Who we are

The Seattle Marathon Association (SMA) is a non profit organization governed by a ten member Board of Directors. It is proud of its commitment to providing a quality running event in the Pacific Northwest, providing our sponsors with maximum exposure in association with the event and making a positive social and economic impact on the city of Seattle. Using the Visitors and Convention Bureau Statistics, a conservative positive economic impact to the Seattle economy is five million dollars per year. With the current growth trend of the Seattle Marathon, the economic impact could double within three years.

Our Mission

To produce an annual Seattle Marathon event, the quality of which is a credit to our sponsors and the communities we serve. We encourage participation by runners, walkers and volunteers of all skill levels.

History

The Seattle Marathon began modestly in 1970 when a group of friends from the University of Washington decided to hold their own running event. 38 runners started the first annual event, with 31 of them completing the full 26.2 miles. From these modest beginnings the Seattle Marathon Family of Events has risen to become one of the largest and most influential mass-participation runs on the West Coast, being ranked by Runners World Magazine as one of the top 20 marathons in the United States. In 1999, a Seattle Kids Marathon was added, which allows children of all ages to run a "full marathon" one mile at a time. 357 children participated the first year, and the event has grown to more than 2,500 in 2007, with over 3,000 expected in 2008. Through the years, Seattle Marathon runners have donated their money to the marathon's designated charities.

Growth

The growth of the Seattle Marathon and its ancillary events has been impressive in recent years. There has been steady growth year after year, and we expect this trend to continue. Over twelve thousand individuals participated in the running and walking events in 2007, and over 40,000 people passed through the UWMC Seattle Marathon EXPO 2007 in the two days leading up to the main event on Sunday morning. The geographical reach of the Seattle Marathon continues to grow year after year as well, with 47 states and 18 nations represented at the 2007 event. In the Seattle Kids Marathon, an impressive 55 different schools were represented. The Kids event has gained the attention of physical education instructors throughout the metropolitan and surrounding areas, and several school districts have begun to include the program in their overall curriculum. Additionally, we have had other groups such as the Girl Scouts participate in the program, as well as elementary school children from Montana and Colorado (running in their home states, as part of the Seattle Kids Marathon program).