On Sunday morning, November 29, runners will come down 20th Avenue W, cross W Dravus Street, head south on Gilman Avenue W and drop onto the Elliott Bay Trail. They will pass beneath the Magnolia Bridge ramp, and cars will keep running on the bridge above them. That's the UW Medicine Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon in 2026. The Magnolia stretch sits on the peninsula's eastern edge, and most of it runs on trail. The full marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. and the half at 8:30 a.m., both at Seattle Center, and both finish at Pier 66.
The course went through Magnolia last year too. What changed is how much of the neighborhood's daily routine it touches. The Magnolia Community Council says residents raised concerns during the 2025 race. The Seattle Marathon organization then worked with the council early in planning, and the race team came to MCC's June 2026 meeting to present the updated route. The new course has two direct effects on Magnolia streets: runners cross W Dravus Street at 20th Avenue W and Alaskan Way beneath the Magnolia Bridge. Seattle Police will manage both crossings.
Last Year's Schedule Put Runners on the Bridge Sidewalk
The 2025 race was held on Sunday, November 30, 2025. The race's road-usage schedule for that year closed eastbound W Emerson Street from 15th Avenue W to Gilman Avenue W from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. It also closed the Magnolia Bridge sidewalk, from the Elliott Bay Trail to Elliott Avenue W, from 9:20 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For most of that Sunday morning, both the bridge sidewalk and one direction of Emerson belonged to the race.
The 2026 course keeps some of the same Interbay streets but takes runners off both of those links. Below, the 2025 schedule is set against MCC's description of this year's route.
| Location | 2025 road-usage schedule | 2026 course |
|---|---|---|
| W Emerson Street | Eastbound closed, 15th Ave W to Gilman Ave W, 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. | Runners pass under it on the trail and do not cross it |
| Magnolia Bridge | Sidewalk closed, Elliott Bay Trail to Elliott Ave W, 9:20 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Bridge and ramp stay open; runners pass under the ramp on the Elliott Bay Trail |
| W Thurman Street | All lanes, 20th Ave W to 16th Ave W, 9:10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. | On the course |
| 20th Avenue W | Southbound, W Commodore Way to W Thurman St, 9:10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. | On the course, crossing W Dravus St |
| Elliott Bay Trail | Closed, 20th Ave W to Magnolia Bridge, 9:20 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | On the course, heading toward the downtown finish |
The 2025 times above are last year's schedule and should not be read as 2026 closures. The race posts its road-usage downloads for the full and half marathons on its traffic and transportation page.
The Route, Street by Street
According to MCC, the Interbay and Magnolia section runs in this order:
- Along the South Ship Canal Trail
- Under 15th Avenue W and W Emerson Street, on the bike path
- North on 16th Avenue W
- Along W Thurman Street and 20th Avenue W, crossing W Dravus Street at 20th
- South on Gilman Avenue W and onto the Elliott Bay Trail
- Under the Magnolia Bridge ramp, crossing Alaskan Way, toward the downtown finish
This stretch covers miles 8 to 11 of the half marathon and miles 22 to 24 of the full. Half marathoners pass through early in their race, and full marathoners pass through near the end of theirs, so the two fields share the same streets on the same morning.
The Clock on Race Morning
MCC's estimates show when Magnolia's side of the course gets busy:
- 7:00 a.m. The full marathon starts at Seattle Center.
- 8:30 a.m. The half marathon starts.
- About 8:56 a.m. The first half marathoners reach the area near Fishermen's Terminal.
- About 9:06 a.m. The first full marathoners arrive.
- About 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Most runners pass through.
- About 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. Runner traffic is at its heaviest.
- 2:30 p.m. The course officially closes, and the race FAQ says the routes reopen to vehicle traffic then.
The bridge stays open, and Emerson no longer carries runners. A trip off the peninsula that morning only meets the race at the two crossings. Dravus at 20th is the one to plan around, and the 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. hour is when it will be busiest.
Why the Course Could Move Onto the Trail
This route depends on waterfront trail work that finished only recently. When the race introduced its new course, KING 5 reported that the finish had moved to Pier 66 because Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center is being redeveloped, with organizers expecting 8,500 to 8,600 runners. The same report said that the course would shift again in 2026, once Elliott Bay Trail construction wrapped up, with the last two miles moving off Elliott Avenue and onto the upgraded waterfront trail.
The trail work is now finished. The Port of Seattle completed the Terminal 91 segment of the Elliott Bay Trail on October 2, 2025. The Elliott Bay Connections greenway opened April 21, 2026. Myrtle Edwards Park fully reopened June 4, 2026, with a renovated and repaved bike trail. Magnolia's request to keep runners off the bridge and Emerson came just as a continuous, rebuilt trail along the water became available as the route.
Magnolia's Invitation to Take Part
The new route also gives the neighborhood ways to join the race. MCC lists the options the Seattle Marathon organization has offered Magnolia residents:
- Water stations. Three water stations will be near the Magnolia section. Water Station #12 is the most central, on 20th Avenue W a block south of 20th and Thorndyke Avenue W, behind Plumb Works. Each station generally needs 15 to 30 volunteers to hand out water and sports drinks, cheer for runners and help with cleanup.
- A neighborhood cheer zone. MCC is considering a community cheer area near W Dravus Street and 20th Avenue W, where runners will be in plain view as they cross.
- A Magnolia team. The marathon has offered to create a Magnolia Neighborhood Team and give residents who want to run a discount code.
The first chance to take part comes a week earlier. On Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., MCC and the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce will run a sign-making station at the Magnolia Farmers Market's Harvest Market. All ages are welcome. The market sets up at W McGraw Street and 33rd Avenue W in Magnolia Village. The day also includes live music, knife sharpening, a cooking demonstration with chef Hend Yahya and free face painting.
The Magnolia Farmers Market comes back to the same corner on December 5 for its Holiday Market, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That afternoon, Magnolia Winterfest fills W McGraw Street from 2 to 8 p.m. with the community tree lighting, Santa photos, the Jingle Bell Car Show and Cruise, and a Toys for Tots drive. The signs made on November 21 are meant for the course eight days later, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
MCC posts route maps for each crossing and runs an email list for updates and volunteer sign-ups on its marathon page.
Knowing how a neighborhood works on mornings like November 29 is part of understanding what a home on the peninsula offers. If you are weighing a move on or off the peninsula and want a perspective that starts with how the neighborhood actually works, Patricia Wallace is glad to talk it through. Contact Patricia directly for a private consultation.
