Near the start of the Birch Bay Marathon, on a wet winter day.
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Aid stations are situated at approximately miles 2.5, 7, 10.5, 13, 17.5, 21 and 23.5. Due to the double-loop marathon course layout there are only three physically different aid station locations (see the map below): the first aid station is visited three times, while the others are visited twice each. Water, cola, an energy drink, energy gels and snacks will be provided at the aid stations; more substantial foodstuffs will be available at the finish.
The aid station at miles 2.5 / 13 / 23.5 is situated in downtown Birch Bay at the intersection of Birch Bay Drive and Harborview Rd. The aid station at miles 7 / 17.5 is at the intersection of Drayton Harbor Rd. and Semiahmoo Parkway. The aid station at miles 10.5 / 21 is in the sharp righthand curve at the western end of Birch Point Rd.
Please thank all the race volunteers; they are probably suffering far more than you are.
We need to clear the roads and let the volunteers go home at a reasonable hour. For these reasons the following cut-offs will be strictly enforced.
Runners will not be permitted to start the second loop of the marathon after 10 AM.
The aid station at mile 17.5 will close by 11 AM, the aid station at mile 21 will close by 11:45 AM, and the downtown aid station at mile 23.5 will close by 12:15 PM
The finish will close at 1 PM. A sweeper van will clear the course by 1 PM.
If you expect to take more than 5 hours to run the marathon, or equivalently cannot average better than 12 minutes per mile for the marathon, sign up for the 25K instead.
Near the start of the Birch Bay Marathon, on a wet winter day.
The course is generally flat to very gently rolling, with the exception of a very short steep climb (10 meters in 200 meters) at the start of Harborview Rd., and a long gradual climb (100 meters in 1.5 km) around miles 5 to 6. Most of the course lies on the waterfront, with expansive views over the water towards the mountains of Canada, the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands, or passes through heavily forested areas sparsely dotted with luxurious homes. The road surface is smoothly paved and flat to very lightly curved. The roads are not closed to vehicles, but traffic is generally very light and friendly.
There will be no course markers - it is your responsibility to know the course!
Within Birch Bay State Park you may run on either side of the road.
For certification purposes the course outside the State Park was measured under the assumption that runners would cut the corners where possible, but never crossing the center line. For this reason, and for safety reasons, please do not cross the center line anywhere except when crossing the road as listed in the course description above.
Do not cross Harborview Rd. at the intersection with Birch Bay drive - at the start of the first and second loops please cross Birch Bay Drive from the waterfront only at the stop sign immediately north of the intersection with Harborview Rd. The route will be marked by traffic cones at this point and traffic volunteers will be on duty. Marathon runners must also use this crossing point to start the second loop - do not cut the corner (DQ) !
The ¼ mile section on Harborview Rd. between Lincoln and Drayton Harbor Rd. has only a very narrow shoulder, and vehicle traffic can be heavy later in the day. This will therefore be a neutral / no-passing zone: all runners must run this section in single file and be very careful not to impede traffic or endanger themselves or others.
The concrete road closure barriers on Drayton Harbor Rd. may be bypassed by runners.
For futher inquiries or to volunteer please contact;
Joel Pearson (Race Director) e-mail: birchbaymarathon@yahoo.com, phone: 360 223-0264
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