A born-and-raised Washingtonian compiled this must-run list of trail races in Washington State. Run any one of these and you’ll fall in love with Washington’s trails!
Trail running in the upper left of the country is all about variety. From trails in loamy coastal rainforests under ancient Douglas-firs, through the stark beauty and endless sagebrush of the eastern high desert, to the craggy, intersecting alpine ridges of the Cascades (not to mention the best part: everything in between), every run is uniquely spectacular.
As a born-and-raised Washingtonian, I admit that I’m far from impartial, so to prove the objective quality of the trails I love, I’ve compiled this list of trail races in Washington State that you should have on your list to run. Treat yourself to a handful of these and you’ll soon be a devout lover of Washington’s trails yourself.
…Or is a little rain too much for you?
To make navigation a little easier, this list is broken into regions: Western Washington (Pacific Ocean to the Cascades), Central Washington (Cascades to the Columbia River), and Eastern Washington (Columbia River to the Idaho border).
I’ve also ranked each race by difficulty considering accessibility, distance, and terrain.
🟢 = super friendly for first-time trail runners
🟦 = an intermediate experience
🖤 = you love a good challenge!
Don’t let my ranking discourage you from registering! With the right planning and training, these events are achievable for any skill level. Believe in yourself, put in the work, and you’ll be ready to crush it!
📍 Issaquah, WA
👣 50K, Ascent (5.5 Miles), Big Cat (Ascent + 50K)
📅 May 9-10, 2025
Organized by Ethan Newberry aka The Ginger Runner
Only 30 minutes from Seattle, and boasting six different summits, Tiger Mountain is many locals’ go-to trail system, but the Tiger Claw puts a spin on this well-loved mountain. The race is a choose-your-own adventure 50K made up of three loops that you can run in any order you like. There are only two aid stations, one at the bottom and one at the top, and if all goes according to plan, you’ll hit each one three times. The 5.5-mile “Ascent,” run the evening before the 50K, is a 2.5-mile climb up the steep and slick Cable Line Trail to the top of West Tiger 2 followed by a chill 3-mile descent. This is an early-season race in the western foothills of the Cascades, so plan for any weather!
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📍 Vashon Island, WA
👣 10 Miles, 50K
📅 June 7, 2025
Organized by Bruce Cyra & Nick Keenan
Just a short ferry ride from Seattle, the Vashon Island Ultramarathon is one of the closest and most accessible races to the city. You’ll enjoy a fast course mainly on well-groomed trails with 770 feet of elevation gain each 10-mile loop. The biggest challenge of this race might just be navigating the ferry schedule! That, or deciding in which of the island’s many breweries or wineries to check out for your post-race celebratory drinks.
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📍 Baker Lake, WA
👣 50K
📅 October 4, 2025
Organized by Northwest Endurance Events
Nestled deep in Douglas-fir country among some of the most beautiful peaks in the North Cascades, Baker Lake offers great camping and excellent trail running. After leaving the start/finish line at the Kulshan Campground and crossing the Upper Baker Dam, this out-and-back 50K follows the shores of Baker Lake for 14 miles to your turnaround point and the race’s only aid station. You’ll be treated to beautiful views of the lake, fall colors, rolling, well-maintained trails, and just enough creek crossings to keep things interesting. It’s a fall race, so plan for slick trails and sun, snow, or anything in between!
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📍 Seattle, WA
👣 6 and 12 Hours
📅 April 12, and October 25, 2025
Organized by Endless Trails
If you’re looking for the closest possible ultra to Seattle, it’s gotta be Cottontail. This 1.93-mile loop course in Seattle’s Carkeek Park has a bit of everything: rolling hills, steep climbs, views of Puget Sound, and some of the chillest runners you’re likely to find. Not to mention 436 feet of gain per loop. The Cottontail races run the loop clockwise, but if you’re more of a counterclockwise kind of person, consider the Carkeek races. They’re the same thing, just run in the opposite direction and on Halloween weekend, so costumes are encouraged!
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📍 North Bend, WA
👣 Marathon
📅 June 8, August 10, and September 14, 2025
Organized by Tunnel Marathons
If you’re looking to PB your marathon and refuse to step into road shoes, the Tunnel Marathons are just the ticket. Taking off from the top of Snoqualmie Pass, the aptly named “Light at the End of the Tunnel,” “Tunnel Vision,” and “Tunnel Light” marathons start you off through a 2-mile former railroad tunnel and feature a quad-burning net elevation loss of over 2,000 feet. But ultrarunners beware: you’ll be toeing the line alongside a bunch of roadies looking to qualify for Boston—about 40% of Tunnel runners snag their BQ here.
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📍 Hoodsport, WA
👣 14 Miles, 5 Miles
📅 August 2, 2025
Organized by Rock Candy Running
If you’re looking to maximize vertical-bang-for-your-distance-buck, the Beast of Big Creek might be just the ticket. The only International Skyrunning Federation certified course in the U.S., the race takes you 5,200 feet up over seven miles to the summit of Mount Ellinor on the Olympic Peninsula. You’ll enjoy running among huge, lush trees before breaking out of the tree coverage and scrambling up rock slopes to the summit, then turning around to do the whole thing in reverse. And for those hoping to run in Chamonix, good news: this is a UTMB Index race. The five-mile forest loop course is a great option for those looking for the type of fun that doesn’t hurt quite so much.
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🦄 Looking for a fan favorite hundred miler? Check out The Yeti 100 Mile Endurance Run – Washington! Deep in the heart of the Cascades, where abandoned rails whisper tales of adventure and a 2.3-mile tunnel holds secrets beneath a mountain, the Yeti’s left-coast cousin throws down an invitation to dance with distance.
📍 Easton, WA
👣 100 Miles
📅 July 18, 2025
Organized by Jess Mullen
Starting and finishing from a tiny fire station in the small town of Easton, the iconic Cascade Crest covers some of the most beautiful trails in the central Cascades, including over 30 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The course takes you up and down ridges for more than 23,000 ft of elevation gain on mostly singletrack with a 2.5-mile former train tunnel in the middle to keep things interesting. Registration is via a lottery which opens in December, and participants are required to complete 8 hours of trail work before race day, so start planning now.
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📍 White Salmon, WA
👣 55K, 25K
📅 February 8, 2025
Organized by Wonderland Running
Set on the north edge of the Columbia River, the Coyote Wall Trail Races offer a tour of some of the most incredible and varied ecosystems in Washington. You’ll start near the banks of the river, climb through open Douglas-fir forest and oak savanna, and break out into open grasslands with sweeping views of the Columbia River Gorge and Oregon’s Mount Hood to the south. The trails are steep at times and technical enough to keep your attention focused. The best part? Because it’s firmly in the Cascades’ rain shadow, your chances of clear weather are good—especially for a mid-winter race.
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📍 Leavenworth, WA
👣 5K, 27K, 55K
📅 May 24, 2025
Organized by Mountain Running Races
The town of Leavenworth is known for two things: its ubiquitous faux-Bavarian architecture and its jaw-dropping trails. Tucked against the eastern edge of the central Cascades, Leavenworth’s outdoor access is second-to-none. It’s against this backdrop that the Leavenworth Trail Fest sets its races. Choose from a run-in-the-park 5K, a 27K with enough technical singletrack and climbing to satisfy the pickiest runner, or double the 27K course and make it a 55K. There are no bad options—only great trails and incredible views.
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📍 Mount St. Helens, WA
👣 200 Miles, 20 Miles
📅 August 8, 2025
Organized by Destination Trail
The Bigfoot races are your chance to get up close and personal with an active stratovolcano, not to mention to test yourself against the first 200+ mile, point-to-point race in the U.S. Starting on the south side of the mountain, the course wraps around the west side of the mountain and through the otherworldly blast zone left after Mount St. Helens’ 1980 eruption before heading east toward Mt. Adams and north to the finish. The views are stunning, the support is generous (with six sleep stations!), and the chances of hallucinating a bigfoot are high. If you’re looking for a less strenuous race that still gives you excellent views of St. Helens, check out the 20-mile option.
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📍 Randle, WA
👣 100 Miles, 50 Miles, 50K, 15 Miles
📅 September 5, 2025
Organized by Wonderland Running
This one’s not for the faint of heart. Crossing the 76,000-acre roadless “Dark Divide” between Mount St. Helens and Mt. Adams, these races offer an incredible challenge. Navigation skills, route finding, and “physical and emotional fortitude” are all essential to successfully complete the 100-miler. Race organizers warn that in some places a DNF will take longer to get back to civilization than just walking it in. But the risk comes with high reward. The remote course offers 75% singletrack, technical trails, and stunning views of this massive wilderness.
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📍 Cle Elum, WA
👣 12 Hours
📅 April 26, 2025
Organized by Walla Trails
Originally conceived as a low-stakes way of night training for longer ultras, the Twilight 12 Hour has become an all-night party. Looping the hills above a ranch about 90 minutes from Seattle, the short course packs a surprising punch. You’ll run on singletrack, cross a creek, climb and descend gravel roads, and gain 350 feet, all in only 2.3 miles. Come for the headlamp running and aid station potluck—everyone brings their favorite aid station goodies to share—and stay for the 7a.m. pancake breakfast!
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📍 Walla Walla, WA
👣 6 Hours
📅 April 12, 2025
Organized by Walla Trails
This one is for the ladies. Race founders Gretchen Walla and Claire Walla (no relation) created the race to celebrate finding friendship in the trail community and to benefit Trail Sisters, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation in trail running and hiking. The course follows a scenic 5-mile loop of mostly doubletrack around Bennington Lake. Set in the beautiful and remote southeast corner of the state near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers, Walla Walla’s climate makes it ideal for growing wine grapes, so don’t forget to leave time for post-race drinks!
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📍 Quincy, WA
👣 50 Miles, 50K, 25K, 10K
📅 April 5, 2025
Organized by Run Super Series
If someone were to blindfold you and drop you off at Ancient Lakes, you’d probably assume you were somewhere in the southwest. Consisting of a series of lakes formed in the aftermath of the thawing of the last ice age, the Ancient Lakes area has it all: spring sunshine, placid lakes, steep canyons, waterfalls, and flowy, fast trails. The race features three different loops to make sure you get to experience as much of this gorgeous area as possible.
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📍[The most beautiful parts of], WA
👣 Various Distances
📅 Various Dates
Organized by Aspire Adventure Running
If you need a break from the race scene but still want to explore the most spectacular trails in Washington, Aspire Adventure Running might be the answer. Featuring routes in wilderness areas where organized races are impossible, these adventure runs provide not only a stunning running experience, but also hot food, hot showers, and cozy accommodations after each day on the trail. Choose from single or multi-day routes in the San Juan Islands, the remote North Cascades, or—my personal favorite—a 3-day circumnavigation of Mt. Rainier’s iconic Wonderland Trail.
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Bottom line, Washington State is full of epic trails waiting to be explored. Which race will you choose? Register today on UltraSignup!
