Bellevue Races to the Finish Line with Rock 'n' Roll Running Series

December 15, 2021 - by Sandy Vo

Bellevue Races to the Finish Line with Rock 'n' Roll Running Series

After a three-year hiatus, St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Running Series is back in the Pacific Northwest over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4, 2022. They've returned with an all-new date and all-new course right in the Heart of Bellevue.

Runners from all around the world will experience what Downtown Bellevue has to offer, starting at the Downtown Park and racing through streets with beautiful views of Lake Washington, unique neighborhoods and vibrant art and culture all around. The course features a half marathon, 5K run, a kid’s course with entertainment at every mile and a finale festival at the finish line. Pre-registration for the 2022 Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series opened on Wednesday, Dec. 15 with a 24-hour sale featuring the best prices of the season.

Many prominent organizations, notably Visit Bellevue, played a role in bringing Rock ‘n’ Roll to Bellevue. Visit Bellevue’s Executive Director Brad Jones saw Rock ‘n’ Roll as the perfect event to spotlight the city and most importantly, community pride. With a mission to stimulate economic growth and development in Bellevue’s visitor economy, Jones is looking forward to an event that will inspire a memorable visitor experience.

“We’re amplifying who we are as a downtown to the world by bringing this event to our city and partnering with a great organization like St. Jude,” Jones said. “We’re a community who helps others and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

Jones estimates roughly 10,000 local and regional participants in next year’s event, boosting Bellevue’s transportation, hospitality and tourism significantly. According to Jones, festivals and events are a big part of Bellevue’s future, and are essential as Bellevue rapidly grows.

“When we have an event this big, we expect people who have never stepped foot in Bellevue before. We hope when they visit, they’ll have a wonderful experience that’s so great they end up coming back for vacation or just to explore the city more,” he said.

Events are just one significant part of Visit Bellevue’s Destination Development Plan, a project to improve Bellevue’s ability to attract visitors, conventioneers and new businesses to the market by enhancing the city experience overall.

“In 2022, you’re going to see a ton more branding and marketing communication from us as we tell the story of a visitor’s experience and what we represent,” Jones said. “ It all goes back to community pride. Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series will only exemplify that.”

To learn more about Rock ‘n’ Running Series visit their website and be on the lookout for what's coming.

Images courtesy of: Rock 'N' Roll Running Series

This blog is part of the Heart of Bellevue: our campaign to showcase local businesses while connecting you with stories of activity, creativity and recovery. Find out about our campaign and explore more of what’s happening around Downtown.