⏵ Course guide · Pacific Crest Trail, south of Mt. Hood
Mt. Hood 50 is a Pacific Northwest classic running since 1999, with the 50-mile and most of the 50K on the heavily shaded Pacific Crest Trail and the 25K looping Clackamas and Timothy Lakes on singletrack instead. I will walk you through the course and format first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a long day in the Cascades. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Go Beyond Racing event pages. The 2026 edition has already run and the 2027 dates are not yet posted, so check gobeyondracing.com/races/mt-hood-50 before you commit.
All three distances start and finish at the Historic Clackamas Ranger Station near Timothy Lake, but the 25K takes a genuinely different route than the two longer distances.
Almost all of the 50-mile and much of the 50K run on the Pacific Crest Trail, described by the race itself as "heavily-shaded," with both distances getting an iconic view of Mt. Hood along the way. Expect classic Cascades forest singletrack rather than exposed ridgelines.
The 25K skips the Pacific Crest Trail entirely and instead takes racers around Clackamas and Timothy Lakes on a mix of singletrack and doubletrack trail. It is a different, more approachable day than the PCT-heavy longer distances, on the same forested terrain.
This race started in 1999 and the 2026 edition was its 27th year, built a reputation as "everyone's favorite" with a friendly, old-school volunteer-driven vibe and a well-known post-race spread of burgers, local beer and cider, and chocolate milk. None of the three distances use a lottery, registration opens January 1, and the races have historically sold out with a free wait list once full.
Go Beyond Racing does not publish total elevation gain or finish cutoffs for any distance, so lean on the terrain description and a grade-adjusted plan rather than guessing at numbers the official page does not give you.
Cascades sections of the Pacific Crest Trail near Timothy Lake are shaded, rolling forest singletrack, not a flat fire road. Build in a conservative early pace on the 50-mile and 50K so you have something left for the back half, and check gobeyondracing.com/races/mt-hood-50 for any current-year cutoff or elevation figures before you lock in a target.
⏵ Free tools to plan your effort
Shaded PCT forest keeps direct sun exposure lower than an exposed ridge race, but a mid-July day at elevation near Timothy Lake still calls for a real fueling plan.
With no published cutoff to plan tightly against, build your fueling around your realistic finish time rather than a race-imposed deadline. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the 50-mile or 50K, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, and use the shaded PCT sections to keep your intake steady before the exposed stretches.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a mid-July Cascades day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a training plan built around YOUR fitness and the kind of shaded, rolling PCT terrain this race demands. Summit Line reads your real training, builds the durability your chosen distance asks for, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The 2026 edition ran July 11 to 12, 50 mile on Saturday, 50K and 25K on Sunday, and that event has already passed. Go Beyond Racing has not yet published dates for the next edition. The race has run every July since 1999, so plan on a similar mid-July weekend, but confirm the exact dates once they post, historically registration opens January 1.
The 50-mile and most of the 50K distance run the heavily shaded Pacific Crest Trail, both getting the race's signature view of the mountain. The 25K skips the PCT entirely and instead loops around Clackamas and Timothy Lakes on singletrack and doubletrack forest trail. All three distances start and finish at the Historic Clackamas Ranger Station.
Go Beyond Racing does not publish a total elevation gain figure for any of the three distances, so treat the PCT-heavy 50-mile and 50K as a genuine Cascades ultra test on shaded, rolling singletrack rather than assuming a specific vert number. The 25K around Clackamas and Timothy Lakes is the more approachable option, still real trail but without the PCT mileage. This is a long-running, well-organized event known for strong volunteer support rather than an extreme or technical course.
Cutoff times are not published on the official Go Beyond Racing pages for any distance. Check gobeyondracing.com/races/mt-hood-50 closer to race day, or contact Go Beyond Racing directly, before you build a pacing plan around a specific cutoff.
No. None of the three distances use a lottery. Registration opens January 1 on a first-come basis with tiered pricing that increases closer to race day, and the races have historically sold out, at which point Go Beyond Racing opens a free wait list for each distance.
The 25K is the gentlest entry point, real forest singletrack around two lakes without the PCT mileage of the longer distances. The 50K is a solid step up if you want the iconic Pacific Crest Trail miles on a distance most first-time ultra runners can train into. The event's 27-year history and reputation for community and volunteer support make it a forgiving place to try either distance for the first time.
With no published elevation or cutoff figures, build a conservative fueling plan around time on feet rather than a tight cutoff margin. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the 50-mile or 50K, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusted for a July day in the Cascades. Use the free ultra fueling calculator to build your own numbers.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/mt-hood-50">The Mt. Hood 50 course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/mt-hood-50" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Mt. Hood 50 course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, and entry rules come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.
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