I couldn’t agree more with many of the runners I met concerning the Whidbey Island Marathon. I’ve finished all seven of them and it simply wasn’t the same fun marathon this year, not because of a little confusion as to the route, but because of the finish.

To not end in a beautiful pristine park on the cove at Coupeville was to me just crazy. Those cold, hard metal seats in an impersonal stadium just can’t compare to friends and loved ones relaxing in the lush green grass of the park, waiting for that special someone to come across the finish line.

Also, Fort Nugent and Swantown roads are no match either compared to Scenic Heights Road and Madrona Way, where a runner can whittle away the miles mesmerized by the beauty of the water and mountain scenery.

If we’re going to entice runners to come here with our beautiful scenery, then let’s give them the very best of it. And that also means starting at Pass Lake so we can again run across the Deception Pass Bridge. What inspiration to start a marathon! Let the race begin.

Dale Folkestad

Coupeville