Date: 2/10/2019 Location: San Jose del Cabo, Mexico Start Time: 7:00am Avg Temps (f): 77/56 Lessons Learned from Race Reports About 2,000 participants across all distances, like the half, 10k and 5k, all start at the same time, without start corrals in the past. Be aware that everyone is starting at a vastly different pace … Read more
Summary: Rocky Raccoon 50M and 100M are popular trail races for beginners looking to complete their first ultras or veterans looking for a PR in either distance. All runnable trails on soft pine needles, wooden bridges and minimally technical, yet sometimes rooty terrain, with minimal elevation change. Loop course with generous cutoffs, and includes a … Read more
Summary: The Arches Ultras offer several distances, including 50 mile, 50k, half marathon, and 9k. The courses run along the border of Arches National Park in Moab, UT, and the trails are a mix of smooth, easy, and runnable, and yet technical, sandy, and along slick rock. The course is at a lower elevation, capping … Read more
Lessons Learned from Race Reports Temps are cool to start but be prepared for a sunny race Because the course doesn’t share the same route with the half marathoners, it doesn’t feel super crowded and may even get a little lonely in the later miles Out and back portion from mile ~12.7-20 can be a … Read more
Summary: Situated in the mountains above the city of Honolulu, the HURT 100 course is characterized by its latticework of roots across the single track trails. Runners cover the 100 milers over the course of 5 loops with some partial out and backs, gaining and losing 24,500 feet, crossing 20 streams, and of course, running … Read more
Summary: A 2+ day timed event on a .69045 mile loop course, with a mixture of crushed granite and pavement, and mainly flat, this is the second year on this course. It’s run in in Buffalo Run Park in Missouri City, TX, which is in the SW part of Houston. The race starts on a … Read more
Date: 12/8/2018 Location: Tacoma, WA Start Time: 8:30am Avg Temps (f): 45/36 Time Limit: 3 hours for a closed course; finish line remains open until last finisher Lessons Learned from Race Reports Initial miles are around an industrial area, so not the most scenic part of Tacoma, but the latter miles are along the waterfront … Read more
Summary: The Orcas Island races are quintessential PNW races – challenging terrain, beautiful scenery (if the weather cooperates) and they bring a strong crowd of local Seattle trail runners and Rainshadow Running fans. With so many distance options, you have plenty of challenges to choose from! Information below is particularly helpful for the 100 mile … Read more
Summary: Taking place in the self-proclaimed, “Cowboy Capital of the US,” the Bandera 100k always brings a fast crowd because it’s a Western States Golden Ticket Race. The most often mentioned feature of the race is the plant life along the trail, which promises to bite, scratch, and sting. The terrain is varied, with few … Read more
Summary: Across The Years is a fixed-time, multiday running event held over the New Year. Runners have 24, 48, 72 hours or 6 days to cover as much distance as possible and are free to walk, stop, eat and sleep whenever they want. The 6 day race starts on 12/28 and the “shorter” races start … Read more
Summary: The California International Marathon (CIM) is an annual marathon hosted in Sacramento, California every December. It’s known for its fast times, but don’t be fooled – you have to manage the first 20 miles well enough to have enough gas left in the tank to enjoy the flattest miles of the course, the last … Read more
Summary: Located in McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, AZ, the 50 miler is one of several races going on in the park, along with running in the City of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. 50 Mile runners will run the 50k loop plus a lollipop and out and back section, and while much of … Read more
Date 11/17/18 Avg Temps f. 63/50 Gain/Loss in ft 50k: 6,736/~6736 50m: 10,666/~10,666 Furthest Aid Both: 6 miles Highest Elev. 50k: 1,359ft 50m: 1,591ft Start 50k: 7:00am 50m: 5:00am Surface Trail/Road Time Limit 50k:10 hours 50m: 14 hours Sunrise/set 6:52/4:57 Longest Climb 50k: 1000ft/2 miles50m: 1500ft/5 miles Summary: Starting in Sausalito near the Marin … Read more
Date 11/18/18 Location El Cajoncito, Mexico (outside of La Paz) Avg Temps c. 28/17 (c) (La Paz) 82/62 (f) Gain/Loss 1,109/562 (m) 3,638/1,847 (ft) ft/mile gain 31.7m/km 168ftft/mile Highest Elev. 757m (2,484ft) Start 7am Surface Singletrack Trail Time Limit None – last finisher in 2017 was 9 hours Sunrise/set 6:38am/5:54pm Furthest Aid 8km (5mi) … Read more
Date: 11/3/18 Location: Bellingham, WA Start Time: 9am Avg Temps (f): 53/39 Time Limit: Be at mile 9.8 by 3pm Lessons Learned from Race Reports Being November in the PNW, expect wet and cold weather Bring a jacket and hat/gloves, as could be cold and could be snow at the top of Chinscraper Expect the … Read more
Date: 10/14/18 Start Time: 7:30am Avg Temps (f): 45/58 Time Limit: 6 hours Distances Offered: Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k Lessons Learned from Race Reports While it’s a small race, the out and back sections can get crowded Likely to have wet, rainy conditions being in Seattle, so be prepared for any weather condition Could get … Read more
Date: 9/9/2018 Location: Near Bonn, Germany Start Time: 11:00am Avg Temps (f): 68/50 Lessons Learned from Race Reports Course starts out with a long climb, then rolling and a quick, steep drop, then a quick steep ascent, then a long downhill back the same climb you came up Leave some gas in the tank for … Read more
Date: 10/7/18 Location: Sacramento, CA Start Time: 7:30am Avg Temps (f): 81/52 Time Limit: 4 hours Lessons Learned from Race Reports The miles along the bike path are more exposed, less trees, so likely to be a bit warmer than the rest of the course in the neighborhoods Several race reports talk about long porta … Read more
Lessons Learned from Race Reports If traveling there, no need to rent a car since public transportation is great and it’s fairly easy to find a hotel near the start/finish, or along public transportation lines Sharp turns in the early miles, so be prepared, especially with lots of runners around you. Wave starts with corrals, … Read more
Summary: The course is a 20 mile loop (approximately 1200 ft/mile of gain per loop), with a mixture of wide and narrow trails, from rolling hills, dirt, and off-camber grass sections, and very little road running. Located in Chain O’Lakes State Park in Albion, Indiana, the terrain and woods provides protection from the wind, and … Read more
