Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
North Bend, WAJuly 24, 2027
At about mile 13 of Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon you run 2.4 miles through an unlit railroad tunnel, and the race requires every runner to carry a headlamp or a small flashlight to do it. The Snoqualmie Tunnel is the halfway point of the race, and it is also the hinge the whole day turns on.
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Everything before the tunnel is flat. Everything after it descends. The organizers describe the course as roughly 1,000 feet of net downhill with about 1,300 feet of sustained descent, all on the hard-packed gravel of the Palouse to Cascades trail, starting at Hyak up in the Washington Cascades and finishing down in North Bend.
303 days to race day
Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon · July 24, 2027 · about 43 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon 2027
Race day is July 24, 2027, which is 303 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart December 26, 2026
- 24-week buildStart February 6, 2027
- 18-week buildStart March 20, 2027
- 16-week buildStart April 3, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart May 1, 2027
You have about 43 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to July 24, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: flat to the tunnel, downhill after it
Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon starts at 6 a.m. at Hyak Sno Park in the Washington Cascades and finishes in North Bend. The organizers describe a flat first half, the 2.4-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel at roughly mile 13, then a steady runnable descent over the final 13 miles, on a USATF-certified course (WA26017RMB) they list at about 1,000 feet of net downhill.
The surface is hard-packed gravel rail-trail for the whole distance, wide, with minimal turns and nothing technical underfoot. The race recommends road shoes rather than trail shoes, calling trail shoes too rigid and unnecessary, and suggests gaiters if kicked-up gravel bothers you. Hydration stations come every 2 to 2.5 miles with water and sports drink.
The tunnel deserves its own plan. It is long, dark and unlit, and your light is mandatory. Runners can keep it afterward or donate it for future participants. Practically, you spend somewhere around 20 to 30 minutes running by a beam you are carrying, with your depth perception mostly gone, at exactly the moment the race changes from its flat half to its fast half.
How to train for Jack & Jill's
Training for Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon is a quad-durability project above everything else. A sustained descent over the final 13 miles will wreck legs that have only ever run flat, and the failure is not cardiovascular. You feel fine and simply cannot hold pace, usually somewhere after mile 20, because eccentric muscle damage has been accumulating since the tunnel.
Build the tolerance on purpose. Starting about eight weeks out, put 3 to 6 miles of gentle continuous downhill into a long run every week or two, at or slightly faster than goal pace, on a grade shallow enough that you are running rather than braking. Six to eight of those sessions before race day is the difference between a fast second half and a limp.
Two more specifics. Run some long runs on packed gravel so your feet and ankles get used to a surface that is firm but not asphalt. And do at least one pre-dawn run wearing the exact light you plan to carry, so you learn how your stride changes when you can only see twenty feet ahead. A 6 a.m. mountain start means you will be running in the dark regardless.
Getting in
The race typically sells out, so register early. It starts from Hyak Sno Park, and there is no shuttle to the marathon start: you drive yourself and park there, with buses running afterward from the finish back to the start. That logistics detail is worth planning around, because it means an early drive up into the mountains before a 6 a.m. gun.
Where does the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon get hard?
Miles 20 to 26, where the sustained descent stops feeling free and quads that have not trained downhill start refusing to hold pace.
What is the weather like at the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon?
Race day is late July with a start high in the Cascades and a finish well down in the valley, so expect a real temperature swing from start to finish. No verified race-morning temperature norms are available for this course, so plan on a cold dark wait at Hyak and warm running by the closing miles. Train with throwaway layers and a plan for shedding them.
Is the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Jack & Jill's is USATF certified and the organizers state it is Boston Marathon qualifying eligible, as well as an Abbott World Marathon Majors age group qualifier. Because it is a net downhill course, check the BAA's current rules on downhill courses before counting on a time from here for Boston registration. The BAA's own published policy is the only reliable source on that.
Is the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon a good first marathon?
This is a mixed choice for a first marathon. The surface is forgiving and the descent is genuinely fast, but a downhill course punishes untrained quads harder than a flat one does, and 2.4 miles of dark tunnel is a lot to handle on debut. If it is your first, treat downhill running as a required part of the plan rather than an optional extra.
Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon questions, answered.
Do you need a headlamp for Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon?
Yes, it is required. Every runner needs a headlamp or a small flashlight for the 2.4-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel, which is unlit. You reach it around mile 13, roughly halfway. After you come out the far side you can keep your light or donate it for future runners, and the race collects them there.
How much does Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon drop?
The organizers put it at roughly 1,000 feet of net downhill, with about 1,300 feet of sustained descent, on a USATF-certified course. The first half is flat, the tunnel comes near mile 13, and the final 13 miles descend steadily. It is a runnable grade rather than a steep one.
What shoes should you wear for Jack & Jill's?
Road shoes. The course is hard-packed gravel rail-trail, wide and not technical, and the race specifically advises against trail shoes as too rigid and unnecessary. Gaiters are optional if kicked-up gravel bothers you. Hydration stations with water and sports drink come every 2 to 2.5 miles.
Is Jack & Jill's a good first marathon?
Only with downhill-specific training behind you. The gravel surface is gentle and the grade is fast, but 13 miles of continuous descent takes apart quads that have not practiced it, and running 2.4 miles through a dark tunnel is a big ask on a debut. Experienced runners chasing a time get the most from it.
Where does the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon get hard?
Miles 20 to 26, where the sustained descent stops feeling free and quads that have not trained downhill start refusing to hold pace.
What is the weather like at the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon?
Race day is late July with a start high in the Cascades and a finish well down in the valley, so expect a real temperature swing from start to finish. No verified race-morning temperature norms are available for this course, so plan on a cold dark wait at Hyak and warm running by the closing miles. Train with throwaway layers and a plan for shedding them.
Is the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Jack & Jill's is USATF certified and the organizers state it is Boston Marathon qualifying eligible, as well as an Abbott World Marathon Majors age group qualifier. Because it is a net downhill course, check the BAA's current rules on downhill courses before counting on a time from here for Boston registration. The BAA's own published policy is the only reliable source on that.
Is the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon a good first marathon?
This is a mixed choice for a first marathon. The surface is forgiving and the descent is genuinely fast, but a downhill course punishes untrained quads harder than a flat one does, and 2.4 miles of dark tunnel is a lot to handle on debut. If it is your first, treat downhill running as a required part of the plan rather than an optional extra.
When should I start training for the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon 2027?
Race day is July 24, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around March 6, 2027, a 16-week build around April 3, 2027, and a 12-week build around May 1, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to July 24, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
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