They said this course would be "brutiful," and man, they weren't kidding. My watch showed 5,600 feet of elevation gained, but the course was basically a 32 mile ramp, meaning there was precious little downhill. I've run ultras with way more gain, but this course felt harder.

Here's my Strava reading for those interested - you'll see what I mean by the "ramp." https://www.strava.com/activities/607253631/overview

The race itself was stunning - starting at the halfway point of the 100K. I'd never been to Umpqua State Park, and it's absurdly beautiful. The course follows the Umpqua river for long stretches, providing runners with views of crystal clear water, tons of waterfalls, and striking forest. The waterfall you see at mile 29 is as big and captivating as any I've seen, and then you're treated to another badass waterfall about 2 miles later - great lift at the end of a tough race. There were only 4 aid stations, but I didn't feel like I needed more.

The course was very well marked, and this was the first ultra in years where I didn't go off course. Go Beyond Racing always has fantastic swag, and I loved my finisher's pint glass (the ones with the inward turned brim - kinda shaped like a can - are so cool, and that's what everyone got). They also had a ton of sweet prizes for the winners and lots of raffle prizes for everyone. Post race scene was relaxed, as trail races are supposed to be, with finishers and fans just hanging out in the warm (but not hot) sun, overlooking Lemlo Lake and the snow-capped mountains beyond, drinking beer and eating. Seriously, everywhere you turn throughout this race you are treated to just stunning scenery, and the post race vibe fit perfectly.

My race didn't go all that well, but thankfully the course did not discriminate when dishing out punishment, so I was able to hang on to fourth place in the end. I was with the leaders for a brief couple of miles and eventually let them go when the pace got too hot. Speaking of hot, temps were pretty high (high 60s by the end), but most of the course is run through forested valleys, so there was a ton of cover and temperature was never a factor. It was quite comfortable on course. Anyway, I was determined to run my race, to run within myself, and to hopefully reel in one or two of the leaders before the end.

Haha - there was absolutely no reeling to be done. They left me at mile 4 and I never saw them again. I was moving well, saw my awesome crew (Julia and Dylan) at 13 and they told me I was 5 minutes back. Great - felt good, was moving well, but that didn't last. By 18 I was walking FREQUENTLY, running when I could, and trying to keep my head on straight. I was waiting for runners behind to overtake me, but that never happened. Clearly, I wasn't the only one reduced to frequent walking/hiking.

I was pretty well trained for this race, with lots of trails and hills in my prep, but I was nowhere near ready for this course. Very challenging, but equally beautiful and definitely worthwhile. Another Go Beyond Racing race that I'd recommend!

(pic below is me and my friend Matt, who came in from Chi to run. Check out that pint glass! =D)