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.…
Trail Racing is a huge culture in the Pacific Northwest, and why wouldn’t it be? There is no shortage of epic trails and majestic mountains surrounding us, and we are very fortunate to get to experience it. Go Beyond Racing gets that. This trail racing company is all about getting outside and finding beauty everywhere. Their races appear to be seamlessly organized consistently, so runners new to the trail race scene will be in good…
If you’ve run in McDonald Forest in Corvallis, you know the sweet single track trails that exist out there. The Condor 25K Trail Run uses a lot of the same trails as the Mac 50K, including all 4 new sections of Bonzai trail and the TnT trail, which will be in this year’s course. Back for its 9th year, the Condor 25K turns all proceeds back to trail building, which is quite evident in the…
The first thing that stands out to me in reading about the Smith Rock Ascent races is the lovely sense of humor by the race directors: “This race is a treat for your eyes, and for your legs.” Considering they are talking about a 50K with 4,100 feet of elevation gain, a 15-miler with over 3,000 feet of gain, and a 4-miler that goes over Misery Ridge… “Treat” isn’t the word my legs would be…
Welcome back to our newest preview feature, where we showcase race opportunities coming up next month. This weekend seems like it kickstarts racing season here in the PNW, as races start to come online a lot more – beginning NOW! Date Race Race Company Location Region Cost Registration Link Distances 2.26.22 Buck Mountain Mudslinger Trail Run Run Wild Adventures Silverton Mid-Valley $30 https://www.runwildadventures.com/register/ 6.6m 2.26.22 Kevin’s Cup X-Dog Events West Linn Greater Portland $29 https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=136303…
The Hardesty Hardcore, hosted by Level 32 Racing will be taking place on Saturday, September 4th. As in events past, there will be a 14 mile or 5.5 mile distance to choose from. The 14 mile distance is a great challenge on the beautiful trails near Oakridge. This run will start/finish at the Hardesty Trailhead and will take racers up 3,300 feet in the first 4.5 miles, then descending that same 3,300 feet for the…
The Smith Rock Ascent is on my bucket list. This is an epic race and a scenic landmark, and you can never go wrong with a Go Beyond Racing event. All of their events are among the most well-organized and beautiful I’ve done, and their volunteers always make me feel like a rockstar, no matter how tired I am when I huff up to the aid stations. This year, the Smith Rock Ascent will be…
The Smith Rock Ascent races have quickly been growing in popularity for numerous reasons. They have a distance for everyone, from the popular 50K to the less treacherous 4 miler. They even have a free kids run on both days (May 18-19). The 50K Starts at 8 AM on Saturday, May 1 while the 15 and 4 mile runs start at 8 AM and 8:30 AM respectively on Sunday, May 19th. As the name implies,…
Operation Jack Run Northwest is a “choose your own mileage” type of race. You can choose to run a short distance up to 13 miles, a half marathon, a “tweener” which is any distance between a half and 26 miles, a marathon or an ultra-marathon (anything over 26.2 miles). Steve Walters who is well known in the N.W. racing community and his Marathon Maniacs buddies are once again hosting this amazing event for autism awareness. If you are…
If you love a good challenge and trail running is your choice of course the Hardesty Hardcore is a great option. This event is the 4th event in the Run Big Trail Series and is hosted by Level 32 Racing LLC. The Hardesty Hardcore has two race options. The “hardcore”, which has a distance of 14 miles, starts with a climb of 3300 feet for the first 4.5 miles, then descends 3300 feet the following…
