A trio of Pierce County treasures made news this week. First up: The Tacoma Marathon!

Why Run It: Nearly a third of this point-to-point course is along the city’s waterfront, including a one-mile stretch across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. After winding through neighborhoods in Tacoma’s North End, runners head to Point Defiance, a 760-acre park with views of Puget Sound, the peninsula, and some nearby islands. The rest of the race follows along Tacoma’s waterfront, where runners get spectacular views of Mt. Rainier, then along Commencement Bay before finishing at the Tacoma Art Museum.

Read more here in Runner’s World.

U.S. News & World Report highlighted Pierce County’s educational prowess.

Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma graded out 15th among regional universities in the West in the national media company’s ranking… PLU was also ranked sixth as a “best value” school in the West region — based on a calculation to determine schools giving the highest quality of education at the lowest net cost of attendance.

University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, in a separate category because of its status as a liberal arts college, was ranked 70th among such schools nationally and seventh in the category among the best colleges for veterans.

Read more here in the Business Examiner.

Finally, ABC News pointed out Gig Harbor’s charm.

This waterfront town was chosen by Smithsonian magazine as the fifth best small town in the country.

Read more here.