Race is capped at 700 participants! Register today to secure your spot!

The Cascade Express Half is one of the fastest half marathon courses in the country! Enjoy 13.1 miles of scenic downhill with gorgeous view of the Cascade Mountains as you glide down the gravel trail on this point to point course. This is the ONLY half marathon course that features a run through the famous 2.4 mile Snoqualmie Tunnel. With 800’ of gradual net downhill, we assure you that you will “find your super fast” on the way to a speedy time or a PR! 

THE COURSE

The race begins at the Hyak Trail Head at Palouse to Cascades State Park. It enters the famous Snoqualmie Tunnel after only half a mile. You will run through the 2.4 mile tunnel emerging into the heart of the Cascade Mountains. From there, you have 800’ of gentle downhill descent as you glide across railroad tressels, past waterfalls and take in the endless mountain vistas! USATF certification number is 17WA002LB.

RACE DAY SCHEDULE

Parking Lots Opens: 6:15 AM
Packet Pick-up (half): 7:15AM - 8:15AM
Race Start: 8:30 AM
Finish Line Opens: 9:30 AM
Finish Line Cut-off: 12:30 PM
Finish Line to Parking Shuttles: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM running every 20 - 30 minutes

RACE DaY INFO

Packet Pick-up & Day of Registration:
Yes! We have race day packet pick-up and day of registration! No! We do not offer advanced packet pick-up!
Parking:
Free parking near the start line is available at the Summit I-90 Ski Area. It is about a 10 minute walk from the free parking area to the start line. Parking is available at the Hyak Trailhead for a $10 day use fee or free for Washington Discover Pass holders.

Finish Line:
The Finish Line is located on the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, about 1/4 mile from the “Iron Horse Alt Access” Trailhead. Directions from the start line to finish line are below:

From Hyak: From Hyak, head out of parking lot and make a left onto NF-906. At stop sign, make a left onto WA-906 North. Drive 0.4 miles and make a right to follow signs for I-90. Take ramp for I-90 west to Seattle. From I-90 west, take Exit 38 for SE Homestead Valley Road. At the bottom of the ramp, take a left onto SE Homestead Valley Road. Drive under the freeway and then make a right to stay on SE Homestead Valley Road. You will see a dirt road on your left about 0.2 miles after making the left. Park anywhere along SE Homestead Valley road and walk up the dirt road about 1 mile. When you get to the Iron Horse Trail crossing (you will see a somewhat cleared parking area with large metal gates on either side of the road where the trail crosses), go left onto the Iron Horse Trail. The finish line is located about 0.2 miles from the gate. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE UP THE DIRT ROAD TO PARK CLOSER! THIS IS A RUNNER SAFETY ISSUE!

From Seattle/North Bend: From Seattle or North Bend, take I-90 eastbound. From I-90 east, take Exit 38 for SE Homestead Valley Road. At the bottom of the ramp, take a right and follow SE Homestead Valley Road for 1.8 miles. After 1.8 miles you will see a dirt road on your right (if you reach the I-90 ramp or drive under I-90 you went too far). Park anywhere along SE Homestead Valley road and walk up the dirt road about 1 mile. When you get to the Iron Horse Trail crossing (you will see a somewhat cleared parking area with large metal gates on either side of the road where the trail crosses), go left onto the Iron Horse Trail. The finish line is located about 0.2 miles from the gate. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE UP THE DIRT ROAD TO PARK CLOSER! THIS IS A RUNNER SAFETY ISSUE!

Shuttle Buses:
Runners will be bused back to the start line parking areas from the finish line. Buses will run every 20-30 minutes starting around 9:30 AM. Please note the bus pick-up location is about 1.2 miles from the finish line. Don’t worry about the walk though! It’s all downhill and will serve as a nice shakeout to stretch the legs!

Drop Bags:
Fabric Cascade Super Series drop bags are provided to all runners! Your bib will include a tag for your bag. Drop your belongings at the start line and we will transport them down to the finish where they will be anxiously awaiting the arrival of their owner.

The important stuff - swag!

We want our runners to only have the best, so we make sure we give you more swag than you can carry (actually, we give you a fabric drop bag so you can carry it all)! All runners receive a custom tech tee, a custom race medal, a fabric Run Super Series Drop Bag, a Run Super Series Water Bottle, and complimentary downloadable race day photos.
Yep, you get all that. You can thank us later!

COURSE SUPPORT

Pacers:
The Super Pacers are on hand to take the pressure off your watch! Join our 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20 or 2:30 pace groups and have a good time running your best time!

Aid Stations:
The half marathon will have 5 aid stations. All aid stations will have water and Gatorade. Aid stations 3 & 5 will have Gu gels in assorted flavors (both caffeinated and non-caffeinated). *Aid stations will likely be self-serve due to COVID restrictions, more details will be available closer to race day
#1 - Mile 2.6 (tunnel exit)
#2 - Mile 5
#3 - Mile 7
#4 - Mile 9
#5 - Mile 11

Bathrooms: There are two public bathroom facilities on the course. The first is located at Mile 2.7 just after the exit to the tunnel on the right side of the trail. The second is located around Mile 8.5 on the left side of the trail. Porta Potties will be available at both the start and finish areas.

Search and Rescue:
Pierce County SAR 4x4 will be monitoring the trail on their ATVs to assist runners with any injuries or issues.

Medical:
Medics will be on-site at the finish line.

SPECTATORS

Since our course is somewhat remote and epically beautiful, there are few locations where spectators can easily access the trail to watch their runner. For the half marathon, the only point reasonably accessible is the finish line. It’s best to wave goodbye to your runner at the start as they journey into the depths of the tunnel and scoot down to the finish line where you can get a front row seat to watch their epic finish!

REFUND AND DEFERRAL POLICY

All registrations to Run Super Series Races are final. We do not offer refunds, transfers or deferral of race entries under any circumstances.