Hey you Hill Climbers. Over here Downhillers. Calling Fasties and Speedsters. We’ve got a race that will test your hill skills. We’re putting on a Time Trial on Firelane 1 in Forest Park this spring. It’s a wee-bit steep and you go both up and down. The Firelane Trail Trial course is 4.45 miles roundtrip, with 1,266 feet of total gain and total loss. Hill Yeah!
Fastest wins, like most other races, but a Time Trial format is a little different as you don’t know where you stand compared to other racers while you’re running or even when you finish. There are wave starts where everyone gets an assigned time slot. Groups of twelve runners take off, every ten minutes. You run all the way up Firelane 1, tag the gate and fly back all the way back down.
After you catch your breath, you’ll head directly to Great Notion Brewing to join fellow racers and spectators to see where you stand and enjoy some brews and N/A beverages, pizza if you want it, and hang out in the actual brewery.
If you think you might be slower, choose an earlier time slot so you can be sure to be finished and at Great Notion by 1:00.
Wave Starts: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Forest Park, Firelane 1 lower trailhead, near 4332 NW St. Helens Road, Portland
Post-Race: 11:00 a.m. until we are all done
Great Notion Brewing, 2444 NW 28th Ave, Portland (4 minutes, 1.8-miles away)
$TBA
Registration Opens December 1st
The above is only Go Beyond Racing’s registration fee and does not include Ultrasignup’s processing fees, any taxes, or add-ons you select. Those are included in the prices on the Ultrasignup site.
Please note that there are no transfers to other runners and no refunds. If you need to cancel your registration and it’s more than 30 days prior to the race, you will receive a 50% credit toward a future Go Beyond Racing race. If your cancellation is 30 days or less from race day, there is no credit. By registering, you agree to this Cancellation Policy.
Do you want to race but can’t afford the entry fee? Are you a BIPOC or Queer racer? We can help get you to the start line with our Trail Mix Fund.
There are twelve slots every ten minutes. During registration, you’ll review the available slots, you’ll tell us your three preferred start times. We update the public start list online so you can see who you are running with (or against). We’ll do our best to accommodate requests to change assigned starts.
All racers head to Great Notion Brewing on NW 28th after their race (it’s super close by). We’ll provide beverages to racers. You’ll get to hang out in the back, right beside where the actual brewing happens.
We’ll have a live results rolling at the party. Party starts at 11:00 a.m.
The course IS the entirety of Firelane 1. You’ll start at the bottom, run all the way to top, turn around and come all the way back down. A simple out-and-back. You stay on Firelane 1, but do cross both Wildwood and Leif Erikson trails. Firelane 1 zig zags across Leif where it crosses. Watch for cross traffic when crossing these other trails.
For comparison, as we know there are some who like to use Forest Park for vert; BPA from the bottom at Hwy 30 to the junction with Firelane 13 is just under a mile with 850′ of gain. Holman from the gate at the bottom to the top of the climb is three-quarters of a mile with 440′ of gain. Firelane Trail Trial is 2.23 to the top with 979′ of gain (total gain is 1,266 for the whole 4.5-mile distance).
You can view and interact with the course on Caltopo or on Strava. And for COROS watch users, you can download the route directly to your COROS app and then sync to your watch.
Runners will pick up their bib at the start. Please give yourself enough time to get your bib and be ready to go when your wave starts.
There is a tent at the start where you can drop off a coat – just don’t forget to take it with you when you are finished.
The Firelane 1 trailhead has about 20 parking spots we can use, which is part of the reason for the wave starts. The parking spots in front of the Finity Productions warehouse, two doors down, are now available too (4307 NW St. Helens Rd). There is also some parking on the streets nearby.
You could also carpool, take public transit, or even park around Great Notion and walk/run (aka warm-up and cool-down) to the trailhead; it’s 1.8-miles away. To make room for other racers, please head over to Great Notion when you finish. You can hang out there instead of at the trailhead.
There is a Facebook page for this race and we’re active on Instagram. Give us a follow so you can learn more good stuff about the race.
We do have a few rules that apply to all Go Beyond Racing races. Be sure you are familiar with them. For this race specifically, no poles allowed.
A big thank you goes out to:
If you are looking for some training help for this kind of race, talk to our friends at Wy’east Wolfpack. They provide excellent coaching and training services.
