Sun Mountain

Race: Sun Mountain 50K

Runner: Andrew K

Race Date: 05/18/2019

Location: Winthrop, WA

Results: 30th Overall, 6th Age.

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2378337490

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. Course – it really impressed me because I envisioned it to be more like Yakima skyline, nowhere to hide etc. Instead it was a lot of alpine forest single track in & out of cover. A lot of wildflowers everywhere!
2. Finish/Festive – End of Rainshadow always are lively with a band, pizza etc. It makes you feel welcome and celebration.
3. Lake – putting your feet in the cold lake at the end, perfect!

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

I’d be making things up but since everyone’s GPS measured it at 32 miles, that last mile when you thought you’d be done but aren’t was not fun.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

About Mile 7 a guy on the trail with giant bunny rabbit head and then a guy with T-REx giving high fives. It was a good laugh.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

On paper, I shouldn’t have done this race. It was a stretch since my volume and return since femoral stress fracture etc. But overall, I placed well, held my own until the late miles and really enjoyed myself.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

• Get to the front fast. The first uphill is a giant choke point. It takes a while to pass and you really, really get slowed down. Skip the first aid station if you have a pack, it’s just not far enough out. Heat could change that advice. This aid station is at the Sun Mountain Lodge parking lot so the family/friends can easily see you here.
• Hat is good idea. If you suffer allergies, I guess the wild flowers could be a thing.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

• Run to the front fast. Knowing the course better as I kept saving for a big uphill that never came. I also spent 10 mins at the aid stations with a messed up water bladder. Bottles next time.
• If you come from Seattle, go via the North Cascades Highway. Too spectacular not to take the extra 10 minutes per the GPS.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

The first uphill I felt was the only one that really tough. The rest were just runnable grinders if you put your head to just keep ‘leftie and rightie’ moving along.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Yes, vistas at times. Forests were spectacular with Pines, so high canopy and floor of flowers.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Medium hard. Compared to other Rainshadow Vertical this felt less difficult.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Yes, Rainshadow does a great job. I entered via bib transfer via their Google spreadsheet otherwise I would not have gotten in.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

I don’t know names to watch but the winner seemed legit.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Sells out fast so register. If you can’t go, then sell your bib. OR do I did and buy a bib after the fact.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

5 aid stations I recall. The last one was maybe 4 miles to go so felt oddly placed. Basically every 6 miles. Plenty of options, great volunteers and selection.

Weather and typical race conditions

60’s, bluebird skies. Perfect.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

I ran with a Osprey vest/bladder. I had trouble filling / closing it, so maybe water bottles on vest etc. If you have allergies maybe something?

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

First and Second aid stations seems very reachable. Rest not so much.

How’s the Swag?

Patagonia Tech Tee and I like their artwork/logos. They sell all their race stuff with bargain bin at the end and loads of free stickers.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Race: Sun Mountain 50K

Runner: Trevor N

Race Date: 05/18/2019

Location: Winthrop, WA

Results: 8th place, 4:54:27

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2378302434

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. Very beautiful course and location
2. Good aid stations, support from volunteers, excellent finish-line fare, fun atmosphere
3. Fast and runnable course

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The 1/4 mile walk uphill back to your car afterwards, I was feeling pretty weird!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

The weather was perfect and I ran a big 45 minute PR for my second 50K, also nabbed top 10! I went into this race in a really good frame of mind, and I strategized my pace/nutrition very well. I knew roughly the distance between aid stations and just ran my race one aid station at a time.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

1. The start and first 1/2 mile are on road, then everyone funnels onto the Patterson Mt. trail which is narrow and single track. If you plan on running mid/front of the pack, it’s important to get out faster at the start to avoid having to wait at the trailhead for runners to file onto the trail. I know some runners had to actually stop and wait for a few minutes.
2. The two biggest climbs are at the beginning of the race, if you can get after those first two climbs and your still feeling fresh you’re doing great!
3. If you’re looking for a comfortable/cheap place to stay, check out the North Cascades Mountain Hostel, super cool hostel and I met a bunch of other runners there the night before. I got some great race intel from other runners who have done this race more than once and also enjoyed making some new friends.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

My Salomon vest with soft flasks is more comfortable than running with handhelds, so I am going to stick to that method for now. I also practiced the method of maintaining momentum at the tops of climbs by counting ten faster steps. I probably counted to ten 100s of times during the race, but I know it helped keep up my pace. I have spent a lot of time messing around with my race nutrition during my training, it’s starting to pay off and I can tolerate eating while running much better.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

See “Lessons for others 1”

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

110%, mountain and lake views, lots of wildflowers and beautiful forests!

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Beginner/intermediate

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Rainshadow Running does a great job, well-oiled machine!

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Not enough experience to know.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

The 50k race uses the lottery system, but they also allow bib transfers. I ended up buying a bib from another runner who was injured. They make the bib transfer process pretty simple too and it’s all laid out on the Rainshadow Running website.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

They were all solid, and all but one allow drop bags for those interested.

Weather and typical race conditions

Sunny/Warm. Cool and comfortable in the morning and it starts to warm up at the start of the race, high temp on race day was 68 degrees.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

I was considering using more sun protection and bringing sunscreen with me during the race, but once I learned that the second part of the course was shaded, I opted to go without the sleeves/extra sunscreen. Worked out well and came away without any sunburns. When it’s sunny the one thing I 100% go without is sunglasses.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes, for a trail ultra. Plenty of cheers at the aid stations and from spectators hiking on the course

How’s the Swag?

Nice selection of shirts, beer glasses, stickers and even some merchandise from different Rainshadow races.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

5/5, I would recommend this to most people.

Race: Sun Mountain 50k

Runner: Chase P

Race Date: 05/18/2019

Location: Winthrop, WA

Results: 6:43

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2378503677

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

Scenery/views, people, those cushy trails!

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Nothing – this was a perfect race.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The 1/4mi walk up the very steep hill to the parking lot after the race. Nothing Rainshadow can do about this – but it sucks after the race!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I did an excellent job of pacing myself in the first half. I negative split my 2nd half of the race which I’m proud of since the heat became quite a factor. Lots of people hit the wall in the 2nd half but I did not.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

If you don’t want to get caught up in a massive bottleneck in the first few miles, then sprint ahead of the pack to get through the gate before it slows down. Many minutes were spent watching the conga line go through the gate, and then later up and over the barbed wire fence.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Any amount of heat is no joke, and sodium intake must be a premium focus!

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

The double-peak of Thompson Pass straight up sucks. But, once you reach that Thompson Pass aid station, it’s more or less rockable from there if you aren’t blown out already.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

No. It is an INSANELY pretty course!

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Yes. While the profile doesn’t look too tough on paper, the course packs a serious punch with well-timed climbs. Everyone I talked to remarked that it was much tougher than they had expected. I think the heat and wide-open exposure of the course “helped” with that.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Completely well-oiled. Not a thing Rainshadow can do better in my eyes.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Competition was pretty tight in the middle of the pack!

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Lottery system…and after experiencing the Methow I totally understand why.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

They had everything. I got after the pickles, oreos, and coke.

Weather and typical race conditions

Weather said it was somewhere between 65-70*…but it sure felt hotter than that all day. Prepare for 80-85* weather with that exposure.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

Nope – no surprises.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes! The finish line was rowdy.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

5/5

Race: Sun Mountain 25k

Runner: Rohit E

Race Date: 05/20/2018

Location: Methow Valley, WA

Results: 3:54:50

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1585482388

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. Location: The Methow Valley in May is gorgeous.
2. Moderate elevation in this race: About 2600-2700 ft total elevation gain, and mostly not too steep when there was elevation. 1000 ft in the first 3 miles, 500 in the middle, and a couple of hundred later.
3. Course was well marked and aid stations were ok. Pizza at the finish area was excellent.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

1. Course was a bit longer than 25K, and different spots on the Rainshadow website had inconsistent information (one place said 15.5 miles and another said 16.1 miles). It ended up being 16.2 by my watch, which tends to do pretty well.
2. I wish they had spent a few seconds talking about passing etiquette at the pre-race briefing. Most of the race is single-track trail, and there were a couple of stubborn folks who just wouldn’t move over until I asked repeatedly.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

1. I enjoyed the course, the weather, and just being out there for 4 hours.
2. I hydrated and took in calories pretty well before and during the race.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

1. If you want to pass, you have to speak up and let the person in front know. Waiting for them to let you by will just waste time.
2. After the Yakima Skyline a month ago (with a lot of elevation and steep sections), I was on the fence about using poles for this race, but was glad I didn’t in the end. Didn’t really need them and glad not to have carried the extra weight.
3. My calves burned on the way up and my quads burned the day after due to the downhills. I need to work on conditioning these more.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Pass more aggressively.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Mostly single-track. Not very rocky, so you don’t need heavy duty trail shoes. Uphill and downhill sections are fairly gentle for the most part, there are some steep-ish sections getting into the Lodge Aid station and up Patterson Mountain, but never to the point where your feet are slipping or you have to scramble on hands and feet. The weather was slightly on the warm side (65 at start and touched 80 at some points), so the course was pretty dry. Some folks mentioned that there were a lot of bugs / mosquitoes out on the course the previous day (Saturday / 50K), so I slathered on some Deet before my race, but I didn’t perceive it as an issue on Sunday, perhaps because of the heat.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Gorgeous, yes.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Pretty moderate.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Fairly well run, but could be a slightly tighter ship.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Not sure; not relevant to me at this point as I’m at the slow end.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

• The race sells out and there is a lottery.
• Staying in Winthrop is a good choice if you’re coming from Seattle. Lots of good options there at reasonable prices.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Pretty standard. I only grabbed a PB&J mini-sandwich at each and a cup of Coke at the 2nd one, because I was carrying all my nutrition with me. I think they were supposed to have gels but I didn’t notice them. They had sad-looking banana sections and some orange slices.

Weather and typical race conditions

I would guess pretty good conditions most of the time, with occasional rain. Can be slightly warm, as it was this year.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

Moderate trail shoes, don’t need heavy ones. Not too much elevation, so most folks shouldn’t need poles. The first half is pretty exposed, so sunglasses are good; the second half has more tree cover. Moderate amount of water; I would say 1 to 1.25 liters should be enough.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

I think the two aid stations are accessible by car.

How’s the Swag?

There is no swag that I know of. T-shirts are a bit pricey, at $45. The women’s t-shirts were a cool color (light blue), but the men’s were grey and I have way too many grey shirts.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

I’d say 4 out of 5. It’s a great location, fairly well run, and a moderate course; but there are some little annoyances, which if fixed, would make this a 5/5. Having said that, I intend to enter the lottery again next year to do this race.

Race: Sun Mountain 25K

Runner: Anna U

Date: 05/20/2018

Location: Winthrop, WA

Results: 4:07

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking! Big rolling hills covered with wild sunflowers and lupine for miles, snowcapped Cascades in the distance and Lake Patterson to look down on from the initial big ascent and then at the finish as well.
2. You get the hardest part done first which is a big climb. Everyone is still clumped together so it’s a social experience for that first challenge.
3. I loved that you end the race running along the lake and you can see and hear the people and band at the finish line. Many people jumped in the lake afterwards and the beer and pizza was plentiful.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Get to the bathrooms early! and watch for bears. There was apparently a bear seen near the porta potties which were near the dumpsters.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

I anticipated being a lot hotter than I was. It was 75 with some cool breezes and I just didn’t get that overheated. Being a cool weather gal I thought that would be a huge problem for me. I drank water throughout the race but don’t think I made it through my 1.5 stowed liters. I did drink at aid stations and ate 4-5 GUs throughout the race.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

As with many races, the further along in the race I got, the more spaced out everyone was. The first leg you are practically on top of one another and most people were power hiking the majority of the up. It was steep. By the second leg, for five miles, there are more rolling hills and runnable trails and I definitely encountered people but had solo running time alone as well. By the third leg of about 5 miles I was basically on my own the majority of the time. It’s a lovely downhill run through the forest along a rushing creek that’s winding its way down to the lake. When you pop out of the forest at the lake you suddenly have big sky and big field views. Then it’s another pretty jaunt along the lake to the finish line.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Most people have to park about 1/2 mile away with a lot of up to get there. Bring extra clothes with you and leave them in the specified area for after the race. You’ll want to hang out and listen to music and drink beer without having to climb back up to your car to retrieve your belongings.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

I have been having issues with calf cramps and although I did stretch pre-race that first up is very steep and I did get cramped up for a while. I would do a warm up run and stretch a lot more if I did this again.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Once you get to the first aid station you’re golden. You’ve done the hard work and now you just need to persevere. The next miles are mostly down and/or rolling and quite a bit out of the sun.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Absolutely! Mountains, flowers, horses, lakes, happy runners.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

The first leg of 7.5 miles is the most challenging because the majority of the elevation happens. You start with a short trot down the road (.5 mile maybe) and then everyone goes single file up the hill. If you are a faster hiker you’ll want to get to the front of the pack because it’s not especially easy to move ahead otherwise without straying off the path. The trail to the very top of the hill, which is probably the steepest part, is also the trail that people use to come down and they are barreling down as fast as they can after the steady hike up. You need to watch out for people to avoid collision. The it’s down for a while and nice but then there are a couple hundred feet up to the first aid station at the Sun Mountain Lodge and that was mentally the hardest part for me. You’ve been exposed in the sun for a while and then you can see all the people climbing above you and it’s daunting.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

It all felt very well run to me.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Some runners beat me, I beat some runners. I think there were people of many fitness levels at the race.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

• We stayed at the River’s Edge Cabins in Winthrop. They were very nice and right next to the river (obviously) and had nice hot tubs. The cabins are right in town but it was so quiet at night except the rushing river sounds.
• We ate a delicious dinner in Twisp called the Local Blend. We ate outside and the curry bowl was amazing. Not cheap eats ($15-20 entrees) but really wholesome food.
• Check out the historical museum. Very cool.
• http://www.riversedgewinthrop.com/en-us
• http://methowvalleynews.com/tag/local-blend/

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Standard fare for the most part. I loved the watermelon.

Weather and typical race conditions

It was 75 and sunny but had rained a bunch recently so it was not too dusty. I imagine it could be dustier.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

I wore a running pack with hydration tube for easy drinking. I saw some 50 kers without. A hat is probably key as there’s often sun. They did have bug spray and sun screen at the aid stations as bugs were an issue for many.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

The lake at the start/finish is wonderful for kayaks, SUPs, fishing, canoes, and swimming. Your family could hang out and play on the lawn and enjoy the lake. We had SUPs and paddled out the first day and cheered on the last of the 50 kers who finished along the lake. When I raced my husband waited out there for me and cheered me from the lake, nice surprise.

How’s the Swag?

Tech shirts and sweatshirts not cheap but cool design. They had lots of last year’s things for cheaper. We got a buff for swag.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

I’d give the race a 5 out of 5 stars. I loved the scenery and people were relaxed and happy for the most part.