Once upon a time, the Smith Rock Ascent, from Go Beyond Racing, took place in June. Then in 2015 it moved to May. I remember this well because it was the same weekend as Mother’s Day. I volunteered on Saturday and then went on a family hike the next.
Ryan Kaiser, Chris Patterson, and Rob Russell duked it out, with all 3 going under course record time. Ryan’s time still stands as the 4th fastest. It was an epic battle.
Over the last several years, the Ascent has become a favorite, growing in popularity and scale. At the same time, the Smith Rock area has seen exponential growth, forcing Go Beyond to adjust their event dates, as well as scale the event back to the 50K and 15 mile distances only.
As for the race itself, the 50K is a mix of single track and dirt road, with ~4,800 feet of gain. The 15 miler runs on similar terrain, with ~3,000 feet of vert. Both races feature views of Smith Rock, which will keep you coming back for years.
As of the writing of this post, the 15 miler is sold out and there aren’t many spots left for the 50K. Checking out the entrants list, the 50K is again stacked with solid talent, and it will be fun to see who rises to the top of the rock.
Smith Rock Ascent $125
Details:
When: Saturday, April 8th. 50K starts at 7:30am. The 15 miler starts at 8:30. There is a free kids race that starts at 9
Where: Smith Rock State Park – Terrebonne, OR
Cost/Register: 50K = $125. 15 miler = $105 (currently sold out, but there is a wait list).
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