The 2011 Rainshadow Running Highlights Slideshow

Registration Opening Soon for Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k

Registration for Yakima Skyline Rim 50k and 25k will open Thursday at 11am(PST) at  https://databarevents.com/yakimasky.asp


Yes that man is not wearing a shirt. Yes that is the Sun shining on his body. Yes this race is in Washington State. Yes you really should do this race!

photo credit: Glenn Tachiyama

Rainshadow Running Asks for Your Help!

The State of Washington is about to layoff 160 full time year round State Parks employees. This will probably have a negative effect on the races we hold on state park lands(Orcas, Beacon Rock, Mt Spokane and Deception Pass) and will possibly result in us not being able to hold those races in the future. 

Tell the Park Commisioners to delay the job cuts to give our legislature time to come up with an alternate plan: http://takeaction.wfse.org/

Thanks for your help!

Deception Pass 50k and 25k Results Posted

The results for the first annual Deception Pass 50k/25k are now posted: http://deceptionpass50.blogspot.com/p/results.html

photo by andrew fast. (more to come later...)

After 4 sold out races in a row Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k up next

Registration for the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k should open sometime in the next 1-3 weeks. Stay tuned this race sold out in 2011 and will probably sell out again in 2012.

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k Results

The Results for the 5k are now posted: Click here.

Reminder: Gorge Waterfalls 50k Registraion Opens Wednesday

The registration will open at 8am(PST) Wednesday November 30th at www.databarevents.com

I expect this race will sell out fast(maybe that day or maybe in a week or two).

More details about the race which will be on Sunday March 25th can be found at: http://gorgewaterfalls50k.blogspot.com/

Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k (updated)

2nd Annual Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and 1k 

This fun and low key race is part of the weekend long Christmas at the End of the Road celebration in which the town turns on the christmas lights for the first time of the year and includes the very popular fireworks, holiday shopping, food, music, santa, wagon rides, caroling, and much more! Come prepared for any weather and road conditions including snow and ice. 

Date: Saturday November 26 2011

Time: 1pm

Location: Winthrop, Wa. Runner check-in at the Winthrop Ice Rink. Start/Finish at the brand new Spring Creek Pedestrian Bridge.  

Cost:

5k: $10 with donation of canned or other non-perishable foods for The Cove Food Bank.

1k Fun Run: Free and is intended for kids(and kids at heart) of all ages (no timing and no need to register)

Shirt: For an additional $10 you can get a commemorative short sleeve t-shirt. gender specific or kids sizes available. There will be a very limited number of shirts so it will be first come first serve(except for the runners who pre-register before November 15th who will be guaranteed a shirt if they want one.) 

Register: At www.databarevents.com
Online registration ends November 25th at 3pm. Race day registration starts at noon.  

Course: The entire course is within town limits running almost entirely on residential streets with very little vehicle traffic. The course will have lots of turns and a couple short but steep hills and will not be USATF certified. The course may (but hopefully not) have snow or ice on it and runners should be prepared for any weather conditions. This is not a fast course. 


The 5k Course will start and finish by going across the brand new Spring Creek Pedestrian Bridge by the Winthrop Ice Rink. After crossing the bridge the runners will turn right onto Riverside Ave., go under the Hwy 20/Methow River Bridge on the short(~50yards) pedestrian trail to connect to Main St, turn left onto Washington St., which becomes Filer Ave., right onto Castle Ave, right onto Bridge St., right onto Englar St, right onto Corral St., Left back onto Castle Ave and from here the runners will return to the Winthrop Ice Rink the same way the came(via Filer Ave, Washington St., Main St. and Riverside Ave.).      

Contact Info: james@rainshadowrunning.com 509.846.5019

What do the Mayans, the Romans and Rainshadow Running have in common?

Answer: we all have our own calendars. 

Tentative 2012 Rainshadow Running Race Schedule

I'm only in beginning of the process of obtaining the permits for these races so it is possible(but unlikely) that a race or two will have the date changed but I know a lot of you are trying to figure out your plans for next year already so I thought I'd share what I'm working on. Other than the Orcas Races (which are already sold out) I have not updated the websites yet and I'm still not sure when registration will open(Gorge Waterfalls 50k will be the next to open and it will hopefully happen sometime before mid November).

Here are the dates* for the 2012 races:


Jan-28 Orcas Island 25K
Feb-4 Orcas Island 50K
Mar-25* Gorge Waterfalls 50K
Apr-21* Yakima Skiyline Rim 50K/25K
May-20* Sun Mountain 50M/50K/25K
Jun-10* Winthrop 26.2/13.1
Jun-17* Beacon Rock 50K/25K
Aug-11* Angels Staircase 50M/50K/25K
Sep-8* North Cascades PCT 100K
Sep-15* Cle Elum 50K/25K
Oct-6* Mt. Spokane 50K/25K
Dec-8* Deception Pass 50K/25K

* Dates are tentative so don't book that flight just yet! I hope to firm up all the dates by the end of November and some of them will probably be firmed up much sooner. Stay tuned....

To make sure you get all the latest info you have a variety of options:

       Twitter     Facebook      Follow Blog      Email List

Deception Pass 50k and 25k Now Sold Out

Sorry if you missed out on this first year race, apparently it was even more popular than we thought it would be. There will be no waiting list-- the race has actually been overfilled with the expectation that about 10% will not show up on race day which will get us down to our limit of 200 runners. 

Stay tuned for the announcement of our 2012 race calendar and the opening of some of those races(most of which are expected to sell out very quickly). To make sure you get the announcement you have a variety of options:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Rainshadowrun

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rainshadowrunning

follow blog: http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/rainshadow_running/popup 

email list: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001K_4EBhhTrxQKnXBRkxszKBdCCMxUSyVwcdV2H3la7k00GYkmtu3REcPcTMgKqpWtSNYSYGXZrBOAmdQlhzQWKVRhqr5tqF-1

Thanks Everyone for your support!

Deception Pass Almost Full!

As of 2:41pm 10/19/11 there are only 19 spots left! To sign up go to www.databarevents.com asap!

cover shoot!

this is on the gorge waterfalls 50k course last winter. it's funny they chose this photo that doesn't show any of the water falls or the super crazy icicles. scroll down to see some of the photos that didn't "make the cut" for the magazine. all photos courtesy glenn tachiyama please respect his right and don't use them without permission!

Deception Pass 50k and 25k

I know a lot of you have been waiting for quite a while to sign up for this race but you'll have to wait a couple more days...

The website is totally set up now at: http://deceptionpass50.blogspot.com/ and the registration should be set up on www.databarevents.com sometime in the next few days.

Thanks for waiting patiently! This is one really special place and I can't wait for race day so you all can check it out.

Photo courtesy Glenn Tachiyama

New Video highlights Mt. Spokane 25k and 50k race course

A brand new video from James and Candice's recent test run of the Mt. Spokane 25k/50k race course. The course is fast, tough, mountainous, and beautiful. On a clear day, you will enjoy views of Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. The course traverses Mt. Spokane, which tops out at 5,883 feet elevation!     

 

Is it crazy to think some runners might want to double up: Saturday the Mt. Spokane 25k/50k and Sunday the Spokane Marathon?! 

Sell Out Races Galore!

With the sell-out of the Cle Elum 50k and 25k yesterday and the fact that The Winthrop Marathon/Half Marathon should sell out by race day(just 10 spots left) that makes for 7 out of 8 Rainshadow Running Races so far this year that have either sold out or were very close. The one that wasn't that close, Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k, surely will next year and probably would've this year if had been able to get the website up and the registration turned on sooner.  That makes for a pretty darn good start to the year!

Thanks everyone for your support and loyalty! And a special SHOUT OUT to Caroline Ly Schuman who has finished ALL of the Rainshadow Races so far this year!

Next up after Cle Elum and Winthrop is the BRAND NEW Mt Spokane 50k and 25k on the Southwestern edge of the Selkirk Mountains just outside of Spokane.  Like all my trail races this race is HARD AND BEAUTIFUL!  

Stay tuned for the opening of registration for the last two races of 2011(Christmas at the End of the Road 5k and the Deception Pass 50k/25) and for big news for 2012.

Winthrop Marathon and Half Marathon Almost Full!

Only 26 spots left!

Entrants List (as of 11pm on sept 8th) can now be found on the race website

Sign up now at Databar Events

Cle Elum 50k/25k Almost Full

Only 7 spots left in this year's race! Sign up at Databarevents

Orcas Island Races Almost Full!

in just 48 hours since registration open both races are getting very close to being full! which is amazing because this year with having the two races on separate weekends it allows us to almost double the number of runners we can let in the race! 


orcas island 50k is 70% full and the orcas island 25k is almost 90% full. but few folks have signed up for the lodging which usually sells out very fast, maybe the new registration process for the lodging is to blame? if you want lodging at camp moran be sure to register for that--it's a separate form(which is different than in the past).
register for either race or the lodging at: www.databarevents.com/orcas.asp 



I'll post the entrants lists and lodging lists later today.

Orcas Registration Now Working!!!

Thanks for your patience. Registration now open.

http://www.databarevents.com/orcas.asp

Technical problem with Orcas Regeistration-- not turned on yet...

hi everyone

sorry for the inconvienece! we'll get registration turned on just as soon as we can, stay tuned! friend rainshadow running on facebook to get the most up to date info!

thanks!
james

Orcas Island 50k and Orcas Island 25k Registration Opens at 8am on 9/1/11

Big news in the world of Orcas Island...

The race has been split into two separate weekends: January 28th for the 25k and Feburary 4th for the 50k.

There are two new websites for the races:  Orcas Island 50k and Orcas Island 25k

The Registration Opens This Morning at 8AM For Both Races!!!

There will be two trailwork parties: Oct 16th and Jan 22 email me if you're interested

And as always you can get a free entry if you either come to the trailwork party, volunteer before or after the race or bring a volunteer for during the race-- email me if you or someone you know is interested

Mt Spokane Website and Registration Now Open!

Go to the Mt Spokane Website for more info or to sign up: http://mtspokane50k.blogspot.com/

New video of the Winthrop Road Marathon and Half

Did you have fun at the last Rainshadow Running event?  Check out the Winthrop Road Marathon and Half!  Great post race party with local beer, catered meal, and ice cream.  Receive an one-of-a-kind finishers medal. http://winthropmarathon.blogspot.com/

Angels Staircase Results

WE DID IT! The runners ran and i didn't die. GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!! And huge thanks to all the super awesome volunteers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://angelsstaircase.blogspot.com/p/results.html

photo credit: Glenn Tachiyama

Video Slideshow of the Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k Course

Untitled from James Varner on Vimeo.

North Cascades PCT 100k/50k Postponed Until 2012

Due to severe flood damage to the roads and trails at Cle Elum that race has been postponed to September 17th. To make room for that race which already had over 150 runners signed up I decided to postpone the North Cascades PCT 100k/50k which had not yet had any runners registered(only because I had been too busy with other races to open the registration--I'm sure the race would have filled to capacity with-in days or maybe even hours of the opening of registration).  Since there are many of you who had your hearts set on doing the North Cascades Race I've decided to post the race info here so those who want to can go run the route on their own. Runners deciding to do this would need to be 100% self sufficient--Rainshadow Running is not organizing any kind of event there this year and there will be no aid, no support, no course markings, no nothin'. 


Again let me repeat this info is just for "fun run" purposes there will be no official race this year due to the postponement of the Cle Elum 50k/25k.  This is a very remote route and you are totally on your own.


THE DETALS:
It's a simple enough route. Start @ T|Rainy Pass Trailhead on Hwy 20. Run north on the PCT to harts pass Rd which is 31 miles away and turnaround and run back to Rainy Pass. Harts pass Rd is the only road you cross(other than an old mine Rd when your're almost to Harts Pass) so that's the only place for aid or to bail out. But it's a long drive from Rainy Pass--about 3 to 4 hours round trip via Mazama. Water is available from creeks in a couple places but in general is scarce especially in September. Greentrails map "Washington Pass" shows the entire route and I would highly recommend carrying it. This is not a run for beginners.




THE MAP:

Cle Elum 50k/25k Date Change

Thanks everyone for your patience and understanding through this tough situation for all of us. I just got approval from the Forest Service to move the date of the Cle Elum 50k/25k to Saturday Sept 17th.  I know that this new date does not work well for all of you and I apologize-- this was the best option I could come up with to have the race happen at all this year. Ironically this is the date the race would've been held on anyhow if I hadn't moved the race date to June to make room for the brand new North Cascades PCT 100k/50k that will have to postponed until 2012 to make room for Cle Elum.

Beacon Rock Results

The preliminary results are now up for the Beacon Rock 50k/25k
http://beaconrock50k.blogspot.com/p/results.html

photo credit Matt Hagen

see all of Matt's Beacon Rock Photos here 

Latest Cle Elum Update

Bad news: the race will not be happening on June 25th. If you did not get the previous email explaining the situation click here to see it.  But good news is that we might do the race on September 17th instead-- I'm still waiting for approval from the Forest Service for the date change but they said they would let me know no later than monday the 13th.  As soon as I have more info from them I'll send out another email. 

If you cannot attend the race on the new date or if the race is cancelled you can choose between a partial refund or a transfer to another rainshadow race. 

Sorry for all the hassle and I hope to see you all one way or another soon!

Angels Staircase Registration Now Open

The moment you have all been waiting for all year... registration for the coolest new race in the northwest, Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k, is now open. Click here to sign up for the coolest race in the northwest! Yes I'm serious this race is cooler than Orcas Island, cooler than Gorge Waterfalls, cooler than Yakima Skyline Rim, cooler than Sun Mountain, cooler than Beacon Rock, cooler than White River or Where's Waldo or Cascade Crest or Plain or any other race in the northwest that I've ever ran and it's up there with the very best in country. Are you still reading this... why haven't you gone to Databar Events to sign up yet? If you're only going to do one more race for the rest of your life then this is the one(If you're qualified that is--see website for more info about qualifying and requirements)! Well maybe that last sentence is a bit of an exaggeration but this race is definitely worthy of a very high slot on your "gotta do" list!

2011 Cle Elum 50k/25k: Flood Damage and Possible Postponement or Cancellation

Unfortunately in mid May the Cle Elum race area suffered some severe flood damage to the roads and trails and the entire area is still closed to the public.  Since the damage occurred I've been having discussions with the Forest Service about the extent of the damage, the likelihood of the damage being fixed by race week and alternative plans if the damage has not been fixed in time for the race.  As of right now there still is not much certain, all of the roads leading into this area have been closed so the Forest Service doesn't even know the full extent of damage to our race route and the roads we would need to use for supporting the race. Plus there's still some snow on the higher elevations that might not be gone by race day thanks to the combination of very high snow fall this winter/spring and the unusually cool and wet spring. So all that said it seems quite possible that the race will not take place on June 25th as planned, instead the race will likely either be postponed to September 17th or be cancelled. 

The Forest Service and I will make our decision next week using the latest information available and I will let you all know as soon as that decision has been made. 

Angels Staircase Website Now Active!

Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k is the first ever running race in the Chelan Sawtooths Sub Range of the North Cascade Mountains. High above Lake Chelan and the Methow River Valley this stunningly beautiful trail run, with 360 degree views of the three surrounding mountain ranges(Chelan Sawtooths, Okanogans, and the Cascades) and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers in full bloom, goes up to 8000ft making it the highest running race in the State of Washington. This heavenly(thanks to the beauty) and hellish(due to the challenge of the elevation gain and the sometimes rocky trails) race will surely become one of the most popular trail/ultra marathons in the country in short order!

looking for volunteers for beacon rock 50k/25k race and trail work party

I've got two opportunities for you to earn a free entry into any of my races, including the hugely popular Gorge Waterfalls 50k: Sunday June 5th I'll be leading a trail work party at Beacon Rock State Park and the following weekend on Sunday June 12th I'll be directing the first annual Beacon Rock 50k/25k.  We still have a few more positions left to fill at the race(aid stations, timing, post race meal) and there's almost no limit to the number of volunteers we can handle for the the trail work so there's plenty of options to choose from. And if you're planning on running Beacon Rock but have a friend or family member that's willing to volunteer at the race they can either earn you a free entry or they can use the free entry themselves.   

Please email me if you're interested or if you have any questions at james@rainshadowrunning.com or call me at 509.846.5019.  

If you can't make it to either of these two chances to earn a free entry don't worry I've got plenty of other fun opportunities for you coming up through out the year, including Cle Elum 50k/25 later in June, and at Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k, North Cacades PCT 100k/25k and Winthrop Road Marathon and Half Marathon all later this Summer. See below for the complete calendar and link to the Rainshadow Running Website.  

A bit more info about the Beacon Rock 50k/25k: Early June is a great time to be in the Columbia River Gorge and at Beacon Rock State Park which is an hour Northeast of Portland. The snow has melted, everything is bright green and the wildflowers are putting on quite a show. The sun should be out and warming the temperatures into the 70s or 80s by the afternoon. From the high point in the race there are sweeping views of the Cascades, including Mt Hood and Mt Adams and the entire Columbia River Gorge. And at the Finish we'll soak in the sunshine as we eat, drink and merrily listen to live music all while lounging on grass lawn of the Park's Group Campsite.  In addition to all the fun on race day, runners and their friends and family are welcome to come out and camp for free for the whole weekend and take part in all the other organized and not-so organized fun things we'll be doing like, rock climbing, mountain biking, swimming, running, relaxing-- we have the Beacon Rock Group Camp reserved from Friday afternoon to Monday morning so come hang out and have fun! 

Thanks and I hope to see you real soon one way or another!

Rainshadow Running 2011 Race Schedule

www.rainshadowrunning.com

Feb 5 Orcas Island 50k/25k Eastsound, WA (SOLD OUT)

Mar 12 Gorge Waterfalls 50k Cascade Locks, OR (SOLD OUT)
Apr 3 Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Ellensburg, WA (SOLD OUT)
May 22 Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k Winthrop, WA (90% Full as of 5/11/11)

Jun 12 Beacon Rock 50k/25k N. Bonneville, WA(30% Full as of 5/11/11)
Jun 25 Cle Elum Ridge 50k/25k Cle Elum, WA(60% full as of 5/11/11)
Aug 13 Angels Staircase 50m/50k/25k Carlton, WA
Sept 18 North Cascades PCT 100k/50k Mazama, WA
Sept 25 Winthrop Road Marathon Winthrop, WA
Oct 8 Mt Spokane 50k/25k Spokane, WA

Nov 26 Christmas at the End of the Road 5k/1k Winthrop, WA
Dec 10 Deception Pass 50k/25k Oak Harbor, WA

2011 Sun Mountain Results

sun mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k results are now posted:
http://sunmountaintrailraces.blogspot.com/p/results.html

Photos from Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k

photo credit: Matt Hagen

Once again we had a ton of really good "official race photographers" plus a lot of folks who took pictures while they ran the race. here are links to the albums i know about so far(there's probably more out there):

glenn tachiyama: http://www.pbase.com/gtach/yakima2011

matt hagen: http://galleries.matthagen.com/Sports/Yakima-Skyline-Ridge-Trail/16477896_nKmgd#1240001910_52bFY

angela loihl: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=306738&id=539792969

alvin crain: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94511&id=1579980173

Kendall kreft: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=1958692492225&id=1390146924&aid=114622

steve walters: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97677&id=1003042676

joe tompkins: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109774&id=1554285915

tony seabolt(NBRC): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=58033&id=100000097798129

Yakima Skyline Rim Sold Out

This past weekend both distances of the Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k sold out. I'll be posting on the race website the updated entrants list shortly. Those of you who missed out but still want to do some racing in April in the Northwest you have a few good options to choose from(not as beautiful and hard as Yakima Skyline Rim but still good events): Yakima Canyon Road Marathon(Apr 2), Soaring Eagle 5m/10m/26.2/50k(apr 10), Squak Mountain 12k/13.1/50k(Apr 23) and Captiol Peak 55k/40m(Apr 30). I would have included Peterson Ridge Rumble 20m/40m(Apr 10) on the list but that race also sold out!

The next three races in the Rainshadow(Sun Mountain, Beacon Rock and Cle Elum) all have their registrations open and are filling up fast. As Lorie Alexander of British Columbia said when she heard Yakima Skyline Rim had filled before race day(just like our other two races this year Orcas Island and Gorge Waterfalls), "Sounds like we should sign up for all your races now!" That's good advice if you don't want to be left out.

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k Sold Out...But...

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k and 25k sold out this weekend! That makes three races in a row now to have sold out this year! But I have had a few folks have to back out so I've opened up 5 more spots in each race. When those fill I'll start a waiting list but don't wait any longer sign up NOW! http://www.databarevents.com/yakimasky.asp

Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k 93% Full!

The Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k is now 93% full with only 11 spots left in the race! Register now at www.databarevents.com

Get one of those last few spots for FREE by either volunteering before the race (at runner check-in race morning) or by bringing a volunteer to work an aid station or to assist with the timing at the finish or assisting with the post race meal. Email William Worrell, the Volunteer Coordinator, at wmworrell@centurytel.net for more information or to express your interest.

Gorge Waterfalls 50K: Video of Runners at Elowah Falls

Video credit: Candice Burt

2011 Gorge Waterfalls 50k Results and Pictures

Well I think everyone liked the first annual Gorge Waterfalls 50k... no actually I'm sure of it! And for good reason it's a beautiful but tough course(the rocky sections of trail was the main culprit but some folks also found the first hill to be hard as well).

I'll do a full recap of the race soon but first I wanted post the results and a few pictures(lots more coming and i'll post a link to them all here and on the Gorge Waterfalls website and on the Rainshadow Running Facebook Page).

Here's the link to the results. We had 125 Finishers and 138 starters.

The weather: showers and temperatures in the 40's

Male Winner: Jace Ives 27 Ashalnd, OR 4:25:09
Female Winner: Pam Smith 36 Salem, OR 4: 49:36

Here are just a few samples of the thousands of great photos that were taken at the race on saturday.(if you have photos you would like to share with everyone please email them to me at james@rainshadowrunning.com and i'll add them to the photo album that i'm going to try to compile all the photos in):

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

Photo Credit: Daniel Fox/Lumina

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

photo credit: Candice Burt

many many many more photos to come. stay tuned!