beacon rock 25k & KIDS 1K
2024 Race Cancelled due to Trail Closure N. Bonneville, WA
Overview
The course has a mixture of single track trail, and wider double track trail, dirt road and a tiny bit of paved road. Most of the time the tread is smooth, the grade gradual with a few rocky stretches and definitely a few steep sections. Runners will be in the forest most of the time but on a clear day there are spectacular views of Mt Adams, Mt Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. There is about 3750 feet of elevation gain making this race beautiful AND challenging. Free dispersed/primitive camping at the start/finish, a free kids 1k, pre-race and post race festivities, and other trails nearby this is a great event to bring the whole family and or all your running buddies and make a whole weekend out if it!
The course has a mixture of single track trail, and wider double track trail, dirt road and a tiny bit of paved road. Most of the time the tread is smooth, the grade gradual with a few rocky stretches and definitely a few steep sections. Runners will be in the forest most of the time but on a clear day there are spectacular views of Mt Adams, Mt Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. There is about 3750 feet of elevation gain making this race beautiful AND challenging. Free dispersed/primitive camping at the start/finish, a free kids 1k, pre-race and post race festivities, and other trails nearby this is a great event to bring the whole family and or all your running buddies and make a whole weekend out if it!
- Distance: 25K
- Elevation gain: 3750 feet
- Elevation loss: 3750 feet
- Aid Stations: 2
- Runners have 7.5 hours to complete the 25K
- Price: $125
Timeline
Friday Sept 22
Saturday Sept 23
Friday Sept 22
- 4:00pm Folks can begin to arrive for camping
- 6:00 to 8:00 pm Potluck Dinner (we'll provide the main course you bring side dishes or dessert)
Saturday Sept 23
- 7:00 to 8:00 am: Bib pick up at Start/finish DONT FORGET YOUR PHOTO ID!
- 7:30 am Kids 1K Race Start
- 8:00: 25K Race Start
- 11:30 am: Cut off at Hardy Aid Station (1st time -- mile 6.4)
- 2:30 pm: Cut off at Hardy Aid Station (2nd time -- mile 12.4)
- 3:30 pm: Finish line cut off
- 10am Folks need to depart camping area
Driving Directions & Parking
The start and finish of the race will be at the Beacon Rock State Park group campsite. Click here for driving directions. If you are coming from the west on highway 14, (Portland, Seattle), you will turn left onto Kueffler Road. If you are coming from the east on 14, turn right onto Kueffler Road. You will wind up this road for just over one mile and then turn left into the group camping area. There will be event parking signs posted for you to follow.
You will need a Discover Pass to park in the group camping area. There is no kiosk at the group camp so we recommend coming with one. There is a kiosk at the parking area for the actual Beacon Rock, on Highway 14. The annual pass is only $30 and the proceeds go directly to the park system. You can also buy online here
The start and finish of the race will be at the Beacon Rock State Park group campsite. Click here for driving directions. If you are coming from the west on highway 14, (Portland, Seattle), you will turn left onto Kueffler Road. If you are coming from the east on 14, turn right onto Kueffler Road. You will wind up this road for just over one mile and then turn left into the group camping area. There will be event parking signs posted for you to follow.
You will need a Discover Pass to park in the group camping area. There is no kiosk at the group camp so we recommend coming with one. There is a kiosk at the parking area for the actual Beacon Rock, on Highway 14. The annual pass is only $30 and the proceeds go directly to the park system. You can also buy online here
Camping
The camping at the start/finish at the Beacon Rock Group Campsite is free (but you do need a Discover Pass parking pass, first come/first served, primitive and not suitable for RVs larger than 20-23'. The limit on large RVs is because the road to Group Campsite is steep, narrow, winding, and space at the site is limited. There also are not a lot of very large flat spots for leveling your RV. There will be portable toilets available at the group camp site, but no showers and no hook ups.
The space is great for tents, small RVs or camping in your car. If you are camping you should only camp along the edge of the forest, either in the main parking area or in the walk-in area--save the room in the middle of the open spaces for regular parking and for the start/finish festivities. We'll have signs, barricades and volunteers to show you the best places to camp, but try to use common sense about where to camp and keep in mind we are going to have a lot of people in a limited space. The volunteers will not be there after 9:00 pm on Friday, so if you are arriving late, do your best to park/camp along the treeline.
If you want a normal campsite you should consider camping elsewhere in the park or if you have a large RV you should stay at one of the nearby private campgrounds. Pay showers are available in the park at the Boat Launch about 2 miles away (50 cents for 3 mins).
The camping at the start/finish at the Beacon Rock Group Campsite is free (but you do need a Discover Pass parking pass, first come/first served, primitive and not suitable for RVs larger than 20-23'. The limit on large RVs is because the road to Group Campsite is steep, narrow, winding, and space at the site is limited. There also are not a lot of very large flat spots for leveling your RV. There will be portable toilets available at the group camp site, but no showers and no hook ups.
The space is great for tents, small RVs or camping in your car. If you are camping you should only camp along the edge of the forest, either in the main parking area or in the walk-in area--save the room in the middle of the open spaces for regular parking and for the start/finish festivities. We'll have signs, barricades and volunteers to show you the best places to camp, but try to use common sense about where to camp and keep in mind we are going to have a lot of people in a limited space. The volunteers will not be there after 9:00 pm on Friday, so if you are arriving late, do your best to park/camp along the treeline.
If you want a normal campsite you should consider camping elsewhere in the park or if you have a large RV you should stay at one of the nearby private campgrounds. Pay showers are available in the park at the Boat Launch about 2 miles away (50 cents for 3 mins).
Pre-Race Potluck Dinner & Post Race Party
We encourage all volunteers, runners and their friends and family to join us for the whole weekend! Friday evening we'll have a potluck dinner from 6pm to 8pm. We'll provide the drinks and a main course (probably burgers and brats, both real meat and veggie) and we ask that y'all bring something to share like a side dish or dessert. And then Saturday at the finish line we'll provide all the food and drinks with options for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. For runners and volunteers all food and drinks are free. If you're bringing friends and family we just ask for $10 per person and you can pay when you register or pay in person at the race.
In addition to the 25K and Kids 1K race on Saturday there are plenty of other options in Beacon Rock State Park and nearby for short hikes and runs and we recommend at the very least doing the short hike up Beacon Rock itself while you're here.
We encourage all volunteers, runners and their friends and family to join us for the whole weekend! Friday evening we'll have a potluck dinner from 6pm to 8pm. We'll provide the drinks and a main course (probably burgers and brats, both real meat and veggie) and we ask that y'all bring something to share like a side dish or dessert. And then Saturday at the finish line we'll provide all the food and drinks with options for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. For runners and volunteers all food and drinks are free. If you're bringing friends and family we just ask for $10 per person and you can pay when you register or pay in person at the race.
In addition to the 25K and Kids 1K race on Saturday there are plenty of other options in Beacon Rock State Park and nearby for short hikes and runs and we recommend at the very least doing the short hike up Beacon Rock itself while you're here.
Course Details
- The course will be well marked with yellow and black arrow signs at each junction and pink/yellow confidence ribbons every 1/2 mile or so.
- The course is a combination of single track trails, wide dirt trails, and some dirt and paved road to get to/from the group campsite to the trail system. The trails used are mostly smooth and gradual but sometimes they're rocky and or rooty and sometimes steep.
- The course will be a little bit different than in past years and the aid station will be in a slightly different location.
- Route Description: The race starts and finishes at the Beacon Rock Group Campsite. The route begins with 0.1 on dirt road through the group campsite, then 0.3 steep downhill on paved road, then 0.4 gradual uphill on gravel road to the Beacon Rock Equestrian Trailhead. Then from the trailhead the route climbs steadily for 1.1 miles on the wide Equestrian Trail then turns left onto the West Hardy Ridge Trail and continues steadily climbing for the next two miles with the last 0.7 of the climb getting steeper as the trail changes from a wide old road bed type trail to a single track trail. About 4 miles and about 2000ft of gain into the race you'll cross over the spine of Hardy Ridge and begin descending on the steep at times and narrow East Hardy Ridge Trail. After about 0.6 mile the East Hardy Ridge Trail changes from single track trail to an old road bed trail and becomes less steep. After half a mile you'll come to an intersection with the Bridge Trail continue straight on East Hardy Ridge Trail and 0.8 mile later you'll turn left on the Equestrian Trail. You'll gradually descend into the Hardy Creek Valley on the Equestrian Trail and in about a 1/2 mile you'll reach the Hardy Aid Station at Hardy Creek 6.4 miles into the race. From the aid station you'll take the Hardy Creek Trail 1.2 miles to the Hamilton Mountain Trail where you'll turn left to start heading up Hamilton Mountain. You'll climb about 1400ft in about 1.5 miles to the top of Hamilton Mountain. Continue along the ridge of Hamilton Mountain for about 0.8 mile to Hamilton Saddle where you'll get on the Upper Hardy Creek Trail for about a 1/4 mile. At a fork in the Upper Hardy Creek Trail go left on to the Upper Hardy Alternate Trail and follow the Alternate Trail for about 0.7 mile and then turn left to get back on the Upper Hardy Creek Trail and continue dropping down into the Hardy Creek Valley. You'll follow the Upper Hardy Creek Trail for about 1.4 miles then get on the Equestrian Trail for about 0.2 mile to the Hardy Aid Station at mile 12.4. You'll leave the aid station on the Equestrian Trail and take it for about 2.1 miles down to the Equestrian Trailhead. From here you'll retrace your steps back to the start/finish area at Beacon Rock Group Campsite by going down the dirt trailhead road for 0.4 mile then turning right and going up the paved road for 0.3 mile then the last 0.1 mile through the group camp area back to the finish line.
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Aid Stations
Each aid station will be stocked with water, Gnarly electrolyte drink, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, fresh fruit, chips, pickles, and assorted cookies or candy. We will have a variety of gels, but we do ask that you only use those to supplement what you are providing for yourself. There will also be first aid supplies and feminine hygiene products for issues that arise on the course.
Our volunteers are tracking all runners at the aid stations, so please wear your bib visibly on the front of your body.
Hardy Aid Station: mile 6.4
Hardy Aid Station: mile 12.4
Each aid station will be stocked with water, Gnarly electrolyte drink, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, fresh fruit, chips, pickles, and assorted cookies or candy. We will have a variety of gels, but we do ask that you only use those to supplement what you are providing for yourself. There will also be first aid supplies and feminine hygiene products for issues that arise on the course.
Our volunteers are tracking all runners at the aid stations, so please wear your bib visibly on the front of your body.
Hardy Aid Station: mile 6.4
Hardy Aid Station: mile 12.4
Cut-offs
In order to keep our race on schedule and within the time limits of our permits, we have cut off times at the aid stations. If you are not leaving the aid station by the cut off time, you will be given a ride back to the finish area by staff or volunteers.
Although these are public trails, you are participating on them as a registered participant of our event and by signing up for the race, you agree to follow our rules and conditions for completing (or not completing) the race. Our sweeps will be leaving right at cut off time, taking down course markings with them. If you refuse to leave the course after cut off and end up getting lost or injured, requiring search and rescue, our permitting agency could look at that as negligence on our end (allowing runners on the course with no course markings or after the time we agreed to stop people). We take this rule seriously and as it puts our permits in jeopardy, if any runner violates this rule, they may be subject to a ban from future races.
In order to keep our race on schedule and within the time limits of our permits, we have cut off times at the aid stations. If you are not leaving the aid station by the cut off time, you will be given a ride back to the finish area by staff or volunteers.
- 11:30 am: Cut off at Hardy Aid Station (mile 6.4)
- 2:30 pm: Cut off at Hardy Aid Station (mile 12.4)
- 3:30 pm: Finish line cut off**
**Even though the cutoff at the finish line is technically at 3:30pm any runner who makes it out of Hardy Aid Station by the cutoff there and then completes the course will get an official finish even if they cross the finish line after the finish line cutoff time. But we do ask that folks do the best they can to finish by the cutoff time.
Although these are public trails, you are participating on them as a registered participant of our event and by signing up for the race, you agree to follow our rules and conditions for completing (or not completing) the race. Our sweeps will be leaving right at cut off time, taking down course markings with them. If you refuse to leave the course after cut off and end up getting lost or injured, requiring search and rescue, our permitting agency could look at that as negligence on our end (allowing runners on the course with no course markings or after the time we agreed to stop people). We take this rule seriously and as it puts our permits in jeopardy, if any runner violates this rule, they may be subject to a ban from future races.
No Drop Bags & No Crew Access
Due to how limited the space is at the aid station, there will not be any drop bags for this race. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
This course is not crew access friendly because other than at the very start and very end of the race the race route does not cross or come near any public roads.
Due to how limited the space is at the aid station, there will not be any drop bags for this race. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
This course is not crew access friendly because other than at the very start and very end of the race the race route does not cross or come near any public roads.
Kids 1K
The kids 1K race will be Saturday morning at 7:30 am (shortly before the 25K starts). The distance is less than 1 kilometer and the route is a small loop on the edge of the group camp site. Parents are welcome to run with their kids if they want. The kids race is free, untimed and just for fun. The kids races is geared mostly for younger kids but kids of all ages are always welcome.
The kids 1K race will be Saturday morning at 7:30 am (shortly before the 25K starts). The distance is less than 1 kilometer and the route is a small loop on the edge of the group camp site. Parents are welcome to run with their kids if they want. The kids race is free, untimed and just for fun. The kids races is geared mostly for younger kids but kids of all ages are always welcome.
Dogs
Well behaved, leashed dogs are welcome on the course and at the group campsite. Please remember to pick up after your pet and dispose of the bag properly.
Well behaved, leashed dogs are welcome on the course and at the group campsite. Please remember to pick up after your pet and dispose of the bag properly.
Volunteers
We always need volunteers on race day and it is a great way to be a part of the event if you are not running. Volunteers earn all kinds of perks; they get to eat and drink for free and earn credit towards a future Rainshadow race! Volunteer shifts range from just a couple hours in the morning to an all day aid station or something at the finish area. If you are new to volunteering, check out the job descriptions page to find the volunteer gig that is perfect for you! We promise you will have fun!
If you are interested in volunteering for the race, please click this link
We always need volunteers on race day and it is a great way to be a part of the event if you are not running. Volunteers earn all kinds of perks; they get to eat and drink for free and earn credit towards a future Rainshadow race! Volunteer shifts range from just a couple hours in the morning to an all day aid station or something at the finish area. If you are new to volunteering, check out the job descriptions page to find the volunteer gig that is perfect for you! We promise you will have fun!
If you are interested in volunteering for the race, please click this link
Race Shirts Race registration does not include a t-shirt, but runners have the option to purchase one during the registration process. Race artwork by Baylie Peplow of Red Umbrella Designs |
Cancellations
By attending one of our races you agree to accept the terms of and abide by our cancellation policies, our COVID precautions, our race rules. our anti-discrimination policies and any other logistics or arrangements you that must adhere to. If you would like to get more information about any of this or discuss things further please email us at [email protected]
If You Need to/Choose to Cancel Your Registration...
Please fill out this form before race day to let us know you will not be participating in the race. After you fill out the form we'll email you to give you a coupon code for a credit that you can use for one of our future races. NO REFUNDS and NO BIB TRANSFERS.
The amount of credit is based on when you submit this form to cancel your registration:
The coupon code can be used for any Rainshadow race.
The coupon code will be good for two years from the date we email you your coupon code.
If you were in one of our "lottery" races you will be automatically selected if you register for that lottery again the following year.
We are no longer allowing runners to transfer or sell their bib/race entry to another runner. If in the future we can create a simpler system to do this we will bring this option back.
By registering for one of our races you agreed to accept the terms of and abide by our cancellation policy, our COVID precautions, our race rules and any other logistics or arrangements you that must adhere to. If you would like to get more information about any of this or discuss things further please email us at [email protected]
If Rainshadow Cancels a Race...
If we have to cancel an event for any reason (COVID, wildfire, acts of nature, etc.) we understand the disappointment to the participants. But it's something that does happen from time to time so you should be prepared for that possibility.
We will do our best to notify runners as soon as we can but sometimes it may be a last minute situation.
All runners will be sent an email as soon as possible with information about the cancellation and any other pertinent info including what their options are and the deadline for letting us know their decision. If the reason for cancelling the race is something out of our control like something weather or COVID related we will likely offer runners a 50% credit towards a future race as the we see it both the runners and Rainshadow share the risk of a cancelled race equally.
We understand how much money, energy, and time goes into training for an ultramarathon, so if we can make adjustments to our race plans instead of cancelling, that is our priority, but at the end of the day, the safety of our runners, volunteers, staff, and the general public will be the main factor in our decision to cancel.
By attending one of our races you agree to accept the terms of and abide by our cancellation policies, our COVID precautions, our race rules. our anti-discrimination policies and any other logistics or arrangements you that must adhere to. If you would like to get more information about any of this or discuss things further please email us at [email protected]
If You Need to/Choose to Cancel Your Registration...
Please fill out this form before race day to let us know you will not be participating in the race. After you fill out the form we'll email you to give you a coupon code for a credit that you can use for one of our future races. NO REFUNDS and NO BIB TRANSFERS.
The amount of credit is based on when you submit this form to cancel your registration:
- 31 days or more before race day: 50% of your race entry fee + 100% of merchandise or anything else extra you ordered.
- 30 days to 7days before race day: 50% of your race entry fee + 50% of merchandise or anything else extra you ordered.
- Less than 7 days before race day or after race day: 0% of your race entry fee + 0% of merchandise or anything else extra you ordered.
The coupon code can be used for any Rainshadow race.
The coupon code will be good for two years from the date we email you your coupon code.
If you were in one of our "lottery" races you will be automatically selected if you register for that lottery again the following year.
We are no longer allowing runners to transfer or sell their bib/race entry to another runner. If in the future we can create a simpler system to do this we will bring this option back.
By registering for one of our races you agreed to accept the terms of and abide by our cancellation policy, our COVID precautions, our race rules and any other logistics or arrangements you that must adhere to. If you would like to get more information about any of this or discuss things further please email us at [email protected]
If Rainshadow Cancels a Race...
If we have to cancel an event for any reason (COVID, wildfire, acts of nature, etc.) we understand the disappointment to the participants. But it's something that does happen from time to time so you should be prepared for that possibility.
We will do our best to notify runners as soon as we can but sometimes it may be a last minute situation.
All runners will be sent an email as soon as possible with information about the cancellation and any other pertinent info including what their options are and the deadline for letting us know their decision. If the reason for cancelling the race is something out of our control like something weather or COVID related we will likely offer runners a 50% credit towards a future race as the we see it both the runners and Rainshadow share the risk of a cancelled race equally.
We understand how much money, energy, and time goes into training for an ultramarathon, so if we can make adjustments to our race plans instead of cancelling, that is our priority, but at the end of the day, the safety of our runners, volunteers, staff, and the general public will be the main factor in our decision to cancel.
Contact Us
Questions? The race directors for this race and all Rainshadow Running races are James Varner and Katy Farrell.
Email us at [email protected]