Washington State Half Marathon | Bellingham Bay
I have lived in Washington nearly my entire life, so this is a very biased opinion, but I believe it’s the most beautiful place in the world.
There are very few places where you can step outside and see the ocean, rolling green hills, and snow-capped mountains all in one spot.
And we have four true seasons. Fall brings cool, crisp weather and orange and red leaves. Winter brings frost and sometimes snow. Spring brings beautiful flowers and green everywhere. And summer brings the heat, when the water gets sparkly and refreshing and you basically want to spend every possible minute outside.
I’ve run more half marathons in Washington than I can remember, and I want to share my absolute favorite: Bellingham Bay
I ran Bellingham Bay in September 2024, and it quickly became my favorite. The course takes you through the city, along the marina and down the boardwalk. The weather is cool but not too cold, and the course is scenic and captures so much of what I love about Washington—all in 13.1 miles.
I’ve run half marathons over on the Peninsula, I’ve run two through the streets of Seattle, and I’ve done small local half marathons, but Bellingham Bay just has something special about it.
It also holds some sentimental value for me because it was the first half marathon Ben, my partner, came to cheer me on.
It meant the world to me to have him there supporting me on this crazy, wild ride.
I mean, think about it. It’s such a funny concept: we pay money to run 13.1 miles, push our bodies, exhaust ourselves, and for some reason we love it!
I am convinced all long-distance runners are a little cuckoo. And I am totally okay with that. ;)
I also graduated from Western Washington University, so it was really fun to revisit Bellingham and see the city through a completely different lens.
If you make a trip of this half marathon…
I recommend checking out these spots:
Grab a bialy bagel with feta garlic dill cream cheese. I am drooling just thinking about it.
Browse the vinyl records if you’re into that type of thing.
If you drink, grab yourself a Big Mama and make sure you have a DD! And the steak fajita quesadilla is delicious.
Grab a cup of coffee at Woods, then go browse the books at Henderson Books. Basically, my perfect afternoon.
If the weather is nice, strolling through Boulevard Park is wonderful—and the race course takes you through there as well. There’s also a Woods Coffee there, so obviously that’s a bonus.
Take a stroll through campus. In September, it is beautiful. The brick buildings, the changing fall trees…it’s amazing.
Don’t forget to visit this iconic spot that’s been around since 1886!
Bellingham is one of those places that gives you a little bit of everything I love about Washington: beautiful scenery, good food, coffee, books, a little bit of nostalgia, and plenty of places to get outside.
And somehow, you get to experience all of that while running 13.1 miles.
If you have a favorite race in Washington, let me know! It doesn’t have to be a half marathon either. Maybe our paths will cross at the starting line. <3
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