Rainier to Ruston

Runners enjoy the journey from the majestic base of Mount Rainier to the stunning waterfront of Tacoma on Ruston Way. You're invited to celebrate National Trails Day with us! Relay runners will commemorate the old railroad by passing through bell stands in each town along the way to the Salish Sea. Runners will traverse gorgeous forests, pass through historic Washington towns and cites, finishing the run along a beautiful waterfront park with a view of Mt. Rainier. The downhill course is a runners dream. We look forward to having you join us!
Run for the trails, stay for the party!

Relay teams start near the Carbon River entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park and finish at Marine Park on Tacoma's Ruston Way. The course passes through deep forests, alongside rushing rivers and streams and through historic towns. It uses the paved Foothills Trail to the extent possible (36%) and roads (12%), sidewalks (18%) and rough trails (33%) when not.  Each leg is described in the Leg Chart and Course Conditions in the Course Manual.

Course Map

Runners tackle the course as a relay, dividing the 12 legs (each approximately three to six miles) among teams of 2, 3, 4 or 6 runners.
Teams compete in several divisions and categories for awards. 

Complete 50 miles solo! See the registration page for special details for your solo crazies!!

packet pick-up is race day only! Please plan to arrive about 30 minutes before your wave start.
When: Saturday June 3rd - 5:45AM - 9:45AM
Where: Race Start Line- Fairfax Forest Reserve Road E, Carbonado WA, 98323
To avoid congestion, only one person from each team needs to come to packet pick-up and can pick-up bibs and shirts for all team members. Please come prepared with your team name and bib number. We will release the team name and bib list the week of the race.

Click here for Course Map

Click on the relay maps below for maps of the individual legs, including descriptions of the course for the runners and driving

routes for the support vans. Leg maps have been updated at different times, so check the date on the bottom of your maps to see if you have the most recent version.

Relay Map : Leg 1
Relay Map : Leg 2
Relay Map : Leg 3
Relay Map : Leg 4
Relay Map : Leg 5
Relay Map : Leg 6
Relay Map : Leg 7
Relay Map : Leg 8
Relay Map : Leg 9
Relay Map : Leg 10
Relay Map : Leg 11
Relay Map : Leg 12

We distribute teams evenly across five wave starts by their estimated pace to minimize the congestion of support vehicles at the upper exchanges. It also means more teams arrive at the finish area between 3 and 5 pm. Please estimate your team's average pace as accurately as possible. Use the EXCEL spreadsheet linked our our main website to predict and record your runners' arrival times and splits later.  We stage the course based on the times you entered, so please be considerate and accurate so we can adequately support you runners. 

Please pick an appropriate wave start time for your predicted Team finish. This is important for safety and logistics. Runners who outrun the course will be held at different points in the course. We need time to set the bell stands up, volunteers in place, and the finish line ready. Make your day fun so that you finish with your friends to earn that sandwich and beer!

*go to our main website and scroll to the Excel spreadsheet to calculate what wave you are in. We will do our best to accommodate switches as teams shake it up!

Refer the manual for Race Day Execution

Please plan to arrive about 30 minutes before your wave start.
When: The first Saturday in June - 5:45AM - 9:45AM
Where: Race Start Line- Fairfax Forest Reserve Road E, Carbonado WA, 98323

START Line address:
2 MILES PAST 
35415 Fairfax Forest Reserve Rd E, Carbonado, WA 98323
Race Start and Check-In is located at the Tacoma Mountaineers' Parking Lot 
about 1/2 mile from the Carbon River entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.

To avoid congestion, only one person from each team needs to come to packet pick-up and can pick up bibs and shirts for all team members. Please come prepared 

Finish Line address:
3939 Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA 98402

No vehicles 80" or wider or longer than 20'. No motor homes, buses, or limos are allowed on the course by any team or team support.

ABSOLUTELY ZERO TOLERANCE OF CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS ON THE COURSE

ABSOLUTELY ZERO TOLERANCE OF CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL OUTSIDE OUR BEER GARDEN AT THE FINISH

The entire team will be disqualified and banned if caught, regardless of you knowing the Race Director.

Packet Pick-up begins 45 minutes before each wave start. 
Please note there is limited parking at the start line, so please allow cars from the prior wave to exit the lot before entering.

6:30AM Start Time - WAVE A

Solo runners and relay teams averaging more than 11 minutes/mile

7:15AM Start Time - WAVE B
Solo runners and relay teams averaging 10 - 12 minutes/mile

8AM Start Time - WAVE C
Running Relay Teams averaging 9:00 - 10:30 - minutes/mile

9AM Start Time - WAVE D
Running Relay Teams averaging averaging 8:00 - 9:30 minutes per mile

9:45AM Start Time - WAVE E
Running Relay Teams averaging 5:00 - 8:30 minutes per mile

We distribute teams evenly across wave starts by estimated pace in order to minimize the congestion of support vehicles at the upper exchanges.  
Here is a spreadsheet to help you. Insert your team start time and expected pace of each runner. It will calculate the expected arrival time of each runner and your average team pace. Please estimate the average pace of your team as accurately as possible. Print out a copy for use during the race and enter your actual arrival times as they occur. It will help you arrive in time for each exchange.
*Runners will not be eligible for awards if they start in a different wave time than they are registered for. 

The finish line opens at 2:00 PM. 
Any team who arrive at the finish line before 2:00 PM will be disqualified
We appreciate compliance so we can reserve the earlier waves for teams that need more time to complete the relay.
We will not offer support or be set up for teams out running the course and will stop teams at exchanges.

Beer Garden at the Finish.
Silver City Brewing is our new beer sponsor. Each runner who wishes to receive a beer at the finish line gets one free beer. We do our best to provide Gluten Free options. 

We will have assorted snacks/sandwiches at the finish line as well!

The schedule below will help you know when racers will be coming through.  
Of course these times depend on all teams accurately estimating their pace and seeding themselves in the correct wave.

First and Last Predicted Runner Arrival Times:

Rainier                                     6:30/9:45

Fairfax                                      7:20/10:20

Carbonado                               8:50/11:25

Wilkeson                                  9:30/11:50

South Prairie                           10:20/12:30

Crocker                                    11:10/13:05

Orting                                       11:40/13:30

McMillin                                  12:20/14:25

Meeker                                     13:05/15:20

Puyallup                                   13:45/16:20

Fife                                            14:10/17:35

Tacoma                                      14:40/18:35

Ruston                                       15:00/19:35

Join a Group During Registration 

Navigate to the Race Page of the race
Click Sign Up to begin the registration process
Enter in all participant information
Select your event
Answer "Yes" for the question "Would you like to join a Team?"
Click Continue
Select the group/team you would like to join from the drop down menu
If a password is required, enter in the password your Group Administrator set. **Remember passwords are case sensitive.**