Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon, Seattle

In 1970, a group of friends from the University of Washington decided to hold their own running event: 38 of them participated, and 31 completed the full 26.2 miles that compose a marathon. It was a humble genesis for the Seattle Marathon, which has steadily grown into one of the largest and longest- running nonprofit marathon events in the Pacific Northwest. This year, thousands of participants will descend upon the Emerald City from all 50 states and even from beyond American borders when the marathon goes back to its UW roots, starting and finishing on the UW Campus at iconic Husky Stadium. The Seattle Marathon Association (SMA) nurtures the event's year-to-year success. Governed by a board of directors, this nonprofit organization strives to hold the best race possible—for the runners, sure, but also for the sponsors and local economy. That's part of the reason why each event's course—be it the full marathon in November or the Summer 10K—takes into account space for spectators, who can watch the race at several viewing posts in case they can't manage to sling a saddle over the back of a transport bird.