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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Backcountry Rise

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Toutle
US

Race date Aug expected: August 2027
City · Distance: Toutle · 50km
Entry fee: $125From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date August 2027 · expected · Soon

2026Date Aug 29, 2026 · Entry fee $125 · Start 07:00

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 9, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

Runners traverse wilderness that has been reborn since the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

The Mount Margaret Backcountry north of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument features sapphire-blue lakes,

jagged peaks, and slopes covered in wildflowers.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

Ann WallaceRan in 2021

“The Backcountry Rise 50k was the hardest 50k we have ever ran.”

Ann switched from 50 miles to 50km at Backcountry Rise. She endured heat and long climbs while enjoying the surrounding mountain and lake views.

Read the original on Girls Gone Wildwood

Bre Mirynech

“I felt strong and stoked!”

Bre carried plenty of water to manage the heat at Backcountry Rise 50km. She stayed strong late in the race and finished under 8 hours.

Read the original on Bre Mirynech

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Full recap

Wes Plate · Full recap

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2026 edition

Half

Entry cost $125

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Ultra

Entry cost $190

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

20 Miler

Entry cost $150

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

The 50km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00

START

Toutle, WA

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Mt. St. Helens Science & Learning Center

Finish · Google Maps

The events are 50K, 20 Miler, and Half Marathon.

The start takes place in Toutle, WA at 7:00 AM local time.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startMount St.
IC cardNo dedicated transit card system; Toutle, near Mount St.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Mount St. Helens Science & Learning Center, 19000 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle, WA 98649 (milepost 43.3 on SR-504)

Reached via SR-504 East from I-5 (Exit 49 at Castle Rock, ~43 miles). No public transit; car access only.

Confirmed directly from official race site (daybreakracing.com)

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start — Mount St. Helens Science & Learning Center serves as base camp/start-finish.

Co-located with start.

Map

Start shuttle

No shuttle bus service mentioned. Parking (car camping in large paved lot) included with registration.

IC card

No dedicated transit card system; Toutle, near Mount St. Helens, is a rural venue with no public transit, so car access applies.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Backcountry Rise is a mountain trail race starting from the Mt. St. Helens Science & Learning Center,

with three events: half marathon Marathon, 50K, and 20 Miler.

The half marathon Marathon starts Saturday at 8:00 AM as a clockwise loop around Coldwater Lake with about 2,800 feet of elevation gain and loss.

The 50K starts Saturday at 7:00 AM as a single loop with 7,600 feet of elevation gain and loss,

with 98% of course on singletrack, and only 3 aid station in the remote sections.

The 20 Miler starts Sunday at 7:00 AM and includes an out-and-back section to Coldwater Peak.

Due to the mountainous terrain, all three events have significant elevation change and wide spacing between aid station.

Times are local to Toutle. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

City Sightseeing Seattle Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Cruise

$148

View on Klook

Seattle City Sightseeing Bus Pass

$66

View on Klook

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on map

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

Checklist Local eSIM · Trip.com Flight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelp Pace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Toutle runners' room

FAQ

When does Backcountry Rise 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in August 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sat, August 29, 2026.

How much is the Backcountry Rise 2027 entry fee?

Not announced yet. The 2026 race entry fee was about $125.

What distances does Backcountry Rise 2027 offer?

Ultra. (From the 2026 edition)

What time does Backcountry Rise 2027 start?

The race starts at 07:00. (From the 2026 edition)

Where does Backcountry Rise 2027 start?

Toutle, WA. (From the 2026 edition)

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Backcountry Rise

About Backcountry Rise — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run