Official Host Hotel of the Whidbey Island Marathon

Staying the night or multiple nights in Oak Harbor for the Whidbey Island Marathon? Look no further than staying at the Best Western Plus, the host hotel of the Whidbey Island Marathon. Located about 3 miles from the finish line, this hotel is conveniently located near everything you need as a race participant.

Best Western Plus

$209/Night Hotel Deal (plus tax).

The Best Western Plus, as the official host hotel of the Whidbey Island Marathon is happy to offer participants a discounted room rate of $209 per night ($20 savings) while staying for the marathon. To receive your discount, please call the hotel directly at (360) 679-4567 and mention you’re staying for the “Whidbey Island Marathon”

Perks of staying at the Best Western:
– FREE shuttle to/from both start lines before your race (marathon or half) and home after you’ve finished the race!

– Complimentary Hot Breakfast, WIFI, Pool/Spa, Pet Friendly, Free Parking, Fitness Center!

Event Shuttles

Full Marathon Run Participants: All full marathon participants are encouraged to use our free shuttle service to the start of the marathon. There is NO parking at Bowman Bay during the race, nor will there be return service to the start line.

Shuttle Option 1) All participants will have the option to park near the finish line at Windjammer Park. From there, participants will be able to catch marathon start shuttles at the parking area within Windjammer Park off Beeksma Ave (West side of Windjammer Park, Parking Lot).

Shuttle Option 2) If you are an out of town guest staying in Oak Harbor at The Auld Holland Inn, The Coachman Inn, Best Western Plus or Candlewood Suites, our shuttles will pick you up from your hotel and bring you to the marathon start line as well as return you to your hotel after your race is completed.

Shuttle Pickup Times:
Marathon Departure Time/Location (Please plan on 25 minutes to arrive at the marathon start line)
From Area Hotels (Coachman Inn, Best Western & Candlewood Suites, Auld Holland Inn) 5:40am or 6:20am
From Windjammer Park Parking Lot (Finish Line): 5:45am, 5:55am, 6:00am, 6:05am, 6:10am, 6:15am, 6:20am

*Shuttles will pickup/drop off at the west parking lot of Windjammer Park at SW Beeksma Dr. / SW Bayshore Dr. for all races near the basketball courts.

Half Marathon – Shuttles will run continuous loops from the same hotels starting at 7:10am with the last shuttle at 8:00am for the half marathon start line

Return Shuttles – Shuttles will run from the event finish line to area hotels continuously throughout the day until 1:00pm

Parking

There will be ample street parking available at the west side of Windjammer Park off Beeksma Ave and street parking near Windjammer Park. Paved parking will be available at the Haggen Grocery Store parking lot. Please park in designated areas only and be mindful of parking/no parking signs.

*If you are an out of town guest staying at one of the area hotels (Coachman Inn, Best Western Plus, Candlewood Suites or Auld Holland Inn), you will have the option to take a shuttle from your hotel to the start/finish line. After your race, shuttles will return you to your hotel.

See above for shuttle departure times from various locations.

2024 COURSE INFORMATION

We are excited to announce we will once again call Windjammer Park home for the 2023 Marathon! For multiple years, Windjammer Park has been closed while experiencing a beautiful makeover. The city has been hard at work adding new running paths, green space, playgrounds, basketball courts and a splash park for kids! This year, Windjammer Park will once again play host to the event’s festivities including the start line for all races (except the marathon) and will act as the finish line and finish festivities after the race! We will feature live music, kids play areas and of course the gorgeous waterfront backdrop at the finish line!

THIS IS NOT A CLOSED COURSE, PLEASE BE AWARE. The courses will be coned, flagged and marked for your protection. We will have course monitors, certified flaggers, and police stationed throughout the course, but please be aware of all traffic. We will have motorcycles as well as HAM Radio Operators monitoring the course and basic first aid needs available at all water stations. Water stations will be located approximately every 2 miles along the course. There will also be electrolyte replacement drinks at every other water station as well as energy gels on the full marathon throughout the course. All participants will be chip timed.

 

2023 FULL MARATHON DESCRIPTION – The Whidbey Island Marathon will start at Bowman Bay Boat Launch, north of the Deception Pass Bridge. Marathoners will wind their way south from Bowman Bay and Pass Lake, across the Deception Pass Bridge. The Whidbey Island Marathon will once again be the only race that closes the bridge for runners! Once clear of the bridge, runners will wind through tranquil farmland meandering towards Oak Harbor. In 2023, marathoners will run a loop through the Silver Lake area before passing by the US Navy Seaplane Base and entering the City of Oak Harbor. From here, the race features a downhill run towards the finish line. Runners will cruise along the waterfront as they enter Windjammer Park, running along the promenade before reaching the finish line!

***Reminder – All marathon participants need to be clear of Hwy 20 by 7:45AM. From the start of the marathon, through Deception Pass and off Hwy 20 is 2.5 miles. All participants will need to cover this distance in the 45 minutes allotted by the race and WSDOT. Any participants not clear will be picked up and advanced off Hwy 20.

Pacers will be provided for the full marathon in the following time increments: 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:10, 4:20, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00

MARATHON COURSE MAP – Check out the course map and elevation chart here!

 

2024 HALF MARATHON DESCRIPTION – The half marathon will start and finish along the water at Windjammer Park. After leaving the park, participants will wind their way through Oak Harbor’s historic downtown area and along the waterfront before running west through the Marsh Trail to Scenic Heights. At this point, runners will complete an out/back through Scenic Heights and Penn Cove (this section is very similar to years past). After exiting Scenic Heights, heading towards the finish line, runners will complete their half marathon experience along the Windjammer Park Promenade before finishing in the newly remodeled park to cheering spectators and live music!

Pacers will be provided for the half marathon in the following time increments: 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30

HALF MARATHON COURSE MAP – Check out the course map and elevation chart here!

 

2024 10K & 5K RUN/WALK DESCRIPTION – The 10K and 5K routes will once again follow the half marathon course, starting and finishing at the newly remodeled Windjammer Park. Once exiting, they too will wind through Oak Harbor’s historic downtown area and along the waterfront. They will also run west through the Marsh Trail to the Scenic Heights neighborhood. Shortly after, the 5K course will turn around, heading towards the finish line as the 10K continues along the half marathon path. After the 10K turnaround, both races will join together again, heading towards the finish line back through the Marsh Trail and on the Windjammer Park Promenade before finishing at the newly remodeled Windjammer Park on the Oak Harbor Waterfront!

10K & 5K RUN/WALK COURSES

 

Race Time Limit

The full marathon has a 6 hour course time limit and the half marathon has a 4:30 time limit. If you are unable to make certain check points by the time needed to meet the six-hour limit, we will pick you up and move you forward to the next check point, and average your current pace time accordingly to add to your overall finish time. Please allow us to do this as we have to meet road closure opening times.

 

LOCAL AREA INFO

For information about the local area, please visit the following websites:

Whidbey & Camano Islands (includes lodging information)
Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce
WhidbeyIsland.us (includes lodging and restaurant information)

While you’re on Whidbey Island we would like to invite you to stop by the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center located at 32630 State RT 20 in Oak Harbor. 

The Visitor Center can help you find accommodations before your trip and collect brochures and information about Oak Harbor and the surrounding areas on Whidbey Island. The Visitor Center also has tourism information for attractions, restaurants, and tour services on Whidbey Island. Come, explore Whidbey Island’s beautiful beaches, picturesque waterways, fascinating marine wildlife, world-class golfing, historic places, quaint shops and memorable family activities.

The Visitor Center staff are experts on all things Whidbey Island! The staff will also help you plan itineraries for a few days on the island, a weekend getaway, or even just a one-day outing! The Visitor Center is open to all visitors, so stop by and say HI!

To call ahead for a Visitor Center tour, call 360-675-3755 or visit www.oakharborchamber.com

Hours are Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm. Closed on weekends.

 

Travel

Whidbey Island is approximately 95 miles north of Seattle. From Everett, it is approximately 1- hour driving time to Oak Harbor.

TRAFFIC NOTICE: Sunday, April 23 – the Deception Pass Bridge will close at 6:45 am for the 7:00 am start of the Full Marathon. The bridge will reopen to traffic at approximately 7:50 am and will follow the runners until the marathon participants turn off Hwy 20 at Ducken. Northbound traffic will not reopen until all participants have exited the highway. Please plan accordingly.

• From Canada and points North – Take I-5 to the Anacortes exit. Proceed West on Highway 20 and follow signs to Oak Harbor.
• From Seattle and points South – Take I-5 North. You then have the option of taking the Mukilteo ferry (every half hour) across to Whidbey Island and driving up to Oak Harbor (45- minutes) or continue North to the Anacortes exit. Proceed West on Highway 20 and follow the signs to Oak Harbor. BE SURE TO CROSS DECEPTION PASS BRIDGE BY 6:45 AM ON SUNDAY, to ensure you make it to the start of your event on time.

Transportation

• Save Gas and Carpool – The Whidbey Island Marathon encourages participants to carpool to Whidbey Island for the event. Go to www.rideshareonline.com and create a posting if you have space in your car or see who might be able to give you a ride.
• Whidbey-SeaTac Shuttle – Provides the only fast, direct, and daily transportation service between all communities on Whidbey Island and Sea-Tac International Airport. www.seatacshuttle.com

• Washington State Ferries – Check the ferry schedule prior to race day. As of this posting, the first ferry of the day will not get you to the island and allow sufficient travel time to reach the full marathon starting line prior to the start of the race. CHECK THE SCHEDULE! They change with the season. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

• Island County Transit System – Check out Island Transit for all of your transportation needs while staying on Whidbey Island. Please note, there is no scheduled service on Sundays. http://www.islandtransit.org/

Weather

Weather in September should be warm but on the island it can change at any time. Please be sure to check the local island weather before race day.

RACE AMENITIES SWAG* 

• Commemorative Participant Top (differs per race)
• Finisher medals for all events
• FREE Downloadable Participants Photos for all provided by University of Massachusetts Global
• FREE downloadable Finisher Certificate
• Customized Bib

*Pictures of all swag will be released closer to the event date. 10K/5K participants will receive a short sleeve running top, half marathon participants will receive a long sleeve running top and full marathon participants will receive a long sleeve hoodie or quarter zip running top.

 

Clothing/Gear Check

Clothing Check area will be located near the start line of each event. Marathon participant checked clothes will be transported from the start line to the finish line. We will not provide bags so please bring your own as long as your bib number is placed on the outside of the bag. Under no circumstances should you place valuables in your bag. Finishers may claim their bag near the finish line. Whidbey Island Marathon officials and volunteers are not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen checked items.

Lost and Found

Any items found on the course will be brought to Clothing Check. Please see a clothing check volunteer if you have lost or found an item. All lost and found clothing not claimed at the end of race day will be donated to charity.

Water/Aid Stations

Water Stations will be located approximately every two miles along the full and half marathon courses. Electrolyte replacement drinks will be at every other station and energy gels at various stations. There will be basic medical supplies at each station including, but not limited to bandages, antiseptic creams, Vaseline for chaffing and heat blankets. Porta Potties will be located at each water station.