Planning to Virtual Run?

As quickly as information is changing the choice to execute a virtual run of any distance is on each individual. First priority is safety. Safety in terms of adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and personal safety and caution. An injury that requires a Doctor or Hospital visit is never desired, but in the current situation to take up the time of medical providers and a potential bed needs to be front of mind. Please be safe and take extra caution as you get out and recreate.

For March 21 Virtual Runners: We see this as a way to give all runners (you do not have to be a registered participant!) an opportunity to celebrate their winter work as well as come together via photos and sharing stories. It is helpful because travel is not required, you can run from your door, you can run ANY distance, have fun creating your own Interurban and Chinscraper and share with us how you did. We will be online pulling in your comments & tags, and share your photos. Our three RD’s will be cheering you on, each from of our individual locations, and congratulate your finish.

If you do plan to create a virtual run please remember why the Chuckanut 50k was postponed. It is hugely important to follow the COVID-19 guidelines if you are idealizing about running with another person this weekend. We understand the desire to share trail time with friends, AND we want runners to create safe examples of getting outside, being self-sufficient, and doing their part to reduce the spread of germs. We discourage (prohibit) large groups running together, setting up aid stations, crews, jumping in an out of each others’ cars, etc.

We encourage you to:

·      Practice physical / social distancing

·      Keep your hands clean and to yourself

·      Run a distance that works for you

·      Carry your own supplies: fuel, hydration, etc. Do not share supplies with others.

·      Bring hand sanitizer, wipes, and a plastic baggie to dispose of all your waste

·      Take photos and Tag us.

Instagram link

Facebook link

We are always lucky to have the option to consider outside time, to be active and healthy. It feels like an exceptional gift right now. While out running, consider holding a cause or person in mind. If you have the means, make a donation to an organization or local business when you finish. Example: you would have bought a beer & burger after, why not support a business with gift card purchase? Running is a great time to process “There are not many issues in life that a long run can not solve. Sometimes the run has to be a bit longer.” Let yourself feel whatever you are feeling, frustration, hope, loss, desire, relief even if for a moment, and know that in that awareness you are allowing healing and acceptance. Trust that while running you are in a safe space to process. (just be sure to apply that awareness to your footing!) Sending lots of Love! - Krissy

Good News: Trail Work Report

As a part of 2020 race registration we encouraged runners to commit to 4 hours of trail work or a $100 donation to a trail organization of their choice. Being the first year that we added this we highly encouraged it, but did not require this commitment.

As of March 18 we received notice of

320 Trail Hours Worked and $3109 in Donations!!!

AWESOME JOB CHUCKANUT 50k RUNNERS!

This is incredible! We are making a positive impact working together like this.

26 people made cash donations

& 84 people volunteered trail hours.

The organizations that received funds were Washington Trail Association, Recreation Northwest, the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center and the Washington National Park Fund.

We will continue to track donations (we do not encourage Trail Work Volunteering now due to Social Distancing). Please let us know if you make a donation.

This feels like something to celebrate at any point and I am personally happy to have something bright to share with the running community right now.

AGAIN AWESOME JOB CHUCKANUT 50k RUNNERS!

Looking Ahead: Green Light date, Cancelation date, Virtual Run

In this update we address our green light date and reschedule plan, our final option for a 2020 date and our idea for a March 21 Virtual Run. We are still working through our policies for potential refunds/rollovers if we have to cancel or if runners can’t make the new 2020 date. Please hold tight as we work through those pieces. 

Green Light and Cancelation Dates

In considering the time it will take to restart and put on a summer version of the Chuckanut 50k our team decided that if we are given the green light to host a running event before or by July 17, and we are able to secure a date for that production before or by September 12, we will get to share in a 2020 Chuckanut 50k. We will proactively seek out possible dates and collaborate with all of our agencies, vendors and sponsors to be prepared, so that once given the green light we can actualize a race date. For our runners, we realize your racing calendars my already be full through the summer, and they are likely severely changing due to this pandemic. We will figure out our policies for handling the variety of situations posed by these changes and post those before this Saturday.

Virtual Run

We are very aware that you are excited and ready to run 50k this weekend and the idea of creating an online space for our racers to commune has been forefront of our minds since having to postpone. I’m thankful for conversations with Ethan and Kim of the Ginger Runner to gather understanding on what it takes and how they’ve executed the best Virtual Run out there. For our purposes, the Virtual Run doesn’t replace the race, but gives our runners a place to get out and celebrate their winter work as well as come together via photos and sharing stories. It is helpful because travel is not required, you can run from your door, have fun creating your own Interurban and Chinscraper and share with us how you did. We will try to pull in comments and share your photos too as well as cheer you on and congratulate your finish.

If you do plan to create a virtual run please remember why the Chuckanut 50k was postponed. It is hugely important to follow the COVID-19 guidelines if you are idealizing about running with another person this weekend. We understand the desire to share trail time with friends, AND I want runners to create good examples of getting outside, being self-sufficient, and doing their part to reduce the spread of germs. We discourage (prohibit) large groups running together, setting up aid stations, crews, jumping in an out of each others’ cars, etc.

We encourage you to:

·      Practice physical / social distancing

·      Keep your hands clean and to yourself

·      Run 50k or any distance

·      Carry your own supplies: fuel, hydration, etc

·      Bring hand sanitizer, wipes, and a plastic baggie to dispose of all your waste

·      Take photos and Tag us.

Instagram link

Facebook link

#VirtualChuckanut50k2020

Corrine Malcolm wrote a detailed and helpful article on iRunFar. She is registered for Chuckanut 50k and understands both the desire to be in Bellingham to run the race and the immediate need for all of us to act in the best interest of our broader community.

Remember it is not always, it is just right now. Whatever changes or discomforts or celebrations we are experiencing will change. What we do right now and the choices we make are what drive our future reality. Please continue to check in with us this week as we will finalize our new policies.

We are cheering you on as we all adjust and do our part in the current reality.

Chuckanut 50k Update and Reaching out to other RDs

Our team is meeting again (virtually) tonight to discuss the work we’ve been able to accomplish towards finalizing the postponement (permits, vendors, sponsors, volunteers, etc) and create plans for next steps. We plan to work through communication plans for a virtual event on the 21st, a reschedule plan once we get the green light, and a final date for 2020 production that if we reach would require cancelation. And if that happens a policy for refunds or rollovers. These are some of the pieces we are working on now and we will keep you updated.

I have shared with our Run the Ridge Sponsors Patagonia & Hoka - the individuals that work there that are being amazing resources to me and others - that I am available to bounce through ideas with other RD’s. Our Chuckanut 50k RD team is going through this the best we can and we may mess up and we may rock it, likely a bit of both. If we can offer an ear/sounding board and information to others going through these decisions to help them learn from our mistakes and do even better, we are here for you.

If interested, on the personal side behind these updates, I wrote a blog post summarizing my tough realities of having to postpone the race this year.

Chuckanut 50k Update

The following announcement was emailed to all runners through UltraSignUp, and sent to our Sponsors, Vendors, Permitting agencies and individuals that support the event. 

We have met multiple times and been in contact daily since posting on March 6 that we would create a plan by March 12. We have been weighing our options, envisioning creative alternatives, and ultimately considering the safety of the passionate community that we are so thankful to draw together each year. With today’s information our team reached one of the hardest race decisions I’ve made in 18 years of directing. Our Governor Inslee prohibited events that gather more than 250 people in three counties nearby in Washington State. With this information our team decided that the production of the Chuckanut 50k on March 21st will be postponed.

We have done a ton of work and are ready to produce the event, much like each runner has done the training to be ready to run. We will continue to work on this event as there are now many calls that need to be made and many more decisions to work through. Our postponing intention is to produce the event once a green light is given. We realize this could take weeks or months, so that creates uncertainty. We are working through how to best manage and take care of our community and our runners and will continue to post more information with the most concrete plan we can create by March 20.

We understand that each runner has put a lot into their training and in this taper window to receive this information can feel devastating. As an 18-year race director of this beloved event (it was my first ultra in 2000) I’ve been brought to tears multiple times as we talk through the tough decisions. I feel you. I hope that each of you will put your best energies towards something positive. Acknowledge this immediate loss of getting to race on the 21st, go for a run to process, and think about where you can best place your energy going forward. This will be an interesting couple of weeks, or even months, with information evolving daily – it has changed so much just this week – and we need everyone doing their best to move through this gracefully. Runners are strong, motivated people and we can represent that now by doing the best things we can to be supportive of the broader community.

We want to give everyone this information so your plans can be altered. Additionally, please stick with us. We will continue to make updates to the website and other social media outlets as we make decisions and will deliver our next steps and plan for engagement by March 20, likely sooner.

We thank you for your support in making a tough decision and ask that you remain involved as we continue to share.

Your RD’s - Krissy, Kevin & Tyler

Update: Chuckanut 50k 2020 Race Plan tbd by March 12

In light of continued information we are receiving from the Washington State, King County and Whatcom County Health Departments and our permitting agencies and sponsors about events, and in analyzing our field of runners traveling to the event - 78% of our registered runners are from outside Whatcom County - we are considering our options for the event. We want to let runners, volunteers and the community know that we will share our next steps for what the 2020 Chuckanut 50k will look like by Thursday, March 12.

Enjoy the weekend and Stay Healthy!

Race Weekend Details

• More information is now available on our Race Weekend Details page under the Race Information Tab.

• We have uploaded downloadable & printable Maps to help you navigate our race weekend events.

• There is a Google Pin to direct you to this year’s parking lot. The Baker Bus will shuttle you to the start!

• For those of you that live around Bellingham keep an eye out for our fun event poster!

Poster Design by: Daniel Pouley

Chuckanut 50k responds to COVID-19

This race has dealt with rain, wind, snow, ice and we’ve had beautiful sunny days. We had behind the scenes craziness like a flooded toilet, plane crash on course, personal life chaos, overheated vehicles and many we’ve forgotten, and we continue to do the best we can to pull together

the best event we can with the best crew and volunteers ever!

This year is no exception and yet I find myself wondering how there is yet another challenge for us to handle amidst final preparations. With the information available regarding COVID-19 we have to be ready for how it could potentially impact or effect the race. I’m hopeful each of you read the warnings to wash your hands, stay home if you are sick or have any symptoms. And you’ve probably seen public events being canceled. Canceling the race is the last thing I ever want to have to do. As a team we have decided to follow the recommendations of the Whatcom County Health Department Website and their Facebook Page. As of yesterday, March 2, afternoon

We are not currently recommending community actions such as school closures or canceling events or gatherings. Personal prevention steps like washing your hands and staying home when sick keep you and others healthy.

Stay Healthy!

Please note: Our event cancelation policy is stated near the bottom of our Need To Know page.

Join our Volunteer Team!

As we pull together final details for the race we are in need of a dozen more volunteers.

It takes a lot of communication and orchestrating by coRD Kevin Douglas each year to coordinate the great volunteers that make the event happen. If you would like to help out please click the volunteer sign up link in the race website menu and fill out the google form so we know where to best place you.

We love to take care of our volunteers!

Just like last year, we will have a lot of goodies for the volunteers from our generous Sponsors and Supporters. Each volunteer will also receive a $5 food voucher to get a meal from one of the three food trucks at the finish line. We will have bagged snacks for those volunteers that spend most of the day on course. 

2020 Prize Purse Announced

It is because of our Run the Ridge Sponsors Patagonia and Hoka along with our Interurban Sprint Sponsors that we are able to create a prize purse. Each brand contributes cash that goes directly to this fund. For 2020 the grand sum to be shared amongst the top 3 women, men and top masters female and male is $4,500!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THESE COMPANIES!!

Addtionally, Runner Girl Races, LLC dba Chuckanut 50k, offers a $200 Course Record bonus to the top male and/or female that breaks the current course record.  You can find a breakdown for the $4,500 prize purse on the AWARDS page of our website.

Wait list movement

This year we did not have as many people drop from the race by our February 13 refund date and with the race filling well past our permit capacity of 500 we were not able to bring in as many off of the waitlist as we have in the past. We let in 600 but have never actually started more that 450. This is good news as we are excited to have you all here, less injuries and perhaps we will finally start closer to 500 runners!

If there are runners that find out they will not be able to join us in the next couple of weeks, we would still love to hear from you and give others an opportunity to jump in off of the waitlist.