Update June 21, 2021: We are moving forward with the Clackamas Lake Historic Ranger Station as the start and finish for this year’s race. The 2020 Lionshead fire burned over the lower portion of the course and around Olallie Lake and the condition of and access to those trails is still unknown and we feel it isn’t fair to keep runners waiting when they are trying to make travel and accommodation plans. The modified course information is updated on the Course & Crewing page. The information is updated to cover this Historic Clackamas Ranger Station start/finish.
One of the country’s most beautiful 100-mile races starts at Clackamas Lake Historic Ranger Station (instead of Olallie Lake this year) and runs mostly along the Pacific Crest Trail. This race features the best trail running Oregon has to offer – technical and rocky sections, views of mountain peaks and lakes, and luscious sections of single track on the Pacific Crest Trail.
The race is a lottery. You can enter the lottery starting February 1st, until February 6th at 6:00 p.m. PT. The drawing occurs on Sunday, February 7th at 10:00 a.m. PT. You can watch live on Go Beyond Racing’s Facebook or Instagram. The race capacity is 150 runners. Those not selected in the drawing are put on the wait list. Registration for the wait list reopens on February 8th.
$300 (Feb 1 – 6, 2021)
$310 (Feb 15 – Mar 31)
$320 (Apr 1 – Sep 1)
No day-of-race registration
Optional shirt is available for purchase during registration. Shirts are available until August 25.
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? We can help with our Trail Mix Fund.
Please note that there are no transfers to other runners. 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, no refund, or no transfer. See our cancellation policy for details.
As trail runners, we benefit from the work of those who built and maintain the trails where we run. Many of the organizations and groups who do this work have little and shrinking budgets and rely heavily on volunteers. We strongly believe that all of us should give back by volunteering to do trail work on a regular basis.
All racers (those entered and those on the wait list) must complete a total of eight (8) hours of trail work. The trail work doesn’t need to be done before registering; just sometime after October 1 and before September 1. The required form is signed by the trail work site manager and emailed before the deadline. Entrants and waitlisters without the required trail work will forfeit their spot on September 2nd and the next on the wait list is invited to take the place. Those who rolled over their entry from 2020 can submit the work they did before the 2020 race was cancelled in lieu of doing work in 2021 – however, we really encourage everyone to get in some hours this year as the need is greater than ever.
We define trail work as maintenance of existing trails and development of new. The trails can be anywhere in the world. More details on the requirement are in this post.
Go Beyond Racing hosts several trail work events throughout the year – check our Events Calendar for those. We will also post opportunities we hear of in the Mountain Lakes 100 Facebook Group.
Here’s a report (to come) showing all current entrants who have completed all 8 hours. Waitlisters won’t show on this report until they are actually in the race, even if you’ve submitted your hours.
The top three male and female finishers will receive prizes from our sponsors. There are also many raffle prizes. All finishers will receive a belt buckle and a finisher pint glass. Those who finish under 24-hours earn a special buckle.
The all-you-can-eat breakfast (mmm, bacon) is free for all volunteers, racers and up to three of their crew. Families and friends can purchase a meal for $5. We hope everyone stays and enjoys the fun!
The weather in the northwest in September is usually fairly stable with cool, clear days. The temperatures can drop to the 30s during the nighttime. However, as with any mountain race, the weather can be unpredictable so pack accordingly and check the weather before you leave. Here’s a link to the weather forecast for Olallie Lake and one for Timothy Lake.
There are many campgrounds around Timothy Lake, although some do shut down for the season the weekend before the race. We recommend using recreation.gov to find and reserve.
Government Camp is just 20 miles from Timothy Lake and has lodging also.
Clackamas Lake Historic Ranger Station, near Timothy Lake, is approximately 20 miles south of Mt. Hood. (45.0986, -121.7513)
From Portland, take Hwy 26 towards Mt Hood, drive past Government Camp and continue ten miles past the Hwy 35/Hwy 26 intersection to Hwy 42 (also marked as Skyline Rd and Timothy Lake). The Hwy 42 turnoff is close to the 66-mile mark on Hwy 26. The Clackamas Ranger Station is 10 miles down Hwy 42, 1/4 mile past Hwy 42/Hwy 57 intersection on Hwy 42.
The start is about 1 hour 45 minutes from the Portland airport.
Google Map for start location.
Parking is allowed on the side of the road on portions of Forest Service Road 42 (FS42) south of the Clackamas Lake Historic Ranger Compound. No parking is allowed on on either side of FS42 at the Pacific Crest Trailhead adjacent to Joe Graham Campground. No parking is allowed on either side of FS42 from the event entrance north to Joe Graham Campground.
We HIGHLY ENCOURAGE CARPOOLING!
If you are interested in carpooling, you can post here to find or give a ride. This is a Google spreadsheet that is viewable to anyone with the link, so only post what you want public. Carpooling earns you a Carpool Coaster too if you post about it (read the link for details)!
We love volunteers and our racers do too! To make this race a success we need almost 100 people to help at bib pickups, race start and finish, aid stations, and on the trail. You can sign up for the assignment you’d like on Ultrasignup. Click on the green Volunteer button.
This race is called Mountain Lakes 100 because… it is in the mountains. It has some pretty remote sections, even with the reroute because of the fire. There is very little internet or cell service in just in spots along the course, not at the start/finish area. The closest “town” is Goverment Camp about 20 miles away. There are no showers. Please come prepared with this in mind. In fact, consider this a nice weekend away from the city in all senses. The start/finish is at 3,300 feet elevation and the high point on the course is at 5,700 feet.
We do have a few rules that apply to all Go Beyond Racing races. Be sure you are familiar with them.
Need help getting ready for this race? Talk to our friends at Wy’east Wolfpack. They provide excellent coaching and training services.
The Mountain Lakes 100 provides 5 points toward every race of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®
Mountain Lakes 100 is a Western States 100 qualifier
We have a vibrant community on our Mountain Lakes 100 Facebook Group. Join to learn from those who have run before, connect with runners, find pacers, etc.
Follow Go Beyond Racing on Facebook. You can participate in the conversations on Twitter and follow Go Beyond Racing on Instagram to stay inspired.
We acknowledge that this race occurs on the traditional homelands of the Molalla Tribe, Tenino Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs.
