Race: Wy’east Wonder 50k
Runner: Simon Pollock
Race Date: 06/24/2023
Location: Parkdale, Oregon
Results
Finished! (8:55, but the course ran 1.5 miles longer than advertised)
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
- Location, location, location. Wy’east Wonder is a point-to-point course that basically runs south to north just east of Wy’east (aka Mt. Hood) on a ridge line between 4,000-6,000 ft above sea level. On good or better weather days, the mountain views are stupendous.
- It’s a very runnable course. Multiple people recommended this as a first ultra, part of why I picked it. Everything other than the precipitous descent over the last 2.5 miles was either double-track fire road or mostly well-packed single-track. Although speed demons may not love that many of the descents have lots of turns.
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
Prepare well for long gaps between aid stations, and honestly, the course needs at least one more. The gap between the first and second aid stations ran 1.5+ miles longer than listed due to some last-minute construction on a nearby forest road, and while the race organizers announced at the start line that the cutoff at the second aid station was extended, they did not really mention the mileage. I was told at the second aid station that many runners were coming in much later than expected because of this shift.
Plot the course on Footpath, or Gaia, or whichever reliable GPS service you use offline. Don’t just rely on GoBeyond Racing’s .gpx file. There are some easy-to-make wrong turns. GoBeyond did an okay job marking turns, but they need more proper “RACERS + [ARROW]” signs. Make sure you keep an eye out for those orange agility cones.
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
Prepare for the shuttles. Because this is a point-to-point, know that you’ll be bussed from race central to the start (25ish minutes), and that there is a shuttle from the finish line back to race central (short ride, about 7 minutes). If you don’t have crew, make sure to drop finish line change of clothes and anything else you want on the tarp, as directed at the start.
Plan for a net downhill course and save your quads for the end. You will make a techy, switchback-y 2000-foot descent in the last 2.5 miles.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
This course is an excellent adventure. My primary goal was to finish, and I was well-coached and well prepared to ignore my HR/pace/cadence data, run by feel, meet people and take tons of pictures. I had a great time.
I had a particular focus on making sure I carried all my own gels and portioned electrolyte mix, plus full restocks of everything in my crew bag for the 22-mile mark. Can’t emphasize this enough: know how you sweat and what you need for hydration. Aid stations are staffed by amazing volunteers, but they’re far apart and it’s worth making sure you have what you need for nutrition and hydration (plus a little extra just in case) in your vest/belt.
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
Already mentioned this and, worth emphasizing:
- Know your body and plan for that gnarly descent at the end.
- Plan for the second section to run long
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
1000% yes.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
I was told that it was a good choice for first-time ultrarunners like myself, and I’d mostly agree. Very runnable up until about 29.5 when you make your final turn and start the descent. About two-thirds of the descent is totally runnable, but it’s all switchbacks, so don’t expect to be able to set it in down-hill gear and charge it.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
I give GoBeyond a B+. They had to extend the cutoff twice, once right before we started +15 min, and again once they realized how much longer the course was running into the second aid station. I’m both grateful for that and got briefly worried that I’d made a wrong turn when the aid station didn’t show up within a half mile of what I was expecting.
Also, as mentioned above: needs more signage. A few more direction signs in the ground would go a long way from keeping runners off of nearby fire roads.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
Wasn’t my focus.
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.
Nope! Just keep an eye on GoBeyond’s registration dates and plan ahead.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Know how you sweat. Bring your own electrolyte mix. Plan for the long gaps.
Weather and typical race conditions
Late June is a terrific time to be around Mt. Hood.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?
Nope!
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
Not really, but there’s lots of hiking to do and beautiful orchards to explore while they wait.
How’s the Swag?
Totally fine. Provided by Territory Run Co.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
3.5 stars! I had an absolute blast. Easiest way to bump up to 4 or 4.5 is to improve signage and pre-race comms about course changes. This race would definitely be a 5-star race for me with another aid station.