Volcanic is a rugged, remote, and challenging 50K+ and a 25K on Mt. St. Helens in Washington state. The 50K course runs entirely on single-track trails, circumnavigating the entire mountain. All but 4.5 miles are run on the Loowit Trail. Racers scramble over boulder fields, cross rivers, run through the blast zone, as well as through dense forest – all with ever-changing views of the volcano. The course is 32 miles and feels more like a 50-miler. In all, this Mt. St. Helens race has approximately 7,400 feet of elevation gain and 7,400 feet of loss. It’s tough, but so are you!
The 25K gives runners a real Mt. St. Helens experience without having to run all the way around the volcano. This course includes some of the iconic features of the longer race – boulder fields, the Loowit trail, jaw-dropping views of the mountain and the surrounding Cascades, and lush forests. There’s 3,200 feet of gain and loss.
Both races start and finish at the Marble Mountain Sno Park.
Both races will open as a wait list. This is just in case the event has to be cancelled due to COVID. Your credit card is NOT charged when you are placed on the wait list. We will invite runners into the race from the wait list, in order, until reaching capacity. Assuming COVID restrictions, the 50K will be capped at 225 runners and the 25K at 150.
50K:
$130 (Feb 1 – 14, 2021)
$140 (Feb 15 – Mar 31)
$150 (Apr 1 – Aug 1)
25K:
$80 (Feb 1 – 14, 2021)
$90 (Feb 15 – Mar 31)
$95 (Apr 1 – Aug 1)
Optional race shirt available through 7/1
For the 50K only. Due to the remote, mountain environment and challenging aspect of this course, it is required to have completed at least a 50K trail race or the Volcanic 25K prior to race day. You will enter a link to your previous race result during the registration process.
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 full cancellation policy for details.
Do you want to race but can’t afford the entry fee? We can help with our Trail Mix Fund.
New for 2021, this is becoming a two-day event (pending permit approval). This way we can safely allow more runners to race.
There will be changes to the 2021 races, in order to protect racers and volunteers and the community from exposure as much as possible. We will post those details here, closer to the race date so that the information is current and most relevant. The changes will also be included in the pre-race email we send the week prior to the event.
You can expect at the least:
You will pick up your bib at the start/finish line the morning of the race. Photo ID is required to get your bib.
The 50K pick up is from 5:30 – 6:30 a.m. You will need to show your required gear prior to getting your bib.
25K pick up is from 7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
Allow 2 hours from Portland and 4 hours from Seattle to get to the start/finish at the Marble Mountain Sno Park in the Mt St Helens National Volcanic Monument.
From I-5:
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 or if you know of someone who would be interested in volunteering for this Mt. St. Helens race, please sign up by clicking the green Volunteer button here.
Make it a double! If you really want to step up your volunteer game, consider helping us out the weekend before the race when we hike the water into the aid stations. It’s called the Sherpa Showdown. This is tough and any coach would probably tell you not to do this the weekend before your race so this is best left to friends and family of racers or just friends of Go Beyond Racing. It involves carrying as much water as you can or want to up a 4.5-mile, 1900′ of gain trail. It is really an epic day or two of working hard. You can find details on our Facebook event and on our Calendar on the website.
We’re all over social media and we share unique information on each channel. Connect and get involved:
Volcanic 50 on Facebook.
Go Beyond Racing on Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
In addition to the rules specific to this race, 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 Mt St Helens race? Talk to our friends at Wy’east Wolfpack. They provide excellent coaching and training services.
Volcanic 50K provides 2 points, and the 25K provides 1 point, toward every race of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®.
This race is granted by a Special Use Permit through the Forest Service and Mt St Helen’s National Volcanic Monument. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
We acknowledge that this race occurs on the traditional homelands of the Cowlitz Tribe.
