute race; at this race, I only walked 4.5 minutes.

Funny to see my three walk breaks were all in the downhill portion.

After finishing, my calves burned pretty badly. I lay inverted on a hill for awhile, then hobbled over to get my R-Pod medal and collect my checked bag. 

After getting my things, I headed home, where a brunch reservation was waiting for me. I am so proud of how I executed this race, and I think I'm going to take many lessons from it. (This is my 19th half; don't ask me why it's taken so long to learn a few things.)

This was a perfect way to start the summer season, and I feel so ready to continue building a stronger base over the next few months.

Ali