Yakima Skyline 50K

The Yakima Skyline 50K takes place outside of Ellensburg, WA in and above the scenic Yakima River Canyon — ancestral home of the Yakama people and associated tribes and bands. On the sunny, eastern side of the Cascades, this out-and-back course sits in a beautiful high-desert rainshadow region: exposed to the elements and often hot and dry. With more than 9,000 feet of climbing, it is a tough 50K. Expect stunning views of the canyon and the Yakima River below, plus Tahoma (Mt Rainier), Pahto (Mt Adams), and the Cascades in the distance — lung-burning climbs, quad-screaming descents, and rolling ridgelines through fields of wildflowers. You finish along the river in a canyon of lush springtime foliage, met with a one-of-a-kind finish-line party and free on-site primitive camping.

The course is an out-and-back: head south on the Yakima Skyline Rim Trail to the halfway point at the Buffalo Aid Station, then turn around and retrace the same route in reverse. It's mostly single-track — sometimes smooth, just as often rocky and rough — with a few miles on a ridge-top jeep road.

You start in the river valley around 1,300 ft and stay flat for the first km or so. After crossing the river bridge you begin the first of two major climbs: 2,100+ ft in just over 2 miles to the top of the ridge. A rolling jeep-road section follows, then at ~mile 6 you plummet down a narrow trail losing 1,400 ft to the Roza Aid Station.

Continuing south, the next couple of km are relatively flat across the Roza Creek Valley before the second big climb — about 1,700 ft in 2 miles. Fun, mostly-downhill ridge running leads to a moderate 200 ft climb and the rocky descent into Buffalo (the turnaround). From there you repeat the first half in reverse. At the top of the final long climb a minimal aid station sits near mile 28.5, where you drop off the ridge down 'the elevator shaft', cross the bridge, and finish.

This is high-desert, sagebrush, rattlesnake country — we usually race a week or two before they're really active, but watch your step and listen for the rattle. It's a tough, slow, scenic course, especially with the flowers in bloom and clear skies.

Four aid stations: Roza (mile 8), Buffalo (mile 15.5), Roza again (mile 23), and a minimal station near mile 28.

Roza and Buffalo are stocked with water, soda, Gnarly electrolyte, PB&J, fresh fruit, chips, pickles, and assorted cookies or candy, plus a variety of gels to supplement your own. First-aid supplies and menstrual hygiene products are available at every station.

The minimal station has water, soda, Gnarly electrolyte, Gu gels, chips, and candy. Volunteers track every runner at each station, so wear your bib visibly on the front of your body.

There is no crew access anywhere on this course — our permits limit vehicles at Buffalo to volunteers and staff only. Crews who park at Buffalo put their runner at risk of disqualification.

Because the course is so remote, drop-bag service is available only at the Buffalo Aid Station. The Roza station is reachable only by boat and a hike up from the river, and the minimal station is a very long, rough jeep-road drive away.

Plans change. Refund windows, deferrals, and bib-transfer rules are the same across every Rainshadow race — cancel before race day and we'll email you a credit toward a future event.