Marathon walk
about | start time | course time limit | awards/results
About
The information on this page is for full marathon walkers only - half marathon walkers will follow the same information, same course and same start time and place as half marathon runners.
The North Olympic Discovery Marathon is pleased to welcome the walker as an integral part of the best boutique marathon in North America. We strive to provide each participant with all of the services and assistance equally regardless of pace or place. That being said, we want to take this opportunity to provide you with all of the information you need to make your walk the best experience possible.
We have based our start times and aid station operating times on a 15 minute per mile (4 miles per hour) walker. Flexibility for faster and slower paces have been built in to accommodate the natural variations that will occur. There are some differences in the early part of the walk from what the runner's will experience. We have made these changes to respect the time commitment of our volunteers and to provide you, as a walker, the aid you will need.
Start time
7am early start
The full marathon walk will start at Carrie Blake Park (click here for directions) in Sequim at 7 am. The 7 am early marathon start time is limited to runners/walkers anticipating a 5 1/2 hour or greater finish time. The early start is not an option for marathon runners planning to finish in less than 5 1/2 hours. Runners who start early and finish in less than 5 1/2 hours will be disqualified. Early start runners/walkers must wear the color coded bib provided at registration.
If you register for the marathon early start time and find that your pace has gotten faster with training you can simply switch to the marathon 9 am start by sending an email to larry@nodm.com.
Your shuttle bus from downtown PA to the race start in Sequim will be leaving the downtown shuttle station, just 1 block SW of the PA finish line, starting at 6 am. Clothing drop is available.
Please carry the food and drink that you will need for the first five miles of your walk. The first water stop will be at mile 4.2 and the next aid station will be at mile 8. After mile 8, we anticipate that the 9 am runners will be joining you and the marathon course and aid stations will be in complete operation.
Early start walkers will need to follow the yellow course marking signs and should also carry a map (provided) for the first five miles of the course. Our volunteers will be out VERY early setting up cones, but the first five miles will not be supported by course volunteers. Click here for a printable description of the course.
Please read below for a complete explanation of "why the early start, why the need to be self supported for the first five miles."
I know many of you are thinking, "Why are there 'special' instructions for walkers?" Well here goes. This event is supported almost exclusively by a volunteer base that is recruited from a relatively small population base. Without the unbelievably hard work these volunteers provide, you would not be participating in the finest event in North America. Without a doubt, we have to respect the time these volunteers are required to put in. To provide a full and half point to point event we have had to ask certain aid stations to be manned and womaned for up to 8 plus hours. This is why we have added an early start time. Now the later aid stations and the finish line will be completely supplied even for the last walkers. As a compromise we will not provide a couple of aid stations for the walkers for the first 4 miles. It is cool this time of day and should not cause significant hardship. We are providing a special walker aid station back at the starting area (~mile 4.5). Remember we are doing this so that you will be 2 hours earlier at the later aid stations and the finish line. Your overall experience will be more vibrant!
Our course set-up crew is out on the streets at 3:30 AM setting up the NODM course for a 9 am start. We could not ask them to be up any earlier. At 7 am, traffic is light and the number of full walkers will not be as impacting as the 700+ runner's start will be. Therefore, we ask the walkers to stay to the far side of the road or, when available, to stay on the sidewalks. The course will be well marked but there will not be traffic control until 9 am. It is your responsibility to obey all normal pedestrian rules of the road. The streets in Sequim will remain open to traffic until 9am. This consideration should cause you no difficulties. The course follows quite rural roads, the Olympic Discovery Trail and sidewalked city streets. Early mornings in Sequim are quiet. Look for the yellow course marking signs along the route if you are unfamiliar with the NODM course.
That's really about it. After 9 am the course will be fully open and the Aid Stations fully supported. For more information on the course and the aid station supplies see the about/faqs page. Changing the things for you early in the race will create a more exciting and more fully supported event for you as a walker. This is very important to us.
Larry
Course time limit
about 8 1/2 hours...
The last NODM aid station (mile 25) will close at 2:30. The finish line will be open until the last finisher crosses the line, sort of. We will officially close the finish at 3:30 - to provide our volunteers with a commitment time. Historically we have the best volunteers in the world. Every year the finish line volunteers stay for the LAST finisher. I will be there! We just cannot "require" that all volunteers stay.
Awards/Results
We have been asked about awards for walkers. There are no special awards. All finishers, walkers and runners, will receive the same finisher's medal and the same event shirt. The event is chip timed and will therefore accurately reflect your time which will be posted in the overall results. We considered it impossible to monitor a walker or to define what constitutes walking verses running. Kinda looked like a potential mess if someone thought they walked while someone else thought they ran and were eligible for a walker award.