The Deception Pass 50K & 25K takes place at Deception Pass State Park which is named for the narrow and dramatic channel of water that separates Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands in the northern Puget Sound. The area is famous for its rugged coastline, steep cliffs, dense forests and great views. …
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The Deception Pass 50K & 25K takes place at Deception Pass State Park which is named for the narrow and dramatic channel of water that separates Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands in the northern Puget Sound. The area is famous for its rugged coastline, steep cliffs, dense forests and great views. The race covers just about every inch of the park, running at times right at sea level and other times high above on bluffs and hills and twice crosses the pass itself via the historic Deception Pass Bridge which sits about 180 feet above the water. There are no mountains or long climbs like many of our other Rainshadow Running Races but make no mistake Deception Pass 50K is still a tough race with its technical footing, narrow, twisty trails and at times steep grades. It maybe be one of our faster courses but it’s still a good challenge!
Distance: 50K
Elevation gain: ~4300 Feet
Cutoff Time: 8 hours
Distance: 25K
Elevation gain: ~3000 Feet
Cutoff Time: 6 hours
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Not a fan of rainshadow running
Beautiful course!!!! Parking was tight but no biggy. For how expensive this race was i was beyond disappointed on how little they did For the runner. No medal or even … MORE
Beautiful course!!!! Parking was tight but no biggy. For how expensive this race was i was beyond disappointed on how little they did
For the runner. No medal or even a sticker.. the pizza at the end could be cool. But after waiting 40 min for a vegan one i left because it was freezing. race’s dont always have to have swag but when your paying close to 200 bucks. You would think you would have something to take home. Especially if its ur first 50k. Course was mostly marked clearly but one spot i ended up cutting the course on accident because the signage was so confusing to a bunch of us.
Beautiful Deception
This run offers breath-taking views as you run several different loops on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island. The race is not for acrophobes - the Deception Pass bridge connecting the islands … MORE
This run offers breath-taking views as you run several different loops on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island. The race is not for acrophobes – the Deception Pass bridge connecting the islands is 180 feet above the deep and turbulent water. Prior to the race, there is an announcement reminding runners that they can die on this course with the numerous cliffs next to the trail, and signs along the way remind you that falling can be deadly. Combined with the wet and slippery wood bridges, rocks and roots, this course requires careful footing, which can be difficult at times when you want to take in the spectacular views! Rainshadow running does a great job of marking trails, and providing post race food (pizza from a wood-fire oven and beer) and music. My only complaint was that the race start was delayed by over 15 minutes, yet no announcement was made to let us know what was going on. I suggest getting there an hour before to get through registration, which had long lines and probably caused the delayed start. For those outside the WA area, you can easily drive up from the Seattle area the morning of the race. It will take about 1.5 hours to get there. Also, the weather can vary dramatically from year to year, so be prepared. We had perfect running weather with temps between 45 and 50, but it can definitely be much cooler and wet. And look at the map carefully before the race so you aren’t surprised by the ‘summit’ that you have to run up around mile 12. Finally, this race is popular and entries are limited, so you should definitely sign up as soon as registration opens in spring of each year. It sells out fast because it’s such an awesome course.