⏵ Course guide · Central Cascades rail-trail ultra
Ultra Fest is a flat, fast rail-trail ultra weekend out of the Easton Fire Station near Snoqualmie Pass, spanning 25K all the way to 100 miles along the Yakima River, Lake Easton, and Keechelus Lake. I will walk you through the runnable rail-trail course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a course where terrain is not the obstacle, time and fueling are. Free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official race site and the official UltraSignup registration page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
The course runs on the wide gravel Palouse to Cascades rail trail, tracing the Yakima River, Lake Easton, and the scenic shoreline of Keechelus Lake. Minimal elevation gain and consistent footing make this one of the more approachable ultra courses in the state.
The route follows the Yakima River corridor before opening up along Lake Easton and the shoreline of Keechelus Lake, with sweeping Cascade Mountain views throughout. It is a genuinely scenic course, not just a flat means to an end, and the smooth gravel surface stays predictable in nearly any weather.
All five distances start and finish at the Easton Fire Station, which doubles as a centralized basecamp for crews and spectators. Easy parking, a finish line gathering area, and on-site medical support make this a genuinely comfortable race to crew or be crewed at, especially valuable on the longer 100K and 100 Mile distances.
With minimal elevation gain and course records of 12:55 for the 100 Mile and 5:34 for the 50 Mile, this is a course where even pacing and fueling discipline matter more than terrain management.
Flat, runnable trail tempts runners into starting faster than they can sustain, especially at the longer distances. A pace target built from your actual fitness, rather than the temptation of a smooth surface, gives you an honest number for what you can hold for 50, 100, or 100-plus kilometers.
For the 100K and 100 Mile, a race-time prediction built off your fitness helps you plan crew stops, sleep strategy, and gear changes around a realistic finish window rather than guessing. Check that estimate against your own pacing early in the race, while you still have room to adjust.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Late-September weather near Snoqualmie Pass can bring warm days and cool nights, especially relevant for anyone out on the 100K or 100 Mile course overnight.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the longer distances. Because the course is flat and runnable, your gut can often handle a higher, steadier intake than it would on technical terrain, so build a consistent per-hour plan and use the 5 aid stations to stay on schedule.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners, leaning higher during the warm daytime hours. If you are out on the 100K or 100 Mile course overnight, plan for cooler temperatures near Snoqualmie Pass even though the terrain itself never gets technical.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a long Central 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 race-day plan built around YOUR fitness and whichever Ultra Fest distance you are chasing, from your first 25K to a PR attempt at 100 miles. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for flat, sustained running, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
Ultra Fest is deliberately built to be the opposite of a mountain ultra: a flat, smooth gravel rail-trail with minimal elevation gain along the Yakima River, Lake Easton, and Keechelus Lake. That makes it approachable for a first-time ultrarunner and fast for anyone chasing a PR, but flat and fast still means a lot of time on your feet at longer distances like the 100K and 100 Mile, where the challenge shifts from terrain to pure endurance and fueling discipline.
Ultra Fest spans five distances in one weekend: 25K, 50K, 50 Mile, 100K, and 100 Mile, all run on the same flat, runnable rail-trail course out of the Easton Fire Station. That range makes it a good choice whether you are attempting your first ultra at 25K or 50K, or chasing a fast, flat 100 mile finish.
Because the course is flat and runnable, you can often sustain a higher, steadier carbohydrate intake here than on a technical mountain course. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the longer distances, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusting for late-summer Cascade heat during the day. With 5 aid stations along the course, you have regular chances to reset your intake rather than carrying huge reserves. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The course runs on a wide, smooth gravel rail-trail, part of the Palouse to Cascades corridor, following the Yakima River, Lake Easton, and the scenic shoreline of Keechelus Lake. With minimal elevation gain and consistent, predictable footing, this is about as runnable as a Washington trail ultra gets, which is exactly why it draws both first-time ultrarunners and speed-focused veterans.
Yes. The organizers explicitly built this course to be approachable for first-time ultrarunners: flat, smooth, crew-friendly with the Easton Fire Station as a centralized basecamp, and generous cutoffs. If you are considering your first 50K, 50 Mile, or even your first 100 Mile, the lack of technical terrain removes one major variable, letting you focus on pacing and fueling instead of navigating rocky, root-heavy trail.
Mid-to-late September near Snoqualmie Pass in the Central Cascades can still bring warm daytime temperatures, especially for runners out on the course for a full day or more on the 100K or 100 Mile. Nights can turn cool at this elevation, so plan layers for the overnight hours on the longer distances even though the terrain itself stays gentle.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/ultra-fest">The Ultra Fest course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/ultra-fest" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Ultra Fest course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations 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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