King’s Mountain is one of those hikes that has a pretty simple formula: climb a whole lot, question some of your life choices along the way, and then feel pretty darn good when you finally reach the top. Add Elk Mountain to the equation and things get even more interesting.
That’s part of what made Elk-Kings Trail Races such a fun addition to the Oregon trail racing calendar. When Go Beyond Racing first put together a race covering both Elk and King’s Mountains, it seemed like the kind of event that was destined to become a Tillamook Forest classic. And then, after the 2023 event, it went away.
Our preview of the 2023 Elk-Kings was actually our final one for the race, as Go Beyond Racing semi-retired the event to make room in its schedule for the Oregon 200. Apparently, however, the runners had some feelings about that decision. Go Beyond says they heard from plenty of people who wanted Elk-Kings back, and in 2026, the race is returning to the Tillamook Forest.
And it’s coming back with some changes.
The 2026 Elk-Kings Trail Races take place Saturday, October 17, with the original 25K and 50K options joined by a brand-new 11-mile point-to-point race.
Check out our 2018 review of this distance. It may be a different course now, but you can get a little bit of flavor of the challenge of both the 50k distance and the 25k technicality in it.
50k
The 50K is different this year, although not entirely by choice. A landslide at the western end of the Wilson River Trail has forced Go Beyond to modify the course.
Instead of starting at the western terminus as originally planned, runners will start at the Footbridge Trailhead and head east along the Wilson River Trail, continuing past the usual turnaround at Elk Creek to a new turnaround at the currently official end of the trail.
From there, runners turn around, retrace their route and eventually peel off toward the Smith Homestead finish.
There is one other notable difference: despite the name, the 2026 50K does not summit Elk or King’s Mountains. The course is primarily Wilson River Trail running with a mixture of smoother dirt and rockier sections, and Go Beyond lists approximately 6,400 feet of total gain and loss.
So while the 50K is still very much a 50K in the Tillamook Forest, it isn’t the same mountain-heavy adventure you may remember from previous editions.
25k
The 25K remains the big attraction for anyone who looks at a normal trail race and thinks, “Yeah, but what if we made this considerably harder?”
The course heads up Elk Mountain, where runners will encounter steep, technical terrain that may require using your hands to help scramble toward the summit. From there, it’s on to King’s Mountain before beginning the quad-busting descent and eventual run along the Wilson River Trail to the finish.
Go Beyond is pretty straightforward about this one: the 25K is technical and includes exposure, so this isn’t necessarily the race for someone who prefers their trail running to be wide, smooth and comfortably close to the ground.
The scenery, however, should be classic Tillamook Forest. We’re talking towering trees, giant ferns, rocky mountains and plenty of lush green forest, with the added bonus of fall colors showing up around race day.
11-Miler
The biggest addition for 2026 might actually be the race that doesn’t climb either mountain.
The new 11-mile course starts with the 25K runners at Elk Creek, but rather than heading up Elk Mountain with them, 11-mile runners stay on the Wilson River Trail for the entire race. It’s a point-to-point route that heads west toward the Smith Homestead, where everyone eventually finishes.
You get to spend 11 miles running through the Tillamook Forest without taking on the exposure and technical mountain scrambling of the 25K, while also avoiding the commitment of a 50K. There is still some climbing involved — Go Beyond lists about 2,100 feet of gain and 2,400 feet of loss — but it is a very different proposition from climbing both Elk and King’s.
For anyone who has looked at Elk-Kings in the past and thought, “That sounds awesome, but maybe not that awesome,” (ahem – me) this could be the ticket.
There’s a reason Go Beyond calls Elk-Kings the “OG Tillamook Forest Race.” These events date back 13 years and were among the first trail races in this part of the Coast Range.
For those of us who have been around the Oregon running scene for a while, it’s pretty cool to see a race return after a few years away. And judging by Go Beyond’s explanation for bringing it back, this isn’t just a race that the organizers missed. The runners apparently missed it, too.
Whether you’re looking for the full two-mountain experience, a challenging but less exposed 11-mile forest adventure, or a long day on the Wilson River Trail, there are now three pretty distinct ways to get out into the Tillamook Forest with Go Beyond.
