Course map, elevation profile & surface
Fly the course
Follow the route over 3D terrain, mile by mile.
Race-day light
For a 6:55 finish (an estimate) · starting 7:00 AM Aug 29. Dark means the sun below civil twilight.
Climbs
5 climbs · 5,518 ft totalbiggest firstElevation gain, measured two ways
| Source | Gain | vs lidar |
|---|---|---|
| Course file (GPX) | 7,846ft | +10% |
| USGS lidar, 1 m | 7,135ft | reference |
They differ because a GPS file picks up noise on every wiggle and often takes its heights from a coarse terrain model, while lidar maps the ground itself to about a metre. We sampled this route every 98 ft against USGS 3DEP and counted each rise of 10 ft or more, on Oct 23, 2026. The planner still uses the course file.
Aid stations as published on the course file
| Aid station | Mile | km |
|---|---|---|
| Start/Finish - MSH Science and Learning Ctr | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| A AS1 - Coldwater - 5.0 miles | 4.8 | 7.7 |
| A AS2 - Bear Camp - 15.0 miles | 14.8 | 23.9 |
| A AS3 - South Coldwater - 27.4 miles | 26.9 | 43.3 |
Badge colours match the markers on the map above — always confirm locations and cutoffs with the race organizer.
Race director? Check this course and correct anything that’s off, and it carries a ✓ verified by the race badge everywhere it appears, including the free map embed for your own site. Claim your course.
Ran this course and something’s off — an aid station moved, a reroute, a wrong number? Report it and we’ll chase it down; fixes land for every runner (and count toward the race’s verified badge).
Conditions typical race-day weather for Aug 29 at the start
Typical = the median of 2016–2025 for Aug 29 ±3 days at the start line; a wet day has 1 mm of rain or more. Historical weather from Open-Meteo.
Race almanac 1 year of this race
Past editions
On race day it reached 55°F at the start, with a low of 44°.
| Year | Start °F | High point °F | Rain | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Aug 29 | 55°/44° | 45°/36° | 0.23in | 8mph |
race-day weather from the Open-Meteo historical archive (ERA5) at the start line and the course high point (5,715 ft).
Reviews what runners who have been there say
No reviews yet — be the first to run it and tell other runners what to expect.
About this course
Backcountry Rise — 2026 covers 30.1 mi (48.5 km) with 7,846 ft of elevation gain through Washington, United States. That is about 260 ft per mile of climbing, and 7,838 ft of descent. The course tops out at 5,714 ft and bottoms out at 2,499 ft. The surface is 95% trail and 5% paved. There are 3 aid stations on course; the longest stretch between aid is 12.1 mi. The profile has 5 sustained climbs; the biggest is the climb from mi 3.4, +1,508 ft over 3.6 mi at 7.9% on average (steepest stretch 31%). Race day is August 29, 2026, starting at 7:00 AM; the sun rises at 6:27 AM and sets at 7:55 PM. Typical race-day weather at the start: a high of 69°F and a low of 51°F, with a 29% chance of a wet day. The interactive map above shows the full route with its elevation profile and aid stations, built from the course's GPS file.
Load the course in the TrailGoat Run Planner for grade-adjusted pacing, climb-by-climb splits, hourly weather and a full hydration & fueling plan — free, no account needed.
Race director? — one line of HTML, always up to date.
Course history
- Jul 27, 2026Added to the catalog
Races like this one close in distance, climbing, terrain, altitude, weather and season
- Olympic Mountains Trail Races 50K Ruck — 2026Aug · 32 mi · 268 ft/mi · WASame distance · Similar weather · Similar climbing
- Volcanic 50 — 2026Aug · 31 mi · 216 ft/mi · WASame distance · Mostly trail · Same month
- Black Bear Trail Races — 2026Aug · 31 mi · 244 ft/mi · NHSame distance · Similar weather · Same month
More race courses
- Grand Ridge 50K — 202631.6 mi · Washington, United States
- Plain Endurance Runs 100 Miler — 2026103.1 mi · Washington, United States
- Dark Divide Trail Races 50K — 202632.4 mi · Washington, United States
- Backcountry Rise Half Marathon — 202613.2 mi · Washington, United States
- Dark Divide Trail Races 100 Miler — 202699.5 mi · Washington, United States
- Backcountry Rise 20 Miler — 202620.6 mi · Washington, United States
Not seeing the race you came for? — most are live within a day.