Rainshadow Running is legendary in the ultra community. I was excited (and very nervous) to finally run one of the legendary James Varner courses. The Oregon Coast 50k did not disappoint. The hub of the race is in a little coastal town called Yachats, OR. There are plenty of little beach cabin rentals in the town, as well as few hotels-- tons to choose from to stay in for the race. If you can get there the night before, Innov-8 hosts a shake-out run and takes you on some of the coastal trails you don't get to see during the race.
I'll be the first to admit, I didn't know what to expect from the race. It's about 4800' of gain over 31 miles, however, the first 9 miles of the course are pancake flat (6.5 of those you run on the beach), so you get that 4800' of gain smashed into around 20 miles. Don't let anyone tell you differently-- the climbs are STEEP, but the views are worth it. Most of the elevation gain is broken up into 3 big climbs. The view of the coast at the top of the first big climb is breathtaking. If you have the time, stop for a minute to take it all in. If you're someone who uses poles during a race, or someone who has been thinking about it, this is definitely a race to try them out on. The race is a mix of of terrain-- beach, gravel paths, a little bit of pavement, hard-packed double-track and some pretty technical rooty single track. Be prepared for it all.
As I said, the first 6.5 miles of this is on the beach--this isn't nearly as terrible as it sounds. The sand is hard-packed by the water, so you're definitely not sinking into it every step--but your feet WILL get wet. The beach section is beautiful, and people come out to cheer. I'll be the first to admit we lucked out with the weather this year, for the most part. Being October in Oregon, there's a pretty decent chance it will rain or snow during this race. High winds, rain, and high tide could make the beach section much more difficult.
One of the unique things about this race is it offers 50k runners two drop bag points-- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. You see your first drop bag at mile 7 right after the beach--pack a towel, and change of shoes and socks. You will definitely want to change your shoes if you don't want your feet to be hamburger meat by the end of the race. You can also stash a drop bag at Cape Perpetua (Mile 14 & 24). This is a good spot to replenish your nutrition if you don't want to carry it all with you. This is the bag I decided to keep my poles in, so I could grab them before the big middle climb in the race. Part of me wishes I had put them in my drop bag at mile 7 and had them for the first big climb. It's not a bad idea to stash extra layers in your bags. The weather can, and will, change quickly during the race. While the temperature stayed pretty pleasant (mid 50s, low 60s), during the race, we had the winds shift, fog roll in, and for about 15 minutes, there was rain. Be prepared for everything.

Now to the nitty gritty:
Parking-- easy, they have you park in a big field by the Adobe resort at the start/finish. Piece of cake
Bathrooms--They have portopotties and bathrooms at the resort at the start, as well as bathrooms along the course (which is not always a guarantee during trail races)
Aid Stations: AWESOME. The volunteers at these races are amazing. Wy'East Wolfpack dressed as Vikings this year at the cape perpetua aid station and kept the energy up the whole time. Aid stations are stocked with all the usual ultra snacks (oreos, gummy bears, fruit, chips, water, gatorade, coke, etc)
Post Race: What can I say-- ocean views, kegs, and food trucks. You can't go wrong.

All in all, amazing race. Rainshadow Running does not disappoint. Tough courses get paid off with amazing views, a huge sense of accomplishment, and a high five from James Varner at the end.

End note: Some of the trails we run on during this race, including the Amanda Trail, are historically significant to The Coos, Lower Umpqua, Alsea, and Siuslaw, and other Oregon Coast Tribes. Rainshadow Running sent out an email before the race explaining the significance of this trail. I greatly appreciated this information, and was even more grateful to have the privilege to run there.