Velodrama

Seattlest recognizes that humans are strangely drawn to track sports: horses, chariots, cars, hell even skinny little dogs chasing fake bunnies. We recommend that you suspend your worrying about the NASCAR drama, and instead visit the only velodrome in the state of Washington to satiate your desire to watch the same thing over and over again.

The Group Health Velodrome in Marymoor Park offers the chance to chase a bunch of other fit people, all clad in lycra, around and around and around. Starting officially in June, the Marymoor Velodrome Organization puts on a set of regular racing series, which are surprisingly entertaining to watch.

Unlike traditional road races, which span large distances allowing spectators to see only tiny slivers of the action, a velodrome packs it all into one small space where you can watch everything. Accordingly, the opportunity for drama is high, including photo finishes, lots of bumping around like short track skating, and the occasionally spectacular crash. So if you're not trying to do your best George Hincapie impersonation and aren't interested in actually racing, bring yourself or the whole family out for an evening picnic to kick off the weekend at the Friday night race series.

Pre-season races start on April 28th, and are free for spectators. The full season runs from June 2 to September 1, and spectator admission is only $4 (kids under 16 get in for free). Racing starts at 7:30 and typically ends around 9:30. For the dedicated track voyeur, the Marymoor Velodrome Association is offering a Season Pass for spectators at the low low price of $35, covering all 14 Friday night races for a discount of $21. [Note: We'd like to link you to the page about tickets and season passes on the Velodrome site, but they use frames like they're going out of style. Wait, they already have.]