If you love the challenge of hills, the Firelane Trail Trial might be the race that makes you question why. Last year, Go Beyond Racing debuted this challenging event, and it’s back again on May 2nd!!
The route is not terribly long – 4.45 miles to be exact – but you’ll get 1,266 feet of total gain and loss along the course. This time trail takes you up and down Firelane 1 in Forest Park, and if you are at all familiar with this trail, you know you’re in for some burning quads and calves.
Like with all time trials, the fastest runner wins this race, though you won’t know where you stand immediately after you finish due to wave starts and assigned time slots. Groups of 12 runners will take off every 10 minutes, and you’ll be tasked with running all the way to the top of Firelane 1 before you tag the gate, wave to the live-feed camera, and head back down to where you started.
Once you finish this epic feat, head to Great Notion Brewing on NW 28th (4 minutes away!) where you’ll join your fellow racers and spectators to watch the live feed of the race and to see how you did. The livestream party starts at 11:00AM and you’ll watch your fellow runners at the top of Fireline 1 and check out the live results rolling throughout the party.
Beverages will be provided, and there will be a pizza buffet. You’ll get the chance to hang out in the back of the brewery, right where the brewing happens, and soak in the runner’s community vibe because that’s what being a runner is all about. If you plan to take it a bit slower for this race, consider choosing an earlier time slot so you can be finished and at the brewery by 1:00PM for the results!
There are only about 20 parking spots located at the Firelane 1 trailhead, and there will be some spots in front of the Finity Productions warehouse (4307 NW St. Helens Rd, 2 doors down,) available also.
There is some parking on the streets nearby, but please consider carpooling, taking public transit, or parking around Great Notion and walk/running to the trailhead as a 1.8 mile warmup/cooldown to alleviate parking congestion. It’s also recommended that you head to Great Notion as soon as you can after your race since you’re planning to hang out there anyway.
There are only 144 spots available for this race, so consider registering ASAP. There will be a Season Kickoff party as well and everyone is invited whether you are running in the event or not. This is what trail running is all about and it’s a great way to kick off summer racing season!
Firelane Trail Trial $55
Details
- When: May 2nd, 2026 (waves from 10AM to 12PM)
- Where: Forest Park, Firelane 1 lower trailhead, near 4332 NW St. Helens Road, Portland. Post race location is Great Notion Brewing, 2444 NW 28th Ave, Portland (1.8-miles away)
- Packet Pick-Up: Runners will pick up their bib at the start. There will be no day of race registration.
