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…
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…
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,…
Welcome to the latest in the Races on our Radar series, where we report on cool and/or low-cost races, group runs, price and registration deadlines, and other things we think you should know about it. We would like to you hear from you, too. If you’re in the know on a race that you think others need to check out, be sure to let us know with our contact form. Tell us what you love about…
Honestly, there are very few places on this earth that rival Smith Rock State Park for it beauty, scenery, rock formations and trail choices for hiking, biking and running. I am fortunate enough to call this place home and live a mere 5 minutes from the park, which comes in handy when I want to go for a long trail run. Before I get into the race itself, let me throw out a HUGE shout…
