About the race
The Great Ferry Race is a half marathon unlike any other race you’ve ever done. Participants walk onto the ferry in downtown Seattle, enjoy the scenic 35 minute crossing to Bainbridge Island, and then assemble on the car deck and walk off.
The race starts on the ferry dock and takes runners all around scenic Bainbridge Island. The course is approximately 2/3rds road and 1/3rd groomed trail. After the run, enjoy the post-race festival before picking a return ferry of your choosing back to Seattle.
The Course
This is a pretty unique course. Not only does it start by walking off a ferry, it is a great blend of road and (tame) trail running. It is about 3/4 on road and 1/4 on trail, taking runners all around scenic Bainbridge Island and through the Grand Forest and Battle Point Park.
There is about 1400 feet of elevation gain on this course, so it is not a personal-best day — it is a day out on one of the prettiest islands in the Sound.
All Orca races are cupless — bring a handheld or grab a small reusable folding cup at the start.
Entry
Race morning, from 6:30am — if you are riding the ferry — Orca Running table, Seattle Ferry Terminal
Race morning, from 7:45am — if you are not riding the ferry — Orca Running table, just outside the Winslow Ferry Terminal
There are 5 aid stations evenly spaced throughout the course, supplied with water, GU gels and Tailwind Electrolytes. We recommend you also carry a handheld bottle or a hydration pack — or we can provide you with a small reusable cup that folds easily into your waistband.
Free gear check is included with your entry. If you are riding the ferry, drop your bag on the vehicle deck before disembarking — look for the WHITE SLUG VAN (not kidding), a white van with slugs on it, on the car deck. Be sure to drop your bag off while the ferry is still sailing. Participants not riding the ferry can drop their bags at the registration tent at the Winslow Ferry Terminal. Gear check bags are not included, so bring a suitable bag or sack of your own. Collect your bag at the finish line at the 10x10 Orca Running booth.
Overall awards go to the top 3 male, female and non-binary runners on gun time rather than chip time, so start near the front. Age group awards are given in 5-year increments. Awards are not mailed after the race and must be picked up on the day.
Getting there is half the race. Participants walk onto the ferry in downtown Seattle and enjoy the scenic 35 minute crossing to Bainbridge Island.
Race morning: Orca Running staff are at the Seattle Ferry Terminal from 6:30am to answer questions and hand out bibs and ferry tickets. The ferry departs downtown Seattle at 7:55am — plan on long lines and give yourself plenty of time. Drop your gear check bag on the vehicle deck at 8:00am, while the ferry is still sailing.
The ferry arrives at Bainbridge Island at 8:30am and cars begin disembarking. At 8:35am runners assemble on the car deck and walk off, and the race starts at about 8:37am right there on the dock.
Your outbound ferry ticket comes with your bib at the Orca Running table at the Seattle Ferry Terminal. If you are not riding the ferry over, Orca Running staff are at the Winslow Ferry Terminal from 7:45am with bibs and gear check.
Getting home: you do NOT need a ferry ticket to walk onto the ferry returning to Seattle, so after the post-race festival you can pick whichever return sailing suits you.
Seattle: participants should seek out on-street parking in downtown Seattle. There is an interactive downtown parking map at downtownseattle.org with rates and locations.
Bainbridge Island: if you are starting on the island rather than riding the ferry over, there is on-street parking in and around downtown, and a paid parking lot at the Winslow Ferry Terminal.
If you are making a weekend of it on Bainbridge Island, we recommend The Marshall Suites or The Quality Inn.
Where your entry goes
The Snake River Savers is a group of volunteers located in the Pacific Northwest. Our mission is to use grassroots tactics to mobilize constituents in Washington, Oregon and Idaho to convince their legislators to support the breaching of the lower Snake River dams. This is the single most impactful way to restore Chinook salmon runs in the Columbia River Basin and stop the population decline of Southern Resident Orcas.
KIC began in 2010 with a dozen students playing paper violins and has grown into a string, percussion, and choir program serving over 75 students from diverse communities across north Kitsap County. Over 50% of our students identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. Our program currently operates out of West Sound Academy in Poulsbo, within the Port Madison Reservation of the Suquamish Tribe of Indians. We are proud to be a partner of the Suquamish Tribe and are grateful for their support of our program.
Since 1962, BYS has fostered connections through a diverse array of programs and services, engaging youth to enhance their relationships with themselves, their families, and communities. Our mission at BYS is to provide support, education, and resources for youth and their families.
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Good to Know
The fine print
We have a clear set of policies that we uniformly follow for all races. Entries are not refundable, but you can defer your entry, transfer it to another race, or transfer it to another participant. You can review our full set of policies here.
There are no higher stakes than being kind to the earth; we care deeply about keeping our planet viable for the next generation. To that end, we organize our events with an eye towards minimizing our impact on the planet. Read more here.
If you have a suggestion or idea for how we can improve our events in this regard, please let us know!
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