If you haven’t tried obstacle racing, maybe this is the year to give it a whirl. Your options are plentiful as there are a number of Spartan events on the calendar in the Pacific Northwest and surrounding states.
Labeled one of the most unique and scenic wilderness relay courses in the United States, the Wild Rogue Relay has runners tracing the wild Rogue River through the Cascade Mountains to the Oregon coast.
Challenging yourself is often the best way to stick to any training plan. The Pacific Northwest Half & Full Marathon Series has several challenge options if you’re willing to tackle a number of races this season.
The 52nd Annual Zena Road Runs, put on by the Willamette Valley Road Runners, takes place Sunday, February 16, 2020.
Escape the wet and cold of the Pacific Northwest and head south to enjoy all that Napa Valley has to offer. The Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon is set for March 1, 2020.
The Canyon Rumble Frozen Half is a trail race through Willow Canyon in Madras, OR, held Saturday, December 7. Racers can choose between the half marathon, 10K, or 5K routes which all follow the same course.
According to Seattle Parks & Recreation, a local realtor named Ravenna Park after “an Italian seacoast town that was famous for its pine trees, where poets, warriors, and statesmen once strolled in a state of euphoria.” The PNW Ravenna Park serves as a nature retreat for city dwellers and also hosts the Ravenna Refresher trail races held on November 16.
Expect mud in your eye, caked on your face, and stuck in your teeth when participating in PNW’s cyclocross scene.
Riverside State Park in Spokane, WA will play host to the Chocolate Chip Cookie 50K Trail Run on October 26. The course offers runners views of the surrounding mountains, Spokane River Valley, the CCC Suspension Bridge, and nearby haystack rocks.
The Oktoberfest Trail Runs, which consist of both a 10-mile and 5-mile course, are held October 19 in the Wenatchee National Forest near Leavenworth, WA.