Beacon Rock

Distances: 50k, 25k

http://beaconrock50k.blogspot.com/

In both 2011 and 2012 I thought this race stood out for all the related social events. You could show up as early as Friday night to camp out for the Sunday race. Post-race there was not just a barbecue, but a live bluegrass band. The race course was a short stretch of paved and dirt road from the group campsite at Beacon Rock State Park to a figure-eight loop on dirt road and single-track, the 25k group does one loop and the 50k group does two. Aid station volunteers are always saints, but I was particularly impressed with the helpfulness of these volunteers. But maybe that's because I ran the 50k and we passed the same the aid station, strategically located at the junction of the figure-eight, four times in total and got to know the volunteers rather well. This is the first of the many races directed by James Varner that I've run and I would certainly be willing to do another of his events. Kudos to the Glenn Tachiyama, the 2012 race photographer. I find most race photos make you look awkward or pained, but he managed to take the single best running photo of me ever! (not to brag, but damn if he don't make me look good! http://www.pbase.com/gtach/image/144152473)

Sun Mountain Trail Races

Distances: 50 mile, 50k, 25k, 1k kid's run

http://sunmountaintrailraces.blogspot.com/

I highly recommend this race for the incredible scenery! This was a great first 50 miler for me, in part due to the well organized race and fantastic course. The first 20 miles of the 50 mile course are through rolling meadows with the spring flowers in full bloom and snow capped peaks in the background. Some of these trails are little used, so the route may not look like much but it was well flagged and I had not problems staying on course. Then the 50 mile course joins up with the 50k course and the two groups were together the rest of the day. The 25k course is mostly along the 50k course, but the two do split and rejoin once- which led me to momentarily panic thinking I might have made a wrong turn somewhere. The trails of the 25k/50k course were better used than the ones the 50 mi folks saw in the morning. Although this is a reasonably hilly course, most of the hills were "runnable," though there is, of course, a difference between "runnable" and what an ordinary mortal would choose to run in the middle of a 5 to 12 hour race. It did seem to me the hills got steeper as the race progressed, but it's tough to say if the hills actually got steeper or if it just seemed that way. I wish I'd had a little more energy to enjoy the views from the ascent and descent or Patterson Mtn between the last aid station and the finish. The race provided pizza, beer, and bluegrass music at the finish, but you might want to BYO camp chair. This is the ideal season and environment for ticks so do a thorough check for them once you get home in the evening.

Bloomsday

Distance: 12k
http://www.bloomsday.org/
Probably the biggest race in the pacific northwest. Since I grew up in Washington, I've been hearing legends about the difficulty of Doomsday Hill... and when I first ran it (in 2006) ended up almost disappointed with how easy it was. Which is not to say the course, or Doomsday Hill, is easy. It is a tough, hilly course for a road race. But the LEGEND of Bloomsday's difficulty was created by the majority of participants who train to do just this one race every year. Any runner who has trained to race a 12k should have no problems. I enjoyed it immensely and have been particularly impressed with how good natured all the volunteers and participants seem to be. Even though they use chip timing, if you are hoping to put in a fast time, try to get into the second seed. Things are just far less chaotic at the start and finish. Even from the first box of the general starters, there are so many people to weave around that it's hard to do more than 7 min/mile for the first 2 miles. Second seed has gotten more difficult to get into, so you will need to 1) register on-line with a qualifying time from a past Bloomsday 2) mail a qualifying time from another race to the Bloomsday folks in advance or 3) cross your fingers and get to the check-in as early as possible on Friday. Start is cold and there are no drop bags, so wear old clothes, hang them on the trees in the start and they will be collected and given to thrift stores. Lots of food booths in the finish area so I recommend bringing a little money so you can hang out in the park and have some lunch after the race.

Tri-Cities Marathon

Distances: marathon, marathon relay
http://www.3rrr.org/marathon/
This race has been around almost 30 years. It's a flat and fast marathon. Or rather, it's fast if the wind isn't blowing- and it has been windy 3 of the last 4 years. You cross the Columbia River 4 times. The start is in Richland, you cross the river into into Pasco, then into Kennewick, and then cross again into Pasco (on windy days, this is where you could start running into a headwind), then a final bridge back into Richland. The only hills are over the bridges. It is very well done and worth doing.
****reviewed by a guest reviewer****

Columbia River Power Marathon

Distances: marathon, half-marathon
http://www.columbiarivermarathon.com/
2008 was the 1st running of this race. The course crosses McNary Dam and runs a 5 mile loop in Washington, crosses back across the columbia via the I-82 bridge footpath and then the remainder is one big loop on the Oregon side. It is all paved except a five mile section on the Oregon side along the river. The unpaved part is old dirt road with small and large rocks and a lot of sand, which is sometimes hard to run on. Once back on pavement, heading back to town, you run on the right side of the road along mostly narrow shoulders (that is with oncoming traffic at your back). To increase safety, I suggested that they reverse the loop on the Oregon side, so runners can see the oncoming traffic. Great aid stations. Very well done for a first time event.
****reviewed by a guest reviewer****

Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon

Distance: marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay
http://www.leavenworthmarathon.com/
about 800 runners, 86 for full amd 700 for half. good course. Hilly for first 3-4 miles. slightly less the next 4 miles. run through a park on gravel and dirt for about a mile. fairly flat for the next 5-6, and then you do it all over again if you are doing the full. down hill finish. the race number pickup could have been a little more organised. long lines for the half marathoners and then another long line to pick up your shirt. should have given the shirt at the same time you picked up your race number. all in all a good marathon.
****reviewed by a guest reviewer****

Spokane to Sandpoint Relay

Distance: 190 mile relay for 12 runners
http://www.spokanetosandpoint.com/index.htm
This is a great way to spend a weekend playing with your best running buddies. The views as the course winds from Spokane, WA through Coeur d'Alene, ID to Sandpoint, ID are stunning and the much advertised rollercoaster was a pretty cool addition. All the teams displayed overwhelming support for all the runners. 2008 was the first year for this relay and I was very impressed with how well organized this race was, especially considering the challenges a race this long faces. Here's a few insider's tips if you are putting a team together:
*** Race start times varied from 5 AM to 11 AM on Friday morning. So if you are driving to Spokane from any distance, plan to travel on Thursday.
*** There was good cell phone coverage along the entire route. We found our 2 vans were constantly calling each other to check on the runners' progress. Designate a specific phone in each van, and make sure it has a car charger.
*** The race is self-supported. Temperatures topped 100 degrees in 2008, so bring a lot of water to keep your team's runners hydrated. Most of the first 12 legs are in rural areas, which means there are no stores of any kind to replenish depleted supplies or grab forgotten items. The race organizers did provide portajohns at every exchange zone. If you or your team is interested in leg splits, you will also need to keep track of those yourself.
*** There were some problems with runners going off course. The race organizers seemed interested in improving the race, so I expect the course will be better marked next year. Unfortunately, one reason people got off course was that mischievous people in the Coeur d'Alene area moved course markers and thereby led runners astray during a night section of the race. So I recommend you stay alert and read your leg descriptions before you run. Bike pacers would also be helpful for legs 12-21.
*** Don't be intimidated by night running. Many of my teammates felt that they ran their best during the night, in the second set of legs. Our first legs at midday on Friday were hot (by the end of the race, my team was referring to them as the 'heatstroke legs') and by the third leg we were so tired we were weaving. But during that magical middle the weather had cooled, car traffic has dropped off, you were seeing other runners because teams from the different start times were catching each other. Additionally, adrenaline was still able to hold its own against bleary-eyed sleep deprivation through most of the night.
*** There were showers available near some of the major exchanges. Runners from one of our team vans took advantage of the showers. I think they decided that the time would have been better spent getting a little extra sleep.
*** In 2008, no teams ran in the "ultra" division (6 runners rather than 12). There were 2 teams in an unadvertised "high school" division that ran only 122 miles. Race organizers hinted that a shorter version may be offered more officially in the future.

Wenatchee Marathon

Distances: marathon, half-marathon, 10k, kid's run
http://www.wenatcheemarathon.com/index.htm
This is a first-class effort by the organizers, with chip timing, lots of pre-race communications, medals for finishers, drop bags, great "poly" shirts and blocked hotel rooms with discounted (though still pricey) rates for runners. The event includes a marathon, and 10K and kids' races as well. The event is easily accessible for anyone living in western Montana and should be close enough to return home post-race. (You can postpone hotel checkout till after the race to get a shower before getting back on the road...) Except for a portion on downtown streets at the start, the course follows an asphalt trail and lies mostly within the area's river park system. The route crosses a ped bridge and then another large bridge over the Columbia (on the bridge's sidewalk). Course info has the run at about 600 feet elevation with a 60' gain, though there were several ups and downs. Some in the half-marathon may see it as a problem that the half-marathon starts first and the 10K and Marathon start shortly after with the result that slower half marathoners will be overtaken by the pace bike for the later races, before their turn-around point. Personally, I enjoyed seeing the faster people and the bikers were good about giving warnings before passing. With the river and surrounding mountains, this is a wonderful, scenic run, even on a cloudy day.
****reviewed by a Helena Running Club guest reveiwer****