50 Miles to the rooftop of Oregon

50.1 miles / Point-to-point / 10,650’ of gain / 8,800’ of loss

The 50 Miler offers an absolutely stunning and world-class point-to-point mountain trail race route, featuring volcanic alpine ridgelines up high and big forests, wildflower meadows and waterfalls down lower. This challenging and scenic mountain trail race shuttles runners out to the start line at the east edge of Mt. Hood National Forest’s Ponderosa backcountry, then runs ridgeline trails back onto the volcano, up high into the alpine, then down to the finish at Mt. Hood Meadows. Runners will encounter an incredibly broad variety of PNW trail terrain, including Ponderosa, juniper and manzanita-lined dirt single track, to steep, rocky ridgelines, some rough historic doubletrack, plus exposed and sometimes scrambly volcanic alpine trails. Truly magnificent views, strong on-course support and great crew access from start to finish!

Race Day Schedule

• SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025

• Bib Pickup:

  • Friday: 5PM-6:30PM at Mt. Hood Meadows

• Shuttle Bus Departure: 4:40AM from Mt. Hood Meadows

• Race Start: 5:30AM at Underhill Site

• Awards Ceremony: 4PM

• Cut-Off: 15.5 hours (9:00PM at Finish Line)

Course Map

• COURSE MAP: click on the map image to open, save or print a high resolution copy. This map was custom made by your race directors.

• INTERACTIVE MAP: Click HERE for an interactive course map in Caltopo.

• GPX DATA: Click HERE for a .gpx data file of the course with elevation data included.

Elevation Change

Approximately 10,650' of ascent and 8,800' of descent.

Aid Stations

All Daybreak races are cupless, so be sure to bring your own cup for liquid at aid stations. 

There are 6 aid stations on the course plus 1 self-serve water station. The 6 aid stations are all staffed with experienced, enthusiastic volunteers plus professional medical personnel.

Hydration and Nutrition options: Neversecond gels and hydration drink, water, soda, bananas, oranges, chips, PB&J sandwiches, and more. 

Crew & Spectators

A Crew Guide will be posted here in the spring.

Crew are welcome at Aid Stations #1, 2, 5, 6 & 7 and of course the Finish Line area for runner support. Crew and spectators must follow race rules and directions given by an event official, medical personnel or aid station captain.

Drop Bags

Drop bags will be available at Aid Station #2 & #5.

RETURN: Please consider that drop bags will not be returned back to the race staging area until AFTER the aid station cutoff and shutting down after race sweepers arrive. Note that Aid Station #5 at Umbrella will not close until 5:45PM and bags will not return to the finish until approximately 6:00PM. You are welcome to retrieve your drop bags from the aid station before then if desired.

CONTENTS: Do not store valuables in drop bags! This includes car keys, ID, phones, bank cards, etc. The race is not responsible for missing, damaged, lost or stolen drop bags or contents.

FORGOTTEN BAGS: Please note we do not ship or deliver forgotten drop bags. You can arrange to pick up forgotten drop bags from us if we have them.

Headlamp

A headlamp is required if leaving Umbrella aid station after 5:00PM, no exceptions. Headlamps will be checked by Aid Station staff. Please store one in your drop bag, with crew, or carry with you.

Poles & Gaiters

Trekking poles are allowed and shoe gaiters are generally encouraged for the section between Aid Station 6-7, where it is more technical, steep and rocky, with intermittent loose volcanic scree encountered.

Pacers

No pacers allowed.

Course Detail By Section:

Start to Aid Station 1 (Fifteenmile): 8.6 miles. Shuttle buses from Mt. Hood Meadows and crews drop off runners at the start area at Underhill Site, along Forest Road 44 on the east zone of Mt. Hood National Forest. From the start, the course briefly follows the 44 Road, then the 4450 road to Underhill Trail, which travels southerly for 2.75 miles up and down across two creek drainages, offering fantastic meadow views before reaching the 4-way junction with Fifteenmile Trail and Cedar Creek Trail. The course continues straight through this junction, crosses a footbridge over Fifteenmile Creek (a Wild & Scenic River) and begins a long steady climb along a long ridgeline on Cedar Creek Trail for 4.5 miles through stunning oak and Poderosa pine woodlands mixed with more meadows. Cedar Creek Trail drops down to cross Fifteenmile Creek once again, then veers left at the junction with Fifteenmile Trail. Runners take Fifteenmile Trail for 0.5 mile to Fifteenmile Campground for Aid Station 1. Crew Access available.

Aid Station 1 (Fifteenmile) to Aid Station 2 (Surveyors): 10.5 miles. Departing Aid Station 1, runners follow Fifteenmile Trail north bound for just over 2 miles then veer right onto Lookout Mtn Trail, which flows downhill along Eightmile Creek for 2.5 miles, then crosses the 44 Road and veers left through Bottle Prairie Trailhead and onto Knebal Springs Trail for almost 2.5 miles, traveling through a flowing mix of meadows, Ponderosa and mountain fir forest. The course veers left onto the flat but twisty Superconnector Trail for 1.75 miles, crosses the 1720 Road, then .25 miles later crosses the 17 Road onto Surveyors Ridge Trail. From there, the course flows along Surveyors Ridge Trail for .75 mile, then pees left onto an old gravel road for .5 mile into Aid Station 2 at The Hub Trailhead parking area. Crew access and Drop Bags available.

Aid Station 2 (Surveyors) to Aid Station 3 (High Prairie): 7.8 miles. Departing Aid Station 2, the course continues southerly on Surveyors Ridge Trail for a flat, fast mile before crossing Forest Road 44 and onto Cooks Meadow Trail. From here, runners face a long, rolling 7 mile climb on the serenely flowing Cooks Meadow Trail, offering several spectacular viewpoints of Mt. Hood along the upper half of the climb. At the top of Cook Meadow Trail, runners reach Aid Station 3 at High Prairie on the border of the Badger Creek Wilderness near Lookout Mountain, the second highest point on the entire Mt. Hood National Forest. No Crew or Drop Bags due to no parking and wilderness restrictions.

Aid Station 3 (High Prairie) to Aid Station 4 (Bennett Pass): 9.1 miles. Runners depart High Prairie on the very primitive and historic Bennett Pass Road, a technical doubletrack with a rocky 2-mile cliffside descent, offering magnificent views of Wy’east. Runners then transition onto the Gunsight Ridge Trail at Gumjuwac Saddle, traversing some technical, punchy sections of talus slope and rocky ridgeline trail through wildflower meadows, mountain larch and fir forest for 5 miles. Several viewpoints along Gunsight trail feature expansive Mt. Hood views to the west and the Central Oregon high desert to the east. The Gunsight trail ends and runners turn RIGHT, back onto the historic Bennett Pass Road, heading straight for Mt. Hood for a 2 mile rolling descent on rough, narrow and rocky doubletrack down to Bennett Pass Aid Station. Drop Bags available, NO Crew access.

Aid Station 4 (Bennett Pass) to Aid Station 5 (Umbrella): 4.3 miles. Leaving Bennett Pass Aid Station, the rough doubletrack gives way to somewhat smoother, fast gravel forest road for two miles, ending at Bennett Pass Sno Park. Exiting the Sno Park, the course turns RIGHT on the paved road shoulder to cross the overpass above Hwy 35, then onto the narrow “Historic Mt. Hood Highway”, a quaint one-lane, one-way paved roadway that was the first road to travel around the mountain— you are now officially on the slopes of Mt. Hood! From the Sahale Falls Bridge on the roadway, the course makes a punchy LEFT turn uphill, connecting onto Sahale Falls Trail, which climbs for 1.5 miles then turns LEFT onto Umbrella Falls Trail, offering a mile of gently rolling ascent through intermittent old growth mountain fir forest and very lush wildflower meadows, a few small crossings and the stunning veil of the Umbrella Falls waterfall itself! Another 0.25 miles to reach Umbrella Aid Station at a road crossing. Crew Access and Drop Bags available at Umbrella Aid Station #5.

Aid Station 5 (Umbrella) to Aid Station 6 (Ski Patrol): 2.5 miles. Departing Umbrella Aid Station, runners begin a gradual climb up Umbrella Trail for 1.5 miles through an exquisite mix of forest and lush meadows, offering lovely and ever-closer views of the Mt. Hood summit. Runners turn RIGHT for a very brief (literally a few strides) section of Timberline Trail, then turn LEFT onto a steep gravel service road for 1 mile. The climb gets steeper and steeper as it climbs up to Ski Patrol Aid Station #6. Crew Access available at Ski Patrol.

Aid Station 6 (Ski Patrol) to Aid Station 7 (Ski Patrol 2): 3.2 miles. This segment is the crux of the course and BY FAR the most exposed, steep and technical zone, but also offers unmatched panoramic views for hundreds of miles, as well as adjacent glaciers and deep canyons high on the volcano. Leaving Ski Patrol Aid Station, runners head up the Wizard Trail, climbing 1500’ in 1.6 miles, immediately surrounded by volcanic alpine, where the trails are much rockier and primitive— pay attention to the course flagging, as the trail can appear faint and sometimes turn abruptly after a sharp or steep turn. The final section to climb is a scree field with numerous short switchbacks up to the spine of the moraine. This is the 8000’ level and the turnaround point on the course, where the peak of Mt. Hood surprisingly doesn’t seem quite so high since it’s barely more than 3000’ to the summit!! Make sure to verify you’ve reached the turnaround using the hole punch on your bib! From the turnaround checkpoint, begin the epic descent back down to Ski Patrol Aid Station #7. Keep your descent under control, as to keep your feet beneath you and your front teeth, knees, elbows and skin intact. :) Crew Access available at Ski Patrol but remember the second pass through Ski Patrol aid is a self-serve water station only.

Aid Station 7 (Ski Patrol 2) to Finish (Mt. Hood Meadows): 4.2 miles. Departing Ski Patrol, runners descend Lower Wizard Trail for a ripping descent for 1.5 miles, then turn LEFT onto the iconic Timberline Trail for another 1 mile rolling descent, then turn RIGHT onto Jack’s Woods Trail. After passing the ski lift at Heather Canyon on a short gravel service road and turning LEFT to get back on the trail , runners turn RIGHT at the junction toward the finish. The remaining 1.5 miles of the course is rolling, mostly downhill through a mix of lush meadows and forest, before the final descent down to Mt. Hood Meadows (yes, you will hear and see us cheering for you!), where runners finish at the lodge Sun Deck under the summit of the mountain, reuniting with friends and family!

Cancellations

See the Daybreak Racing Cancellation Policy.

This event is located on the Mt. Hood National Forest. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.