Seattle Marathon News

February 14, 2012

UW Medicine Signs on for Seventh Year as Medical Sponsor of Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon

For the seventh consecutive year, UW Medicine has signed on as the medical sponsor of the Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon 2012 to be held Sunday, November 25, 2012, just east of the Experience Music Project on 5th Avenue between Harrison and Mercer Streets.

UW Medicine’s team of healthcare professionals will include physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and athletic trainers, who will be stationed along the course and at the finish line. Skilled in caring for endurance athletes, each team member will be on hand at medical tents designated with a large red cross and located next to water stations. Medic One paramedics also will roam the course on bikes in between the medical stations, and HAM radio operators along the course will have a direct line to the main medical facility at the finish to assist in getting on-course medical care or in providing transportation for those in need. After crossing the finish line, marathoners can head inside the Victory Recovery Area for less acute medical needs and to rehydrate.

This year’s marathon also marks the 12th anniversary of UW Medical Center’s (UWMC’s) sponsorship of Team Transplant, a group of UWMC organ transplant recipients, faculty physicians, staff, family and friends who have participated in the Seattle Marathon since 2001 to raise awareness about organ donation. The team was founded and is coached by Alysun Deckert, a UWMC dietitian and past Olympic trials qualifier. UW Medicine has been a leader in organ transplantation in the Northwest for more than 40 years. The first kidney transplant in the region took place at UW Medical Center in 1968, the first heart transplant in 1985, and the first liver transplant in 1990. It is the only medical center in Western Washington to perform adult heart, liver and lung transplants.

From its beginnings in 1970 when a group of friends from the University of Washington decided to hold their own marathon, the Seattle Marathon Family of Events has grown into the largest combination marathon/half marathon in the Northwest and one of the top ten largest in the U.S. That first marathon 42 years ago sported 38 runners. This year, more than 17,000 participants are expected for the marathon and half marathon walking and running events.

To learn more, or to sign up to run, walk or volunteer, visit www.seattlemarathon.org.

About UW Medicine

UW Medicine trains health professionals and medical scientists, conducts research to improve health and prevent disease worldwide, and provides primary and specialty care to patients throughout Seattle/King County and the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region. UW Medicine includes: Harborview Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, UW Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest. UW Medicine also shares in the ownership and governance of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance with Seattle Children’s Hospital and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and in the ownership of Children’s University Medical Group with Seattle Children’s Hospital. UW Medicine has major academic and service affiliations with Seattle Children’s Hospital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Veteran’s Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, and the VA Hospital in Boise, Idaho.

To learn more, visit www.uwmedicine.org.