This race wasn't advertised very well in advance, but boy am I glad that I discovered it. The entry fee was just the cost of an annual entry fee for … MORE
This race wasn’t advertised very well in advance, but boy am I glad that I discovered it. The entry fee was just the cost of an annual entry fee for the Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, which was $20. It started with a musket blast in the replica of Fort Clatsop where Lewis & Clark’s party spent the winter of 1805-1806. It then ran through dense coastal rain forest along the Fort to Coast trail. The course was a 6.55 mile out-and-back which went down one steep ridge with many switchbacks, which meant we had to climb back up them on the way back to the finish near the visitor’s center. Once we neared the coast, the trail meandered around some private property lines in open, grassy fields. This was my least favorite part of the course because the grass had overgrown the trail and there were a few blackberry vines that I had to dodge. There were also about 4 or 5 “cattle guards” that we had to go through which consisted of a wooden structure with tight turns so that cattle couldn’t get through. The turns were so tight that you needed to come to almost a complete stop to get through them. Everyone had to navigate them though, so it was a fair race. At the turnaround at the beach, we were met with a mascot dressed in a salmon costume. It was a tough course, but a scenic one that went through coastal rain forest and the beach zone. We were given a nice wooden finisher’s award at the finish and there was plenty of free food. Surprisingly, this race was organized and implemented entirely by National Park Service personnel. I believe this is one of the few such races anywhere in the United States. I would highly recommend this as a destination race for any history buff or runner with a family.
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Gem of a trail run in a special place
This race wasn't advertised very well in advance, but boy am I glad that I discovered it. The entry fee was just the cost of an annual entry fee for … MORE
This race wasn’t advertised very well in advance, but boy am I glad that I discovered it. The entry fee was just the cost of an annual entry fee for the Lewis & Clark National Historical Park, which was $20. It started with a musket blast in the replica of Fort Clatsop where Lewis & Clark’s party spent the winter of 1805-1806. It then ran through dense coastal rain forest along the Fort to Coast trail. The course was a 6.55 mile out-and-back which went down one steep ridge with many switchbacks, which meant we had to climb back up them on the way back to the finish near the visitor’s center. Once we neared the coast, the trail meandered around some private property lines in open, grassy fields. This was my least favorite part of the course because the grass had overgrown the trail and there were a few blackberry vines that I had to dodge. There were also about 4 or 5 “cattle guards” that we had to go through which consisted of a wooden structure with tight turns so that cattle couldn’t get through. The turns were so tight that you needed to come to almost a complete stop to get through them. Everyone had to navigate them though, so it was a fair race. At the turnaround at the beach, we were met with a mascot dressed in a salmon costume. It was a tough course, but a scenic one that went through coastal rain forest and the beach zone. We were given a nice wooden finisher’s award at the finish and there was plenty of free food. Surprisingly, this race was organized and implemented entirely by National Park Service personnel. I believe this is one of the few such races anywhere in the United States. I would highly recommend this as a destination race for any history buff or runner with a family.