This was the third Northwest Trail Runs event I've done, and it lived up to my expectations. This event was held at Saint Edward State Park, a small park by Lake Washington in Kenmore, a short drive from Seattle.

We were early, but there was no trouble finding parking. Because it is a state park, a Discover Pass or day pass is required to park. They had a volunteer providing useful instructions about where to park and how to find registration (useful due to construction onsite that blocked the usual route). As with prior events, bib pickup was day-of only and went smooth and easy.

The race director provided a short briefing (e.g., how course was marked, watching for other trail users) and then walked the group to the start (which had to be moved due to construction). Although we started out on wider trails, the first stretch was crowded, and some runners shifted erratically to avoid puddles and effectively cutting other runners off. We had strung out some by the time we hit the first single track, but there were quickly small clusters governed by the pace of the runner in front. In time though, there were places to squeeze by, and other runners were considerate in letting people pass.

The 1.5 miles or so was mostly rolling before a fast descent of more than 300 feet over less than 3/4 mile. Most of this section was wide enough that you could pass, and it wasn't terribly technical. At the bottom of the hill, we ran a technical trail along the lake shore for about half a mile before making a steep climb (>400 feet over less than 3/4 mile). The last mile was a short downhill followed by essentially flat ground. The loop totaled about 4 miles, and the 8-milers just repeated that loop again.

There was a single aid station, positioned at the end of the 4 mile loop, which was also the registration tent and finish line. It was stocked with an assortment of trail race goodies—candy, dried fruit, chips, water, hydration beverage, etc.

This was our first time at St. Edward, and the trails were a lot of fun. The course was also arranged so that the hard descent was over wider, easier to maneuver trails, and the technical trails were reserved for the flat midpoint and slow climb. As with other NW Trail Runs, the course was impeccably marked (I know an 8-miler got a little confused about a small section that we doubled back on, but overall people seemed to follow the course markings fine). Since it was a short distance, it was also easy to mostly follow other people—little worry about getting lost here.

In keeping with the season series & trail event spirit, it was pretty low frills—clock timing, day-of bib pickup, no finisher swag (though they did have top 3 prizes and then a raffle—many folks had already left, so you probably had a good shot at picking up something). But this approach helps keep costs low, and if you complete 4 or more events in the series, you do pick up some swag. There was a photographer or 2 on the course, and photos were available for download at no cost.

In short, the course was a blast, and the management was what I expected. Northwest Trail Runs puts on a professionally run and fun event, with clear course markings and at a great price, no matter the distance.

NOTE: Evergreen Trail Runs, which managed this race, has been acquired by Orca Running. So things could be rather different next year. For 2019, they've replaced the 5 mile with a 5K race.

This race is held at Grand Ridge Regional Park, off I-90 just a 20 minute drive from Seattle. There's not much at this exit other than the park system, so getting in was pretty easy. Parking was mainly along the side of the road or along the drive to a church up the hill. We arrived early and had no problems with parking.

As with other trail races, there's no expo, and check-in was a quick and simple affair—give your name, get your bib, wait for start time. No swag included but no big deal to us. You could add a branded but not event-specific shirt for additional cost, but the race is part of a series & no swag helps keep cost down.

Four distances were offered with different start times. 50K & full marathon (about 75 people total) went out at 7:45 am (they did the half course twice, with 50K adding the 5 mi loop). Half marathon, with about 150 starting, went out at 9 am. The 5-miler started at 9:30.

The course started on a wide gravel road, giving us a chance to string out a bit before starting onto the single track trails. Mostly it was hard pack dirt with some small sections where the trail was covered with large rounded stones. Even though the half had a total of 2400 ft of gain, it mostly came in relatively gentle climbs and rolling trails. We're not strong hill runners, but we were able to slowly jog much of the course with a few short hiking climbs. It was a fun course to run. The scenery is the stereotypical Pacific Northwest evergreen forest—nothing in the way of sweeping views but pleasant. The weather was *not* stereotypical—cold but blue skies all day. The sun occasionally blinded us as we turned just the right way, but for the most part visibility on the trail was great.

The first few miles had sections wide enough for 2 people, though it became a bit of a squeeze in the middle miles of the course. Aside from a mile or 2 at the start and end of the course, it was an out and back, which meant full and 50K runners were coming back as the half went out—and the fast ones passed us close to the turnaround point. The trail was also open to regular use, which includes mountain bikes. At this time of year, there weren't too many bikers, and they were considerate of the race runners.

There was one aid station that we passed twice (way up and way back) at 3ish and 10ish miles, with a couple of wonderful volunteers offering up the usual ultra/trail spread (they were cooking up bacon as we went through the second time), and a water only station around mile 7ish. The finish line was a muted affair. We grabbed a few snacks before heading out.

The biggest issue we encountered was with communication before race day. Race management didn't send any email to runners before the event. Then, with the acquisition by Orca Running, they launched with a new website the day before the Grand Ridge event—with all the 2019 races and taking down/breaking the 2018 page the day before the race. That created some stress and frustration, as we were trying to double check times and locations. Hence the lower rating of race management here. Ultimately we were able to find it on their Facebook page. I suspect this was just a snafu as the management changed hands and (hopefully) won't happen again. (Lesson for other race managers: Don't update your website the day before your final race of the year please!)