Dan A. Nelson

The route, according to the official literature, includes “insane views of Mount Baker and the North Cascades to the east. The views of the San Juan Islands to the west, Canadian [mountains] to the north, plus the vast Skagit Valley to the south are not half bad, either. Elevations bounce between 200 and 2,500 feet, but do not include any huge, sustained climbs. Traverses of broken ridgeline require nimble feet while highly technical sections demand mountain goat skills. “Unfortunately for folks who like to plod slowly along on a backpacking adventure, the literature in this case isn’t a hikers’ guidebook, but rather the Endurance Challenge race pamphlet, and the description is that of the Bellingham-area race course.

What kind of people would run — and not just for fun, but to compete for the fastest time — along such a precarious backcountry trail? And up to a foot-numbing 50 miles?

“I saw an ad on the back of Runners World magazine, and thought it looked like a great new challenge,” said Craig Jacobsen of Seattle. “I’ve done a few regular half-marathons in the past, but nothing like this, so I thought I’d try it.”

On Saturday, the Endurance Challenge, sponsored by The North Face, descends on Bellingham’s Camp Lutherwood. Nestled on the east side of Chuckanut Mountain, Camp Lutherwood serves as the start/finish of a series of races through the rugged terrain on Chuckanut.

The North Face Endurance Challenge Series includes events in New York state; Washington, D.C.; Wisconsin; and a series championship event near San Francisco. Prizes for the contest include $1,000 for the winner of each of the four regional 50-mile races and a $10,000 prize for the series championship in December.

Drawn by the challenge

Jacobsen, 27, has run trails before, but only on recreational outings of four or five miles at a time, so he knows the Endurance race will be a true challenge. “I went to school in Bellingham. I know how steep those trails are.”

The course maps and route profiles show a roller-coaster course with one massive climb right in the middle, shooting from a few hundred feet above sea level to nearly 2,000 feet, in just a mile of trail.

“I expect this to be a lot harder than anything I’ve done before,” said Jacobsen. That is exactly what draws a growing number of racers and recreational trail runners to these events. This growing category of backcountry recreation draws thousands to trails and even trackless terrain each year, and the Pacific Northwest is fast becoming a favorite destination for race organizers and enthusiasts.

More at seattletimes.nwsource.com

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