A trail runner on a grassy ridge above a sea of clouds

Chuckanut 50K

The Chuckanut 50K is a 50 km trail race with 1,567 m of climbing, held in Bellingham, Washington State. Founded by Krissy Moehl, it has become a Pacific Northwest season-opening classic.

Prepare for Chuckanut 50K

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

trail training plan

The Chuckanut 50K is run in Bellingham, in the northwest corner of Washington State, on the forested ridges above the bay. The course alternates fast valley-floor sections with climbs onto wooded ridgelines, on trails that are pure Pacific Northwest: damp ground, roots, moss and thick understory. March brings mud and cold as standard conditions.

The race was founded by American trail runner Krissy Moehl and has established itself as the region's season-opening classic. One distance is offered, the 50K.

The formats

One format only.

Format	Distance	Vertical gain
50K	31 mi	1,567 m

Organizer information, checked on September 21, 2026 · chuckanut50k.com

When to start

At this distance, a build usually runs 12 to 24 weeks. The 2027 date is not published, so counting back from March puts the start around September 28, 2026.

These ranges are working conventions, not a research finding — no trial has compared plan lengths against each other. What matters more is that the plan was built for the weeks you actually have, rather than shrunk down from a longer one.

How to choose your start date

When to start

September 28, 2026

→ December 21, 2026

Worth reading before you enter

Races and distances Trail distances: what changes off the road Distance stops being the useful number. What decides a trail race is how long you are out, how much you climb, and how much the descents have wrecked your legs by the end. Read Training Eating and drinking: what’s proven, what isn’t This is where confident advice most often runs ahead of the evidence. Some of it is well tested. Some is opinion wearing a number. And one common habit can kill you. Read Races and distances When to start preparing your race Most plans fail before the first session, because the block started too late and everything had to be squeezed. Counting back from the date is the dullest and most useful thing you will do. Read

Questions

What is the date of Chuckanut 50K in 2027?

The date of Saturday, March 20, 2027 is going around for Chuckanut 50K, in Bellingham, but the organizer has not confirmed it. Check their website before you commit.

What level do you need for the Chuckanut 50K?

You need to be comfortable with long trail racing: 50 km and 1,567 m of climbing on wet ground call for a solid endurance base and experience on slippery, technical singletrack.

Is the Chuckanut 50K course hard?

The climbing, 1,567 m across 50 km, is reasonable for a mountain 50K. The real challenge is Pacific Northwest terrain: roots, mud and moss, usually thoroughly soaked in March.

Other races

This list keeps growing; it draws no line. A race that is missing is prepared for in exactly the same way.

Cool · United StatesTrail Way Too Cool 50K Mar 6 The Way Too Cool 50K is a 50 km trail race with 1,210 m of vertical gain held in Cool, California. It run Mill Valley / Stinson Beach · United StatesTrail Dipsea Race June 9 km trail race from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, California. First run in 1905, it is the oldest trail Seward · United StatesTrail Mount Marathon Race Jul 4 The Mount Marathon Race is a 5 km mountain race held in Seward, Alaska, every July 4. Runners climb and t Your race is not here? Tell us about your race You can prepare for it all the same. Any race, anywhere, and even a goal without a race.

Your race is on the calendar. Your plan should be too.

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