October 15 marks the 10th anniversary of this beloved scenic run By Jillian Chandler
With a combination of breathtaking scenery to include lake views, horse pastures, beautiful forests and golf courses, the Hayden Lake Marathon is truly one of a kind. Saturday, October 15, marks its 10th anniversary, with all three distances starting and finishing at Hayden Lake’s Honeysuckle Beach.
Attendees can choose from the full marathon, half marathon, quarter marathon or virtual run. Those who wish to participate will need to register before October 14 online at HaydenLakeMarathon.org.
“Participants of all ages are welcome to participate in the shorter distances,” affirms Melissa Groom, marketing director of Negative Split, which puts on the race. “Running with strollers is not recommended in the marathon distance due to the steep and hilly course, but running strollers are welcome on the half marathon and quarter marathon distances.”
Those who prefer the virtual run can run their distance from anywhere they’d like any day between October 9 and 16 and will submit their results online at the results platform. Swag will be shipped to participants after the in-person event.
This year, according to Melissa, they’re expecting 500 to 600 runners! And they’re transitioning back to mass start lines, meaning all participants of each distance will start together. “As in past years, we’ve had to transition to rolling starts over multiple hours,” she says. “Bringing back mass starts allows participants to start together, compete with each other and finish during the hype and high energy of the finish line.”
For those who are not participating, they are encouraged to get out along the course or cheer people on at the finish line “to bring back that high energy support we’ve been missing the past years,” smiles Melissa. “Having people on course cheering on runners is encouraging to those running and may end up encouraging themselves to run with us next year.”
After the event, runners will be treated to festivities around the beach including a birthday celebration with treats, finish-line food, a beer garden, and support from many surrounding sponsors including Mountain West Bank, Humana, and Revolution Mortgage, to name a few.
In addition to the Hayden Lake Marathon this October, Negative Split presents the Halloween Hustle Half Marathon, 10k & 5k in Coeur d’Alene at North Idaho College on October 30. 2021 was the first year for the event, which benefits the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation, and had a turnout of 450 runners. “This is a festive event with people dressing up in costumes for prizes from Fleet Feet Coeur d’Alene, treats at the finish line (hot cocoa, cider, donuts) and a family friendly course with being on the flat and maintained North Idaho Centennial Trail,” shares Melissa. You can find the link to the event online at NSplit.com.
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