Leavenworth Marathon

Leavenworth is Washington’s “Bavarian Village” located 2 hours east of the Puget Sound bordering the Wenatchee National Forest and Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. Oktoberfest is Leavenworth’s biggest festival of the year with 3 weeks of music, parades, food (and of course, beverages) and activities for children and adults. A great race will only be part of your unique experience on race weekend!A stunningly beautiful course in the scenic town of Leavenworth. Marathoners will start near the renown Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. Runners will run a loop through the Icicle Canyon the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth through wooded riverfront trails. Mixed surface of asphalt and dirt trails. Surrounded by impressive mountains, you'll likely see salmon spawning in the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek.The Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon is operated by TedDriven, an organization that supports cancer research and local charities. Cancer research is a special interest of the directors. Everyone knows someone who has suffered through cancer, and your race directors, Lynda, Wendy & Ian, have all been directly impacted and are committed to doing their part to fight the disease. TedDriven donates proceeds from the Leavenworth Marathon to the cancer biology lab at University of Pennsylvania. This lab is making amazing progress in fighting solid tumors genetically. Please check back for updates from the lab on their progress.We are very proud of the partnerships we have forged with the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Forest Service, Washington State Department of Transportation, Chelan County, the City of Leavenworth, and our friends and neighbors in Leavenworth, without whom this event would not be possible.

Leavenworth is Washington’s “Bavarian Village” located 2 hours east of the Puget Sound bordering the Wenatchee National Forest and Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. Oktoberfest is Leavenworth’s biggest festival of the year with 3 weeks of music, parades, food (and of course, beverages) and activities for children and adults. A great race will only be part of your unique experience on race weekend!A stunningly beautiful course in the scenic town of Leavenworth. Marathoners will start near the renown Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. Runners will run a loop through the Icicle Canyon the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth through wooded riverfront trails. Mixed surface of asphalt and dirt trails. Surrounded by impressive mountains, you'll likely see salmon spawning in the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek.The Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon is operated by TedDriven, an organization that supports cancer research and local charities. Cancer research is a special interest of the directors. Everyone knows someone who has suffered through cancer, and your race directors, Lynda, Wendy & Ian, have all been directly impacted and are committed to doing their part to fight the disease. TedDriven donates proceeds from the Leavenworth Marathon to the cancer biology lab at University of Pennsylvania. This lab is making amazing progress in fighting solid tumors genetically. Please check back for updates from the lab on their progress.We are very proud of the partnerships we have forged with the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Forest Service, Washington State Department of Transportation, Chelan County, the City of Leavenworth, and our friends and neighbors in Leavenworth, without whom this event would not be possible.

Runners in the full marathon and the half marathon will start the race in different places — those running the full will start their 26.2-mile course west of town on County Highway 76, while those running the half marathon will start at the race finish line, near the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. Runners will run a loop through the Icicle Canyon the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth through wooded riverfront trails. From there, the half marathon route makes a counter-clockwise loop around the city, largely along the banks of the river and Icicle Creek, and much of the course unfolds along the edges of the mountain valley, as the town sits next to Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.Most of the race is run on paved roads, but portions of the course take runners off-road and onto dirt trails, especially the roughly mile-long stretch that winds through Waterfront Park, along the Wenatchee near downtown Leavenworth.The rest of the race features mostly gently rolling hills. The race begins at about 1,100 feet above sea level and reaches its highest point between miles 7 and 8, when the course climbs about 100 feet in elevation. Following this peak, the race is largely flat toward the finish.Marathon runners will run the last few miles of the course a 2nd time before finishing.

A road race to celebrate the Oktoberfest festival in this Washington town set in the central part of the state, the Leavenworth Marathon and Half Marathon combines city streets with the rolling hills of the area’s scenic country roads, within view of the Wenatchee National Forest and Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.The race takes runners through Washington’s “Bavarian village” of Leavenworth, whose architecture and building styles are designed to make visitors feel as if they’re walking through an Alpine town in Austria or Germany, with views of the mountains all around.Runners will be able to take in plenty of the shops, restaurants and downtown areas both before and during the race, which will take them through downtown Leavenworth and along the trails that wind through Waterfront Park along the river.

Free parking is available at the Fish Hatchery (entering from E. Leavenworth Road). Important: Please access packet pick-up and arrive for the event via the East Leavenworth Road north gate to the hatchery. Access via Fish Hatchery Road will be closed. The easiest route from Highway 2 is to take Icicle Road to East Leavenworth Road. Turn left on E. Leavenworth Road, travel several hundred yards and turn right into the large parking lot. Packet pick-up and registration will be in the first building you see entering the hatchery. In addition, the southbound lane of East Leavenworth Rd will be closed at 8 AM on race day. Please access the half marathon start by taking Icicle Road to East Leavenworth Rd as described above.

Aid stations will be located every 2-3 miles. Each aid station will provide water and Scratch sports drink. GU Energy Gels will be available at approximately miles 10 and 21 for the marathon and mile 8 for the half marathon. Ballard Ambulance will provide a finish line first aid tent and ambulance service.

All hotel space during Oktoberfest is limited in Leavenworth—reserve early. Contact the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce and they can tell you what's available. There is additional lodging in Wenatchee, a scenic 20 minute drive south. Contact the Wenatchee Visitors Bureau for lodging info in Wenatchee. There are also plenty of vacation homes and cabins around Lake Wenatchee, which are findable on the web with a Google search.

Age-group awards will be given to the top three male/female finishers. Overall, male/female winners of the marathon and half marathon will also receive awards. Finisher medals for both the half and marathon will be awarded at the finish line. Participants shirts commemorating our anniversary will be available for pick up during registration/packet pick-up on Friday afternoon and on Saturday after the race. Shirts are Unisex sized tech shirts by Greenlayer.

The marathon is limited to runners who will complete the course within the six hour time limit, due to course restrictions. Walkers are welcome in the half marathon category. The half marathon course is open for four hours.

Marathon runners will park at the Fish Hatchery. A mandatory shuttle bus will be provided to the start, approximately 10 miles up Icicle Road. Shuttle busses will leave the hatchery when full starting at 5:45 am, with the last shuttle departing at 6:15 am. There will not be a bus leaving after 6:15 am and private cars will not be permitted at the start as parking is unavailable and to ensure the safety of all participants.

Water, sports drink and snacks will be provided near the finish line for participants only. Please retain your race bib for access to the food and drinks.