October 7th, 2023
50 Miler start: 7:00 AM
50K start: 8:00 AM
Marathon start: 8:00 AM
25K start: 9:00 AM
Sign up at: UltraSignUp
New Date and Location!!
This year’s Willapa Trail Festival Footraces will start and finish at a new location. Owl and Olive Cafe and event space will be our host. This beautiful farmstead is located in between the Willapa Hills State Park Trail and the banks of the upper Chehalis River. The 56-mile Willapa Hills Trail follows an old rail grade traversing the rolling hills and rivers of scenic southwest Washington from Chehalis to Raymond and ending in South Bend along the Willapa River and Willapa Bay. Running along this beautiful trail in autumn makes for an excellent running event experience for our modest entry fees. Overnight camping available as well at our venue as well as nearby Rainbow Falls State Park also makes this event a great opportunity to take a weekend away and experience a beautiful, less-traveled area of Washington. All profits from this race will be used to continue to improve and maintain the Willapa Hills Trail and the communities it runs through.
Flattest, Fastest, or First!
This course is flat as heck. It’s a great option if you’re looking to set a new personal best finish time, or if you’re running to complete your first ultra! It’s seriously like a pancake. It’s likely one the flattest and fastest 50 mile courses you’ll find in the PNW.
Race Entry
OlyTrailRunners is a Non-Profit dedicated to supporting the local trail running community and preservation of recreational trails in the greater Olympia area. To keep our events inclusive and promote running for everyone we keep our entry fees low. Both the 25k and Marathon will be $35. The 50k will be $40. The $50 miler will be $45.
Course
This course is one of the flattest and fastest you’ll find in Washington State. It is a perfect course for someone looking to run their first ultramarathon, or to set a very fast personal best in any of the distances offered. It is also nearly impossible to get lost. The trail is flat and wide double track following an old rail grade along the Chehalis River. The surface is mostly hard packed gravel. From our start location at Owl and Olive, runners will head east along the Willapa Hills State Park Trail. Once you reach your designated turnaround point you will turn and head west along the same trail until you return to the start/finish area at Owl and Olive. There will be 2-3 aid stations along the way, depending on which distance you are running. 50 Mile runners will do an additional out and back heading west from the start/finish area along the trail thru the town of Pe Ell and beyond to the Pluvius Hill crest with an additional 2 aid stations along the way. The aid stations will be stocked with water, electrolytes, and the usual assortment of candy, cookies, chips, fruit, and gels offered at most ultras.
There will be no cutoffs for runners, however, the aid stations will close at specific times. Runners who think they will still be on course after the aid stations designated closing times should plan to carry sufficient water and food to get them to the finish. Aid station volunteers and race staff will monitor who is on course and will reserve the right to pull any runners who cannot finish their run by the time the start/finish line closes on Saturday night. Aid station closing times will be posted in the future. Don’t panic! We’ll give you plenty of time to finish your run comfortably!
Parking
Parking will be provided by Owl and Olive and will be available to all runners and crew until the start/finish area closes on Saturday night. Some overnight parking and camping is available for Friday night as well. Contact the race director for details if you plan to stay the night at the race venue on Friday night.
Another great overnight camping option is to purchase an overnight camping spot in the nearby Rainbow Falls State Park campground for Friday and/or Saturday night. Reservations for camping spots can be made at www.parks.wa.gov
Race Day
Race Day
Packet pickup will be available beginning at 6:00 AM Saturday.
The 50-mile run will begin at 7:00 AM Saturday morning.
The 50k/Marathon runs will begin at 8:00 AM Saturday morning.
The 25k run will begin at 9:00 AM Saturday morning.
The Start/Finish area will close for all runners at 10 pm on Saturday night.
Please note!
Please note that a Washington State Discover Pass is required for all vehicles parked inside the state park. The Discover Pass can be purchased in advance for a $30 annual fee or can be purchased at the park for a $10 daily fee. The park ranger will be checking for a Discover Pass displayed in your front window otherwise you will receive a $99 ticket! For a list of places where you can buy a Discover Pass, visit: http://discoverpass.wa.gov/
Please be courteous of the trails (i.e., no littering) and help us to maintain our good standing with the state parks, other user groups, and local residents so we can continue to offer this race in the future.