What a wonderful event that totally lives up to it's expectation! Mt Hood 50K fills up within hours. I was fairly high on the wait list so was told by friends who were familiar with the race that I would get in - which I did!

Overall it's a very manageable 50K to run in the PNW which is know for challenging trail conditions and elevation gain. At approx 2500 ft of gain it was fairly manageable. Much of the course is runnable/soft trail and fairly flat. And the scenery is absolutely gorgeous!!! Amazing views of Mt. Hood and Timothy Lake, and then Mt. Hood BEHIND Timothy Lake. Extra bonus, most of the course is well shaded to block from a strong July sun!

All of the aid station volunteers were amazing, they were all well stocked and extremely organized. And the course markings were perfect. This is probably one of the most well marked trail runs I've done. The "confidence cones" were KEY, especially to a tired ultra runner who needs to get re-assured they are going in the right direction!

Lastly, post race party and swag were a delight! You get your swag (pint glass!) at the finish from the race director who's there for lots of high-fives, hugs, and a mister to cool you down! Tons of food and beer at the finish in a beautiful setting. The accessibility was also key because you could park so close, which made changing post-race quite easy.

As for MY race...I ended up with a great time but probably went out a little fast and didn't fuel enough to support my faster pace. I struggled a ton the last 5 miles but still came in under 5 hours which was exciting!

I definitely hope to do this race again!