Olympia Lakefair Races - Half Marathon, 8K & 3K

Olympia Lakefair Races - Half Marathon, 8K & 3K

Race Date

Jul 18, 2026

Location

Olympia, WA

The Experience

2026 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Olympia Lakefair Races, which include the Jerry Miller Half Marathon, an 8K and a 3K including free entry for Kids 14 and under; taking runners on routes that circle around the town of Olympia and beyond into Tumwater and Thurston County. Both the 3K and 8K start and finish on 5th Avenue in front of Heritage Park.  They both circle Capitol Lake, with the 8K continuing into Tumwater Historical Park before returning. Both are flat and fast courses.  The Jerry Miller Half Marathon heads briefly through downtown Olympia, then along the Woodland Trial and Chehalis Western Trail biking paths.  The course continues on rural streets and a short trail and tour of Squaxin Park before heading back along East Bay Drive and running through downtown Olympia to the finish line in front of Heritage Park.  Runners will enjoy tree-lined trails and scenic landscapes while enjoying flat and narrow paved trails throughout. Once runners have completed the course, there is an awards ceremony with several raffle awards as well as age group award up to 90+ for all three races.  Participants, family and friends can then enjoy festival activities that are held all around Heritage Park including food and beer tents, carnival rides, booths, a parade and more.   The Valley Athletic Club is proud to be the 2026 Presenting Sponsor.  The Olympia Lakefair Races are brought to you by the Lake Run Organization and the Rotary Club of Olympia, and benefit local public High School Cross Country and Track programs and Rotary Club of Olympia Scholarship and Grant recipients. See you July 18, 2026!

Logistics

Race Day

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Start Time

7:00 AM

Giveaway

T-Shirt

Start Location

399 5th Ave SW, Olympia, WA, 98501

Directions

Course Info

USATF Certified

Course Type

Loop Course

Terrain

road

Difficulty

Ultra-Flat

Net Drop/km

0 m (Flat)

Separation

0.3%

Also Offers

8K3K

USATF Certified Course

WA16015RMB · Expires 2026 · Lakefair Half Marathon

Relatively flat with minimal net elevation change. Loop course — start and finish are close together.

Historical Performance

Median Finish

2:08:19

9:48/mi

Winning Time

1:10:47

5:24/mi

Finishers (2025)

293

States Represented

18 / 50

Gender Split

54% Female46% Male

Finish Time Distribution

1:103:50

FASTER 25%

1:51:44

MEDIAN

2:08:19

SLOWER 25%

2:26:29

Average runner age: 41

Race Day Weather

5-year historical avg

Start (Low)

55°

Afternoon (High)

80°

Warm — hydration strategy is key, start conservatively

0.0"

Precipitation

9 mph

Wind

66%

Humidity

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