PORT ANGELES — The special weekends just keep on coming in the area as the Juan de Fuca Festival, Memorial Day weekend and the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s Halibut Derby all were held last weekend.
And now this weekend is the ever-popular North Olympic Discovery Marathon, which attracts thousands of visitors from around the country as well as Canada to the North Olympic Peninsula.
But don’t forget that online registration for the marathon ends at noon today at www.nodm.com.
Festivities begin Saturday and really get into a full run, ignore the pun, Sunday.
Saturday’s events include packet pick-up, race expo, talks on insider’s racecourse preview and how to prevent running injuries, a kids marathon, pre-race yoga class and a pre-race pasta dinner.
Most events will be at the Red Lion Hotel in Port Angeles on Saturday.
Packet pick-up is from noon to 6 p.m., the same time as race expo, both at the hotel.
At the expo, sponsors and vendors are lined up to bring race participants items for purchase, visitor information and health and fitness information.
Some of the vendors include running apparel; women’s active wear; Olympic National Park visitor and park information, and Elwha dam restoration project; cardiac services; running apparel with fun themes; Seattle Marathon running events; wine tasting and kayak and mountain bike tours; Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce visitor information; and physical therapy.
The Insider’s Racecourse Preview is at 2 p.m. in the hotel lounge, and the How to Prevent Running Injuries is at 3:30 p.m. in the hotel lounge.
The race expo and the two talks are open to the public as well as to registered runners.
The Kids Marathon, the final 1.2 miles of their 26.2-mile marathon (worked on during the past 10 weeks or so), is set for 4 p.m. at City Pier.
A pre-race yoga class is set for the Clallam County Family YMCA, 302 S. Francis St., at 5 p.m. Runners should bring identification, race bib, yoga mat, water and a blanket.
Saturday’s finale will be the Sons of Italy pasta dinner at Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 209 W. 11th St.) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The dinner is open to the public, and a limited number of tickets are available at the door.
Then the real action starts Sunday.
The 26.2-mile marathon starts at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim. The marathon walk starts at 7 a.m. with the full marathon and marathon relay races begin at 9 a.m. at the same site.
The 13.1-mile half marathon starts at 9 a.m. at the Agnew Soccer Fields between Port Angeles and Sequim.
All events end at City Pier in Port Angeles.
The 12th annual Olympic Medical Center’s 10-kilometer and 5K races start at 9 a.m. at City Pier.