Our Next (Non-Sold Out) Race: Beacon Rock 50k/25k

Beacon Rock 50k/25k is really more than just a race, it's a weekend long celebration of the beginning of summer and being out in the mountains with friends! 

photo by Matt Hagen (See More Photos)

From Friday afternoon(June 6th) to Monday morning(June 9th) we have reserved the large grassy group campground at Beacon Rock State Park. The group site is a great place, it's basically a large grass field surrounded by forest and totally separate from the rest of the park. There is running water and electricity and a few covered picnic shelters and a few toilets(but it's not fancy and it's not set up for RVs). There is plenty of room to park in the lower half of the field(folks can sleep here in small RVs and vans and such) and the upper half of the field is for tent camping, the race start./finish, and where the band will play and such. The group site is the hub for all the many weekend long activities so even if you're staying in a hotel or live close by you'll wanna come hang out and meet up with folks at the group site.

Photo by Candice Burt (see more photos)

The activities get started Friday evening with a Hash Run(exact location and time still TBD). For those of you unfamiliar with the unique and fun past time of Hashing let me begin to explain by telling you their motto: Drinkers with a Running Problem. This a worldwide "sport" that has been happening for almost 100 years and at it's most basic level is about having a good time while drinking beer with a tiny little bit of running(walking is usually tolerated too) and group navigation involved to make things interesting. There is also signing, code words, friendly teasing, nicknames, childish humor, sometimes nudity, and always lots of beer! It's not for kids and it's not for all adults either, it can be crude and a sense of humor is pretty much required. But for folks who can embrace the craziness it's a blast! More details about hashing at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers 

Saturday morning is a good time to go for a hike, or for a run, or mountain bike, or play on the river(sea kayak, wind sports, etc) or rock climb, all of which can be done right at State Park. (I might even organize a 1 mile time trial unofficial race to top of Beacon Rock itself with 600ft of gain. We'll see...) Saturday afternoon I'll lead everyone that wants to go on a short hike to the amazing and secret swimming spot(we have to drive to the start of the hike). Saturday evening we'll do a potluck style dinner, we'll have a couple of grills so bring something to grill and buns and we'll bring condiments and side dishes.

Photo by Glenn Tachiyama (see more photos)

Sunday is race day. Everything kicks off with a short trail race for the kids. The 50k is two loops of the 25k course which goes up and down Hamilton and Hardy Mountains in Beacon Rock State Park. The loop starts and finishes right at the group site so you don't have to drive anywhere if you're camping there. When the weather is clear there are great views of Mt Hood, Mt Adams and of the Columbia River Gorge. The trails are super fun to run with a great mix of steep parts and twisty-turny downhills and some sections that you can really open up your stride and cruise. The forest is beautiful, the wildflowers will be blooming and the ridge tops are amazing. It's a tough(the 25k has 3700ft of gain and 7400 for the 50k) and rewarding course but not quite as hard as Orcas Island, Yakima Skyline or Angels Staircase.  

  

Photo by Glenn Tahiyama

Also during the race Glenn Tachiyama will be out taking awesome photos, check out his great photos from last year. Ultrarunners and film makers extraordinaire Matt Cecill and Dave Melanson of Project Talaria will again be out to film the official race video(see their latest Rainshadow Running Race Video below). And Trey Bailey and his crew at Uphill Running Live will be on the course and at the finishline live tweeting all the happenings!

Deception Pass 25/50k - 2013

After the race we'll have our normal totally awesome post race party with live music from The Pine Hearts, yummy pizza from Pizza Jim and Friends, and of course lots of beer from a local brewery and lots of other food and drinks. We'll also have our high quality race shirts from Patagonia with the beautiful design by Hannah Vianowhich is also on the free stickers that everyone gets and the winners of the races get super nice framed prints of the artwork and Seven Hill Running Shop will again be giving away lots of random prizes! 

Ok you're ready to register now, right?! Click here to signup

In The Sun (Mountain 50-mile, 50k, 25k, and Kids 1k)

Views from the 50-mile & 50k course. Photo by Matt Stebbins.

Up next in the Rainshadow: The Sun Mountain 50-mile, 50k, 25k, and Kids 1k! 

The Sun Mountain 50-mile, 50k, and 25k are three of the races that get people hooked on Rainshadow Running. All three distances are exactly what we strive to create with all Rainshadow races: They're sunny, scenic, challenging, and FUN. All three courses mix climbs both gradual and steep, downhills both screaming and meandering, mountain vistas, dense forest, blooming wildflowers, and open sagebrush hillsides.

Located on the east (see also: sunny!] side of the North Cascades on the edge of the Chelan Sawtooth Wildnerness, above the Methow River Valley, these three courses offer great mountain trail running early in the year. The sun shines an average of 5 out of 7 days in the Methow Valley annually, and for race day (historically speaking) there's only a 20% chance of rain, as compared to 60% in Seattle and up to 80% in Olympia or Portland. In partnership with MVSTA and Sun Mountain Lodge, we're proud to bring you the first and finest ultra in the Methow Valley. 

I'ts no secret that the Methow is one of Race Director James Varner's favorite places in the whole world. Come see why.

This year, the 25k and Kids 1k will be Saturday, May 17th, and the 50-mile and 50k will be showcased Sunday, May 18th. These are all family-friendly races; if you have kids, register and bring them to Saturday's 1k at 9:45am (registration's free!). After your race, hang out with friends while eating pizza from East 20 Pizza in Winthrop, drinking local beer from Old Schoolhouse Brewery, and listening to live bluegrass by The Pine Hearts. Come join our party in the Methow, with a little running thrown in for good measure, and when you go home, you'll be wondering, too: Why run anywhere else?

Sun Mountain Race from Steven Foreman on Vimeo.

2014 Rainshadow Running Race Dates and Much Much More Good Stuff!

Hello Everyone!

The weather might be cold, wet and dreary today but there's so much great things going on at Rainshadow Running that it's impossible for me to have the blues! In addition to announcing the race dates for all of our 2014 races I have even more good stuff to announce in this email: new races, new rainshadow merch, and one really exciting thing that has more to do about music than it does running(but of course running is still involved!). 

 

Multi-day Summer Music FestivalWe are working with Lob and Joe from The Pine Hearts to create an outdoor roots music festival that focuses on bringing together great music and outdoor recreation in a world class location. Folks who attend this festival will have the opportunity to camp in an amazing location, dine on yummy foods, participate in outdoor activities such as: trail running, mountain, river rafting, hiking, rock climbing and much more. Participants will arrive back to their camps after enjoying the activity of their choice, and then will have the opportunity to enjoy locally crafted beer or wine while listening to some of the of most talented bluegrass, americana, and folk-rock bands currently playing in the Pacific Northwest. As the night approaches nationally headlining bands will take the stage for a night of dancing, lights, surprises and fun. This weekend package is designed with the intention of providing individuals and families with an experience combing awesome live music and wonderful outdoors that will create memories that will last a lifetime. 

We're still finalizing all the key details like date, price, bands, etc but It will be in the summer in Washington and it will be absolutely something you don't want to miss. Stay tuned... We'll have a lot more figured out before the end of the year. 

New Rainshadow Running Merchandise At our 2014 races we will have nice cotton t-shirts, Patagonia jackets, pint glasses, and maybe a few other items with our logo on them. Yes finally! I know some of you have been wanting these for years. Definitely by our Orcas Island races we'll have these but maybe even by the Deception Pass races. We will not do pre-sale or mail them out to folks so you'll have to be at the races to get them.  

 

We'll also continue making the stickers for each race and have the trucker hats from Ink.Hat

 

 

New Races for 2014!

Rainshadow Running will have two(or maybe three if a permit miracle can happen on the Rogue River) new races in 2014: The Gorge Waterfalls 100k and The Oregon Coast 50k. Plus we are working very closely with Candice Burt to help launch and direct the Tahoe 200 Mile Endurance Run and the Deception Pass Trail Half Marathon(part of her brand new Trail 13.1 Series) 

 

 

 

The Gorge Waterfalls 100k will be an Out and Back on the Gorge Trail from Benson Recreation Area(near Multnomah Falls) to the Wyeth Campground(near Hood River, OR). The 50k will be the day before and will hopefully(assuming we can get bus transportation worked out) be a point to point from Wyeth to Benson. Both races of course pass almost an infinite number of amazing large waterfalls! We will also once again have the Trail Running Film Festival and other fun stuff going on all weekend at the Edgefield, the awesome renovated historic Mcmeniamins hotel in Troutdale, OR complete with it's own Brewery, Winery, Distillery, numerous restaurants and bars, heated outdoor swimming pool and more! 

 

 

 

From the beach to the bluffs to the ridges high above with waves crashing into rocks just feet away at times The Oregon Coast 50k is never far from the ocean and is always incredibly scenic. Starting on the wide, flat-ish beach just south of Waldport the runners will run to the small seaside town of Yachats and past it to Cape Perpetua Park where they'll do a big loop and then run back to Yachats and finish there. Most of the miles are on narrow, twisty, soft single track trails but there's also a 6 mile sandy but firm beach section at the start and a tiny bit of pavement and packed gravel trail as well to round out the course. There's flat sections, steep sections, big hills and little hills, waves crashing into rocks, deep old forest, views from up high, and views from as low as the tide will let you go. This race has something for everyone and fun for all!

 

 

 

The first ever 200 mile single loop mountain race in the United States, The Tahoe 200 circumnavigates the sparkling, clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe from the Tahoe Rim Trail. The route occasionally detours off the TRT to explore aspen meadows, rock gardens of giants, small impossibly blue lakes, thick canopied forests, and long ridge lines with stunning views.  The course is nothing less than magical. This race aims to create an unique and unparallelled experience for ultra distance trail runners who want to have an adventure of a lifetime.  The race is a non-stop traverse of the lake, with numerous aid stations and sleep stations to support your epic run.  All finishers receive a belt buckle and artistic finisher's print commemorating their accomplishment.

 

When I created the Deception Pass 50k/25k a few years ago it was an instant success selling out every year. And for good reason, the trails are so much fun to run with all the twists and turns and steep little hills and the whole area is just so beautiful and you're never far from the sea with the trails often running right along the beach or on bulffs above the shore. Candice's Deception Pass Trail Half Marathon will be just as great and perfect for runners of all abilities. 

 

 

 

2014 Rainshadow Running Race Dates*

January 25	Orcas Island 25k
February 1	Orcas Island 50k
March 29	Gorge Waterfalls 50k
March 30	Gorge Waterfalls 100k**
April 19	Yakima Skyline Rim 25k
April 20	Yakima Skyline Rim 50k
May 17	Sun Mountain 25k
May 18	Sun Mountain 50k/50m
June 8	Beacon Rock 50k/25k
August 9	Angels Staircase 60k/35k
Sept 5-9	Tahoe 200***
October 18	Oregon Coast 50k**
December 13	Deception Pass 25k
December 14	Deception Pass 50k

* Not all race dates are definite yet, permits still pending  

** Websites coming soon 

*** Technically this is NOT a Rainshadow Running Race instead contact Candice Burt

Candice's 2014 Race Dates*

February 15	Fragrance Lake 10k/13.1 mile
March 2	Stewart Mt. 5k/13.1mi
April 12	Alger Alp 5 mile/13.1mi
May 4	Little Mountain 10k/13.1mi
June 1	Deception Pass 13.1mi
July 27	Chuckanut Mountain 13.1/26.2 mile
Sept 5-9	Tahoe 200
September 27	Cle Elum 50k/25k
November 9	Bellingham Trail Marathon and Half

* Not all race dates are definite yet, permits still pending 

Other Notes about 2014

Dropped Races

As you may have noticed there were two races not listed on our calendars: The Winthrop Road Marathon and Half and The Mt Spokane 50k/25k. For 2014 these races are taking a hiatus to allow us to add these other new races and so we can possibly smoothly transition the races to other race directors in the future. It is possible we will keeping doing them ourselves but at this point we needed to atleast temporarily free up some space on our calendars.

 

Split Races 

We have split even more races into multiple days to allow for more runners and to make sure we aren't creating a "leadville-like" scenario where there are too many people on the trails and roads and parking lots making a big mess and making for an miserable situation for everyone involved including the other trail users. Now the Yakima Skyline 25k and Sun Mountain 25k will both be on Saturday and the Yakima 50k and Sun Mountain 50k/50m will be on Sunday. 

 

Volunteer Signup 

Also in 2014 look for us to try to streamline the volunteer registration process to make it easier and more efficient for everyone to volunteer at one of our races. Volunteers are so important to the success of our races and really make all of this even more fun but there are so many of them and so many races that we are having a hard time responding to all the volunteer requests in a timely manner. So please be patient and understand we are working on improving.   

 

No Waitlists 

None of our races have waitlists. except The Tahoe 200. What we do instead, to make things much simpler to administer, is that we overfill the races above our permitted limits knowing that there is a natural dropout rate before race day that will get us down to our permit limit. So if you miss out on registering before the race sells out you simply have to suck it up and try next year, sorry. But thankfully between Candice and I we now have 18 races(23 if you count the saturday/sunday split races as two separate races) for you to choose from! And if you're one of those runners who drops out we allow you to transfer to one of our other future non-sold out races(as long as you notify us before hand). Also at most races we have volunteer positions available so you can get into a sold out race if you either volunteer before or after the race or bring a volunteer for during the race but these positions are also limited and often are gobbled up just as quick as the paid entries. 

 

How to get involved! WE NEED YOU! 

There are a ton of ways for you to help make Rainshadow Running better and to make our running community better and make the world better! I've got a lot of ideas and I've got numerous things from big to small that you can do. It's actually enough for a whole email on it own so stay tuned for that in the next couple weeks. But I hope you all know just how amazing and important you are to us and we are so thankful to have such an excited and motivated and merry band of supporters!!! We can't do what we do with out y'all and we want to keep ya around! For now please help by spreading the word, especially about all our new races, and I'll be in touch again soon with more. And as always shoot me an email or message on facebook and we'll chat more!

 

Thanks again and see you soon! 

  

2014 Rainshadow Race Calendar Coming Soon

I'm so excited for the upcoming year! We've got some really amazing new races (and even one new non-race that will be really cool too) we hope to get approved by the powers that be. We'll be announcing the dates for all of our 2014 races real soon(probably by the first week of November). In the meantime I'll leave you with all our 2013 race videos(so far--Angels Staircase and Deception Pass videos are still to come).

Next up in the Rainshadow!

Mt. Spokane 25k and 50k Trail Races  Fall in Eastern Washington is a real treat for the eyes.  Run through fields of wild huckleberries in every shade of yellow, red and everything between while enjoying sweeping mountain, forest, and river views.  From the top of Mt. Spokane, at almost 6,000 feet, there are views to Idaho, Montana and British Columbia as well as the Spokane and Columbia River Valleys in Washington.  Register for Mt. Spokane Trail Races

A runner descends Mt. Spokane

$4500 Prize Money for Angels Staircase 60k

Money money money! For the first time ever at one of our trail races we will have prize money! $4500 prize purse for the Angels Staircase 60k: $1000 1st male and female, $500 2nd male and female, $250 3rd male and female, and $250 first male and female masters.

Update: Seven Hills Running Shop is adding another $500 to the prize purse by sponsoring a $250 prime for the first male and female to reach the top of Angels Staircase and finish the 60k. At 8,000ft above sea level and 6,000 feet above the start of the race Angels Staircase offers great views of the surrounding North Cascades Mountains, including Glacier Peak, and the Methow River and Lake Chelan Valleys. Thanks for the idea Jesse Boisaubin and thanks Seven Hills for all the support of our races!


Any runner found breaking the race rules will be disqualified and will forfeit any prize money. Prize money for 60k only.

Race Rules:

All 60k runners at all times must carry either two full size(20-22oz) water bottles or a hydration pack.

All Runners must always yield to horses, mountain bikes and motorbikes.

No cutting swtichbacks or running off trail or taking short cuts of any kind.

No cheating of any kind including no assistance from crews outside of aid stations, no performance enhancing drugs or other unfair, unhealthy, or unsportsmanlike methods of improving performance.

Prior signing up each runner must watch this entire video about trail safety: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb9gPjafhWo&feature=player_embedded

Runners also must obey the instructions of race staff and volunteers, failure to do so will result in disqualification and a permanent and lifetime banning from all Rainshadow Running races. 

Registrations Opening Soon and Others are Almost Sold Out

Sun Mountain is timed for the peak of wildflower blooms!

Downhill to the finish in downtown Winthrop

Race registration for Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k, Winthrop Road Marathon and Half, and Angels Staircase 60k/35k will all open at 9:00AM(PST) on Monday March 25th on Ultrasignup.com

Each of the race websites have been updated with all the new info for 2013.

At 8000ft heading down from the top of Angels Staircase

Just getting started up the last climb at Yakima--you can't even begin to see the top of the climb!

The Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k is almost Sold Out! And we're nearly out of tickets for the brand new Trail Running Film Festival at the Edgefield in Troudale, Or.  So don't wait another minute to sign up for these super fun events! 

The Trail Running Film Festival

So excited to announce our latest project, a film festival entirely devoted to trail running! All the movies are about trail running and are well done and inspiring. The 124 seat theater is connected to a pub so you can bring your food and beer into the theater with you. Also at The Edgefield are 3 other bars, a winery, a distillery and a brewery AND a heated outdoor soaking pool! Just a few minutes east of Portland and just few minutes west of the start/finish of the gorge waterfalls 50k. Tickets are $10 and are sure to sell out! 

Buy your tickets now at http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=19827 

More info: http://trailfilm.blogspot.com/

2013 Beacon Rock 50k/25k Postponed to 2014

We are sorry to announce that due to scheduling conflicts the 2013 Beacon Rock 50k/25k will not be happening. Sorry for any inconvenience and we hope to see you in 2014 instead. To avoid having this happen again in the future we will lock in the date with the park on the earliest day possible(which is mid September).

For those of you looking for a great alternative option close by... I recommend the White Salmon Backyard Trail Half Marathon on Saturday June 15th which in addition to being a tough and scenic course it starts and finishes at a brewery, has a great post race party and is the fundraiser for the White Salmon High School Cross Country Teams. It's just one of many great runs organized by the Columbia Gorge Running Club!

For those of you who had your hopes set on running 50k that weekend please consider Evergreen Trail Runs Echo Valley Trail Race in Chelan, WA.

The registration for the Gorge Waterfalls 50k will open on Thursday December 20th at 8am(PST) on ultrasignup. I expect the race will sell out of the 330 spots in less than 24 hours-- probably much less(last year it took 8 hours). 

All the race info, pictures, results, etc can be found at: http://gorgewaterfalls50k.blogspot.com/

below is a short video taken by Gary Robbins at the start of 2011 race which shows less than half of the waterfalls in the race but is still a good showing of what to expect from the race.  

Gorge Waterfalls 50k

stay tuned for an announcement for the really cool pre and post race festivities we have planned!!!

and stay tuned for the opening of registrations for many more of the 2013 races...

More Media Love for Rainshadow!

Hey folks! It's been another amazing year in the Rainshadow with so many folks coming out and having a great time at our many races. With just one more race on the calendar for 2012(sorry folks Deception Pass is already sold out) it's almost time for one of my favorite things to do each year, the year in review highlight slideshow. But since I'm going to wait until sometime in December to put that together I thought I'd share a few other things with you first to keep you occupied while you wait.

First off I got news a few days ago from Glenn Tachiyama that another one of his great shots(see above) will feature me on the cover of a magazine. The photo is from our Gorge Waterfalls 50k Course Photo Shoot which already landed me on the cover of Running Times Magazine(see below) and inside the magazine on a separate issue for a story on myself and a few other folks from around the country who were designated by Running Times as the "local trail elite" for their respective regions. This latest cover will be on the upcoming Adventures NW Magazine. That'll run my total up to three times I've been on a cover of a magazine with the third one also being one of Glenn's handiwork from White River 50m a few years ago.  My races have also been on at least one other magazine cover and I've also been featured personally in a few articles over the years in magazine's like Trail Runner Methow Valley News and Outdoors NW.  Trust me it doesn't get old-- the positive attention is great!

And secondly just released tonight was my first ever podcast interview. Scotty Sandow and Erik Schranz of Ultrarunner Podcast raked me over the coals hard while getting out of me all kinds of juicy tidbits like the history of Rainshadow, advice for others on how to quit their real jobs like I did to follow their dreams of race directing and of course they end every show with the favorite beer question. I was nervous at first but they quickly got me chatting away and before I knew I was having a great time. You can listen to the interview either directly on their website or from itunes. And if you haven't listened before they've had some really great interviews over the years so be sure to check out their archives.

And lastly in an attempt to collect all the past slideshows and videos into one place making them easy to find and watch over and over again like I love to do I've dug through the archives and re-posted them all here below.


2009 Rainshadow Running Highlights from James Varner on Vimeo.

2011 25k Race Video by Will Thomas:

A very short time lapse video from Deception Pass by OTKateOTKate 

Another time lapse video from Deception Pass by OTKateOTKate 

some orcas island 50k ferry ride humor


























The view from the top of Angels Staircase.

Matt Hart at the Yakima Skyline 50k. Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

2013 Race Dates

The 2013 Rainshadow Running Race Dates:

Note: Most of these dates are tentative until we finalize our permits with the local land managers. 

Sat Jan 26 --- Orcas Island 25k  

Sat Feb 2 --- Orcas Island 50k 

Sat Mar 30 --- Gorge Waterfalls 50k 

Sun Apr 21 --- Yakima Skyline Rim 50k/25k 

Sun May 19 --- Sun Mountain 50m/50k/25k/1k 

Sun Jun 9 --- Winthrop Road Marathon and Half Marathon 

Sun Jun 16 --- Beacon Rock 50k/25k 

Sun Aug 11 --- Angels Staircase 60k/35k 

Sun Sept 8 --- TBD (maybe North Cascades PCT 100k or maybe something else)

***Sat Sept 21 --- Cle Elum 50k/25k ***now directed by Candice Burt/BTRC 

Sat Oct 5 --- Mt Spokane 50k/25k

Sat Dec 14 --- Deception Pass 50k/25k