THE SCENIC SPOKANE MARATHON

The Spokane Marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifying race, is one of the most scenic courses in the country.   It takes the runners out of downtown Spokane through the historic Browne’s Addition where they run under a canopy of fall foliage.   After that they run a few miles along the course of the famous Lilac Bloomsday run.  Next, they run along the Centennial Trail, high above the Spokane River, eye level with the many birds that make the tall trees their homes.  The course then meanders through the beautiful campuses of Spokane Falls Community College and Fort Wright Mukogawa.  Then it is back out onto the Centennial Trail to again follow the Spokane River to the Seven-Mile Bridge.  At this point (just past the 14-mile mark), the runners begin their trek back towards downtown Spokane on a quiet, paved road on the opposite side of the river.  This course has several challenging hills along the way, and the runners meet the most famous one, Doomsday Hill, just after the 22-mile mark.