Post Race Festivities & Prizes

At the Finish Line we will celebrate your finish and host an awards ceremony for age group and overall winners.  Thanks to our Sponsors and Supporters we have a $4500 prize purse, an amazing list of prizes and random giveaways so please stick around.  

Collect your cash! - Our Prize Purse and awards are a great start to the racing season.  Be sure to collect yours before leaving!

You must pick up your prizes at the finish line.  We will not mail prizes this year.

The race course closes at 4pm.  Following clean up, the race staff looks forward to joining everyone at Boundary Bay Brewery.  This is a non-hosted gathering and a great opportunity to get our of the weather, enjoy good food, beer and stories from the day.

Finish Line Massage

Theron Eirish will once again set up at the finish line to aid in your speedy recovery.  This is a donation based service and I hope each of you will recognize the value of post race massage.  If you do find yourself on the table, plan to tip this team generously.

Inspiration

It's all around us.  I tend to find mine in people.  Too recently one of the more inspiring people in my life passed away in a climbing accident in the mountains.  It is possible that many Chuckanut 50k runners know Chad Kellogg.  Much more known in the climbing world, his only race result on UltraSignUp.com is the 2011 Chuckanut 50k.  He loved to run, loved to push himself and loved to find more each time he went to the mountains.  A humble being that was also one of the most motivated, driven and enduring people I have known.  He made unreal sacrifices to spend the most time possible training for and being in the mountains.  This man lived it and loved it.

His life was celebrated on Saturday and I am extremely thankful I was able to be there to celebrate his life with such an amazing group of climbers, friends and family.  Funerals are for the living and super helpful in the healing process and trying to understand each for themselves the loss of a close friend.

I want to continue to celebrate Chad.  Such that Chuckanut is the focus of most of my energy these days I think that the runners of the Chuckanut 50k can make a positive impact by donating to the climbing fund established to inspire others to get out and enjoy the mountains as he did.

The American Alpine Club makes it easy with the contribution page on their website.  https://americanalpineclub.org/donate/contribution  

Additionally, Runner Girl Races, LLC will match any donations made on race weekend up to $500, (maybe $1000 if I can swing it) but I hope we can blow that number out of the water.  There will be a bucket for your contributions... $1, $20, or whatever change you have in your car's ash tray think about helping me channel some energy to this great memory.

The Trail Running Film Festival presented by Rainshadow Running

www.trailfilmfest.com

An evening of the latest and greatest full length and short films showcasing the challenges, beauty and community inherent in the world of trail running. From world class filmmakers to the best works made by weekend warriors The Trail Running Film Festival takes the audience on a virtual run through forests, up mountains, beyond emotional obstacles and across the finish line. With live music from The Pine Hearts it's a night filled with friends and fun.

Coming to Bellingham's Mt Baker Theatre on Friday March 14th!   
BUY TICKETS HERE: http://www.trailfilmfest.com/p/buy-tickets_24.html 
FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/235066919997782/

Sponsored by 
Bellingham Trail Running Series http://www.bellinghamtrail.com 

Chuckanut 50k http://chuckanut50krace.com/

Trail Run Crazy: http://www.trailruncrazy.com/
 

Two and half hours of fun and inspiring trail running films and videos of various lengths and on a variety of subjects. And The Pine Hearts will be performing before, during the intermission and afterwards so plan on arriving early and staying after the films to make a whole night of it and hang out with your running buddies and make new friends! There will be beer and other concessions for sale. The doors will open at 5pm and the first film starts 6pm. There will be approximately a 30 minute intermission and the last film will end around 9pm. Afterwards the Pine Hearts will either keep the party going!

The Lineup of Films for the 2014 Northwest Tour
2013 Rainshadow Running Highlights Video 

2014 Orcas Island Race Video
Never Before Seen Footage from the Upcoming Barkley Film
The Dipsea Documentary
Finding Traction Extended Trailer
Roll Out! 
Running the Edge: The Colorado Trail

Full descriptions of the films/videos can be found on the fest's website: www.trailfilmfest.com

Help spread the word!!!
This being a brand new project, Rainshadow Running www.rainshadowrunning.com would love your help in getting the word out.  
"Like" the film fest on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Trail-Running-Film-Fest/181708985366138  
Follow on Twitter: @trailrunfilm  
And you can always forward this message to all your buddies. 

Zero Waste is the Goal

Trail running is awesome for its simplicity.  The goal of the Chuckanut 50k is to create a great atmosphere for runners while capturing the essence of why we spend time in the mountains.  For me, it is the ability to be self-sustained and under the power of my own two feet to arrive at some of the most beautiful places on earth.  Lucky Us!

We put together the necessary bits to create a supported race atmosphere yet are constantly working against consumptive routines the best we can.  To continue our efforts started in 2013, we look forward to providing hot soup from The Book Fare Cafe, bread from Great Harvest and coffee from Tony's Coffee.  The altered bit?  

In your own bowls and mugs.

Please remember to bring a mug, spoon and bowl to enjoy the post race eats!

Staying Cupless...

Each year we have limited the number of disposable cups on the course by insisting that runners carry at least one water bottle over the 50k distance.  Still, to provide runners with a gulp of EFS drink, or cola we have had to have some cups on the course.  Until last year we avoided all cups.

Last year UltrAspire provided each runner a reusable cup purchased by the race.  This year I hope you will return with your cup from 2013.  If you want anything to drink outside of what you would like to put in your water bottle, then you will need to carry your own cup.

This thing is awesome!  The UltraCups are a phthalate free, BPA free and PVC free 6oz cup that racers can carry for their aid station drinking needs.  Completely foldable to stick in a small shorts pocket, and also are equipped with a loop to clip on somewhere with a carabiner or cord.  They retail at $6.00.  

If you are in need of a cup for the 2014 race, UltrAspire will sell the cups for $3 each at the pre-race packet pick up as well as check in on race morning.  

Hopefully most of you will be psyched with this option.  I assume there will be some racers unhappy with breaking the tradition of the aid station tables lined with pre-filled cups of cola and electrolyte drink, but think of the reduced waste!  If you use a disposable cup at each of our five aid stations and say half of the field also does the same thing that is 1,000 (400 field size /2 = 200 runners x 5 aid stations) cups going straight in the garbage.  Even if recycled it is still added waste.  Now each of you will have your own cup to carry not only at the Chuckanut 50k, but to every race you attend.  Start a new trend!  It is a small way, but a great step towards reducing your waste.

Speed, Endurance & Luck Prize Money

To keep things interesting Phil at the Seven Hills Running Shop has come up with some creative disbursement of the $500 cash prize he put together!  Check it out:

SPEED

$100 first man and first woman to the top of Cleator Road.  Runner must be the first to check in to the #3 aid station and runner must finish the race.  

ENDURANCE

$100 for the finisher with the most Chuckanut finishes. -- I hope everyone was honest on their entry forms!!! 

LUCK

$100 for the lucky runner that finishes 77th.

$100 for the lucky runner that finishes 177th.

RACE PRIZE to Top Male and Top Female

The Chuckanut 50k has found a sister race half way around the world - literally!  Winners of the 2014 Chuckanut 50k will receive the following for the Matroosberg Trail Challenge this October in Cape Town South Africa! 

PRIZE INCLUDES:

Transport from and to Cape Town airport,

Free entry into any race in the Matroosberg Trail Challenge,

Two nights accommodation (food and lodging) on race weekend (different location).

Two nights accommodation before or after event with a top Cape Town runner,

Additional travel and airline tickets are not included

In return the Chuckanut 50k will offer the following to 2014 Matroosberg Trail Challenge winners for the 2015 Chuckanut 50k.  

Transport from and to Seattle International Airport.

Free entry with t-shirt to the 2015 Chuckanut 50k

Two nights accommodation (food and lodging) the night before and the night after the race.

Two nights accommodation before or after event with a Seattle based runner.

Additional travel and airline tickets are not included.

Please see below for further information about the Matroosberg Trail Challenge.  Please note that airfare is not included in either prize package.

The Matroosberg Trail Challenge is a SCENIC, FUN & TOUGH event set in the Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve, two and a half hours from Cape Town, South Africa. The Matroosberg range is the second highest in the Western Cape, and offers Skyrunners an unforgettable high altitude running experience! 

Our vision is to create a festival of running and the MTC is the perfect platform to achieve that. Consisting of three trail running events, the main attraction is the 37km SkyMarathon®, which was sanctioned and hosted for the first time in 2013. It tested both elite and novice runners alike and took trail running in the Western Cape to another level. 

In order to qualify as a Skymarathon®, the race route needs to meet the International Skyrunning Federation (ISF) requirements of being between 30km and 42km and achieve an elevation gain of 2 200m on mountainous 4x4 trails and rocky single track. These criteria insure a route that has lung-burning climbs, testing terrain and incredible scenery. MTC has all this in abundance as well as meeting all official criteria.

As SASA’s second sanctioned skyrunning race, the event was Southern Africa’s first Skymarathon®, helping pioneer the way for South Africa’s first national skyrunning circuit.

The MTC route will take runners up to the 2 249m Matroosberg Peak, the second highest peak in the Western Cape. Runners will overlook the Bokkeveld, Ceres, Droë Hoek, Koue Bokkeveld, and the Ceres Karoo, with views of the Witzenberg, Cedarberg and Du Toitskloof Mountains.

October weather in the Western Cape often brings surprises, and the chance of cold weather and possibly snow could surprise some competitors.

Registered Runners can win Training Aids

Race registration opened and filled in one day!!  

Our friends at Pro-Tec Athletics are super excited about the kick off of the Chuckanut 50k and want to help ensure your healthy training to arrive in Fairhaven on March 15 raring to go!  To sign up for one of the great prizes being given away all you have to do is * click the link below * LIKE the Pro-Tec Athletics Facebook page and * enter your email address.  

Pro-Tec Athletics Giveaway

YOU CAN WIN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

Ice-Up Portable Ice Massager

HotCold Therapy Wrap

The Y Roller

Registration opens tomorrow!

Once again UltraSignUp will host the registration for the Chuckanut 50k.  Thanks to some research and updates by owner Mark Giligan UltraSignUp has added the use of 3 new servers.  This addition enables the site to manage more traffic and is key for us as it allows the Chuckanut 50k registration to return to the standard first come first serve entry.  Please recognize that this is still a new system and while we hope there are absolutely no glitches we recognize that there is a possibility.  If you have any hiccups (especially with your credit card processing) please first check with your bank and 9 times out of 10 that is the problem.  if you have other issues you can contact UltraSignUp through their Contact page.  

** Race Director note: I am in a class all day on Friday and will not be able to respond to emails until that evening.  I really appreciate you patience. **

We will register 400 runners and put the remainder on a wait list.

Registration will open at 8am PST on January 3.

In previous years at least 50 people have made it off the wait list into the race, so do not fret if you do not get one of the allotted slots.  

Thank you for your enthusiasm and support of the Chuckanut 50k.  All of our Runners and Volunteers make this race so special each year.  

We look forward to watching the registration list fill tomorrow morning!  

Chuckanut 50k 2014 Race Date!

2014 is the 22nd running of this classic trail running event.   The Chuckanut 50k race weekend is typically the 3rd weekend in March, and even though we previously announced a later date we have decided to keep it the 3rd weekend!  

Mark your calendars for March 15, 2014!

Race registration will open Friday, January 3, 2014 on UltraSignUp.com .

We will do our best to maintain the 3rd weekend in March for future events.