Sharing the Trails

The Chuckanuts host an incredible system of trails that have grown in use over the three decades that the Chuckanut 50k has been hosted in them. All trail users greatly benefit from the care and work that the parks, different user groups and businesses put into their maintenance and preservation.

The Chuckanut 50k has established itself as always being hosted on the third Saturday of March. This year race date is March 19. We are permitted by Larrabee State Park, Whatcom County Parks and Recreation, City of Bellingham Public Works, Whatcom County Public Works, Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Police and Bellingham Parks and Recreation. We are insured by USAT&F.

Our permits allow us use of the trails AND that we will share the trails with all other users.

As the front trails are experiencing more use in recent years we need to remember that this is not a closed course and there are other trail users; hikers, dog walkers, bikes, etc. Please alert others if you want to pass and safely move aside and around each other to allow for a great trail experience for all.

MOUNTAIN BIKES: We have been in communication with Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC) and Intrinsic Flow to discuss the heavier than normal use of the trails and specifically the popular Chinscraper, aka Double Black Diamond trail, on race day. Please be aware that mountain bikers will be headed downhill as you are climbing up. They have been alerted that runners (that are 20+ miles in to an ultra!!) are climbing up.

Let’s share the trails and respect the overlap use of everyone!

March 18 - Preview the New Finish!

Fairhaven Runners teamed up with HOKA for a Chuckanut 50k Friday morning Shakeout Run!

Click photo for Fairhaven Runners' Facebook Event Page

Chuckanut 50K Shakeout Run with Hoka

Friday, March 18th

Distance: 3 miles

9am run starts/8:45am optional HOKA demo shoe check-out begins

Starts and finishes at Fairhaven Runners

1209 11th St., Bellingham 

  • Shakeout those legs alongside 50K participants, race directors, supporters, family and Chuckanut 50K fans – i.e. everyone is invited!

  • Not running the race, you can still get a sense of the excitement and experience the new finishing section through the 100 Acre Woods that will be part of our three mile route.

  • Hoka will be offering a “Build Your Own Trail Mix Bar” and demo shoes you can take out on the run if you’d like.

  • 50K participants can pick up their bib numbers after the run.

 

Click photo to see Trail Forks page

LIVESTREAM at Chuckanut 50k 2022!

We are so excited that ActiveTrack, a technology company out of Portland OR, picked the Chuckanut 50k as a test environment and for their new technology. ActiveTrack is developing cutting edge solutions for mass participation events. They will be present at the 28th running of the Chuckanut 50k in 6 different location with their livestreaming technology. Enjoy the sights, the sounds, and the intensity of the competition LIVE from the race course.

“Our goal is to bring the participant experience closer to the spectators and all the fans of the race across the world. ActiveTrack is proud to be part of the 28th running of Chuckanut 50K and bring the intensity of this race to all who want to see it live”, said Arash Kia, the owner of ActiveTrack.

We are excited to be able to share the Chuckanut 50k race experience with those that are unable to be with us in person. For those of you running, volunteering and cheering on runners this is your heads up to expect to see cameras and drones on the race course.

The link for the live feed will be: https://d1k7nurw3wlt4d.cloudfront.net/

A Few More Volunteers Please!

Community members - come join us! We have some street crossing and finish line positions that are a great way to cheer on the Chuckanut 50k runners and help keep them safe.

Runners - if you have people joining you that would like to help volunteer we have some key positions that we still need to fill.

BONUS - We give out great swag to our volunteers and the positions that are left are pretty short shifts.

SIGN UP HERE!

Course Modifications - TWO new sections!

Running along the Highway

Due to a bridge being out in Arroyo Park (about mile 2.5 along the standard race course) we have had to apply for a permit with WSDOT to run along State Route 11, aka Chuckanut Drive.

  • The course map reflects this change and we’ve accounted for the distance.

  • Runners must run single file along Chuckanut Drive and are not allowed to pass on this highway section.

  • This will happen on both the outbound and return along the Interurban.

  • Our waiver is updated to include WSDOT and WSP. By running the race you accept these changes. The waiver is viewable on Pacific MultiSports and on our Runner Requirements page.

Finishing through the 100 Acre Woods

The other (more exciting) change is that we get to run through the 100 acre woods for the last mile of the race.

  • Runners will peel off the Interurban at Hoag’s Pond to enter the 100 acre woods

    • See the FINAL MILE video filmed and edited by Nick Danielson

    • Runners will follow the main vein back to Fairhaven Park.

  • This change is also reflected on the course map.

Click on photo for link to TrailForks

Packet Pick Up and Tune-Up appointments

Pre-Race Bib Pick-Up for Chuckanut 50k runners begins on Sunday, March 13 and lasts to Friday, March 18. For runners arriving to Bellingham on race day, a Packet Pick-Up will begin at 6:15am at the start line in Fairhaven Park (note that we will only be handing out sponsor goodies on Friday Night at PRIME ). This information is also included on our Race Details page.

Times and locations of Pre-Race Packet Pick-Up:

SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 11:00AM - FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 3:00PM
  Location:  Fairhaven Runners
  Address: 1209 11th St, Bellingham, WA 98225
  Bring: Mask, one form of ID (e.g., driver's license)
  * You will receive your Race Bib, Timing Chip, & Shirt (if pre-ordered)

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 4:00-7:00PM  *with sponsor goodies!
  Location:  PRIME Sports Institute, parking lot behind building
  Address: 1704 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 (see race map for location)
  Bring: Mask, one form of ID (e.g., driver's license) and your own bag!
  * You will receive your Race Bib, Timing Chip, & Shirt (if pre-ordered), plus amazing sponsor goodies to fill your bag!
  ** Note that this is not a race expo.

Prime will offer 15 minute Tune-Up appointments for $15 from 4-7pm on March 18. Scheduling links included below. Please reserve ahead of time.

Athletic Training Appointments - A manual therapy session for joint mobility or soft tissue restrictions.

Massage Therapy Appointments - Massage will focus on those tight spots that can hold you back.

Chiropractic Appointments - Make sure your joints are ready to go the distance! Summit Sports Chiropractic is providing extremity (ankles, hips, etc) only tune ups to get you in peak condition for your 50k!

RACE DAY SCHEDULE - Saturday March 18

Please see our Race Details page for Saturday’s schedule.

Vaccination Verification - Please Upload

As a participant in the Chuckanut 50k, you are required to provide proof of your Covid-19 Vaccination status. We need this proof uploaded before packet pick up on March 18.

When we opened registration December 3rd, we made this a requirement to register based on the circumstances at that time. Please see the CDC website for what is considered fully vaccinated. We will also accept any vaccines that are accepted for travel in Canada that can be found here.

Here is a list of acceptable Vaccine Brands :

AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
Janssen/Johnson & Johnson
Moderna (mRNA-1273)
Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
Sinopharm BIBP (BBIBP-CorV)
Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)

You must have received the last dose of these before March 5th to be eligible to race.

If you live in Washington, you can access your official records online here. Other states and countries likely have similar resources available.

Please follow this link to your Pacific MultiSports Dashboard then click the 'Vaccination Upload' link next to your Chuckanut 50K registration.

Finally, while it is not required to race, based on recommendations from the CDC and the Washington State department of Health, we recommend all racers get their booster shot for covid-19. You can find more information here.

Thank you for your understanding and working with us as we create a system to put on the in-person event working with our community.

January Virtual Segment Winners!

January Virtual Segment Leaderboard is LIVE!

Thank you to everyone that added the Virtual events to their 2022 registration and for posting your results.

A little background: For our 2021 fully Virtual event (we were unable to host in-person due to COVID) we broke the standard 50k course in to segments running aid station to aid station. It turned into such a great way to prep for the full 50k that we kept the January and February virtual segments as extra incentive and motivation to train for the Chuckanut 50k. Runners had the option to add on the Virtual Segments to their registration.

And the January Winners are!!

Speediest Male and Female Entrants

(accumulative time across the 6 segments)

Nathanael Bate

Kelsey Groenhoet

Will receive a free entry to a Pacific MultiSports Event -Lake Whatcom Triathlon, Bellingham Off-road Triathlon or Bellingham Traverse- and a Chuckanut 50k Headwrap.

Random Prize Drawing

Kirstie Polenz

Dana Sturz

Robert Graham

Will receive Trail Butter’s latest Super Berry Macaroon Almond Cashew Butter Blend and a Chuckanut 50k Headwrap.

Looking ahead to February Segments:

We look forward to announcing the February Virtual Segment award winners at the beginning of March! So be sure to upload your results. Also tag us on social media to share your journey! We’d love to see how you’re doing!

Wear Your Shirt to celebrate!

I’ve been thinking on how to celebrate 20 years of race directing. There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing Chuckanut 50k race shirts on people. I awkwardly call them out pretty much where ever I see them. On instagram posts, along the trails or even through town if I happen to see our logo popping up. So my thought is to have as many runners as are willing to race in a previous Chuckanut 50k race shirt on race day this year. It seems like a simple ask, but also as a coach I know how important it is to train in the gear you are going to race in and know how it is going to perform. So be sure to do some training runs in your race shirts and decide which one to wear come March 19.

If you are in need of a previous Chuckanut 50k race shirt I have some in my office and would love to have them on people rather than in boxes. I’ll post sizes and prices below and you can email me to have one shipped or you can pick up at Prime Sports Institute on State Street in Bellingham.

For those of you curious on dates: Doug McKeever and Richard West founded the race in 1993. They directed through 2002, 10 years. I took over in 2003. I am counting race directing in 2020 because we had done everything and had to cancel 11 days out and then still had a ton of follow up with refunds. I’m also counting RD’ing in 2021 as a virtual year. Now to count the race years. This will the 28th running of the Chuckanut 50k because we were not in-person 2020 or 2021. Does this math work for everyone else?

Thank you for helping me celebrate this 2 decade commitment!

And looking ahead to at least a few more years…