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SEATTLE RUNNING ROUTES:

AMGEN HELIX TO WATERFRONT

This loop starts at the Amgen Helix pedestrian bridge located at the intersection of Elliot Ave W and W Prospect St. This is one of Seattle’s hidden architectural gems as it was designed after the double helix structure of human DNA. This is fitting as Amgen is a biotech company and this bridge links its campus and the Elliot Bay trail to Elliot Ave W. The run starts with the Sound on your right and views of the city ahead of you. At the midway point is the Father and Son fountain located at the end of Sculpture Park. After running around this piece you head back down the path you came from with the Sound on your left and beautiful views of the Olympics ahead.

This is an easy, flat, 2.62 mile run. Something to be aware of is that is can get BUSY! Its beauty is well known so on sunny weekends be aware of sightseeing tourists. Another note, stick to the pedestrian path which is the one nearest the water, the other is the bike trail. By doing this you can avoid unwanted near misses with cyclists.

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

There is limited parking near the Blue Sky Cleaners building.

  • From downtown follow Western Ave until it joins and becomes Elliot Ave W. From this merger, the bridge is ¾ mile north, on the left side of the road.

  • From Lower Queen Anne, follow W Mercer St. west until it turns into W Mercer Pl and then merges with Elliot Ave W. From here the bridge is 0.2 miles north and on the left side of the road.

  • From Ballard, drive south on Elliot Ave W and you will find the bridge on the right side of the road a little less than a half mile after passing under the Magnolia Bridge.

 

RECOMMENDED WORKOUT:

 

Because of its flat nature this path is a good one to be used for Fartlek training. Fartlek’s are a fun way to mix up an ordinary run with changes in speed by alternating through difficult, moderate, and easy efforts. This type of running is unplanned and unstructured, go out and pick a land mark such as a tree in the distance and decide to run at full effort until you reach it. Once you’re there slow it down to a medium or easy pace to recover and then do it all over again. This can be particularly fun when running with a partner or group as you can pick a land mark and everyone can race to get to it first.

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