Leavenworth Marathon named Washington’s best marathon in 2025 ‘Runners Choice’ Awards

LEAVENWORTH — The Leavenworth Marathon has been named Washington state’s top marathon in RaceRaves’ 2025 “Runners Choice” awards.

The ‘Runners Choice: Best Marathons in the U.S.’ poll was put together by RaceRaves, an online race finder and reviews community for runners and endurance athletes worldwide. Its annual Best Marathons in the U.S. guide aims to help both first-timers and seasoned marathoners discover standout events across the country. 

“The ‘Best Marathons in the U.S.’ campaign reflects our passion for the sport and our commitment to helping runners discover outstanding events,” said Mike Sohaskey, Co-founder of RaceRaves. “We congratulate TedDriven and the Leavenworth Marathon on this well-deserved honor.”

The Leavenworth Marathon and Half Marathon are organized by TedDriven, a social-benefit organization that supports local initiatives and cancer research through running and cycling events across North Central Washington. Since 2005, the race has been an annual fixture for the first weekend of Leavenworth Oktoberfest.

The Leavenworth Marathon and Half Marathon benefit local nonprofits while also raising funds for cancer research and community initiatives, including the Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University.

“The Leavenworth Marathon is truly a special event in an extraordinary place of natural beauty, and this award is a tremendous honor for our athletes, volunteers, and the entire Leavenworth community,” said Ian Crossland, Race Director for TedDriven. “We’re deeply grateful to our partners, sponsors, and participants. They’re the heart of this race and the reason we’re able to continue supporting cutting-edge cancer research and local organizations year after year.”

The winners were determined by votes from runners across the country, which were combined with ratings and reviews on RaceRaves.com. According to the organizer, common traits among the winners include outstanding organization and race-day support, energetic community engagement, and memorable courses that showcase regional scenery and local spirit.

The 2025 marathon marked the second year of its new course, which takes runners through wilderness areas, alongside river trails, and through scenic town parks. The USATF-certified, Boston-qualifying (BQ) course features 10 miles of downhill through Icicle Canyon before leveling off for a scenic two-loop tour along riverfront parks and mountain vistas. 

Registration is now open for the 2026 Leavenworth Marathon & Half Marathon on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, and welcomes runners of all abilities. For details and registration, visit teddriven.com. For a complete list of state winners, organized by state and by month with detailed race profiles, visit RaceRaves.com.