Mt. Hood 50 Moves to a Lottery

Mt. Hood 50 is a very popular ultra. It’s sells out quickly; each year faster than the last. In 2014, the 150 spots were all snagged in just three hours. That compares to a week for the previous year.

Of course we love that people love this race. It’s become well-known as a good first 50-miler and as a race director, it’s really special seeing people completing something they weren’t quite sure they could. It’s been a tradition for over 15 years and now draws runner from all over the country.

Like many races, it’s become a mad dash to register, your fingers hovering over your keyboard ready to sign up the second the race opens. And inevitably, there are people disappointed that they didn’t get in. So for the first time, Mt. Hood 50 will switch to a lottery.

This will actually make the registration process easier for everyone and alleviate anxiety for those who weren’t able to register in the first hours the race opened.

How It’ll Work

This will actually make the registration process easier for everyone and alleviate anxiety for those who weren’t able to register in the first hours the race opened. Here’s how it’ll work:

1. Registration opens at 7:00 am on Monday January 5, 2015
2. Registration closes at 6:00 pm on Saturday, January 10, 2015
3. Everyone interested in the race can sign up anytime during those dates
4. We will draw 150 names and announce them on Sunday, January 11, 2015 at noon
5. All remaining names will be drawn and added to the wait list in the order drawn
6. Credit cards are charged when a registrant is added to the race. They are not charged during the registration process or when someone is added to the wait list.

Sounds like a reason for a party, right?

We are going to make the announcements via Twitter and Facebook, from race sponsor and awesome running store FootZone, in Bend. We hope that you can join us there for a little socializing, high-fiving, and some refreshments.

Mt. Hood Lottery Party
Sunday, January 11, 2015
noon to 2:00 pm
FootZone
845 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701

The final registration list and wait list will be posted on Ultrasignup, which you can link to from the Mt. Hood 50 webpage.

Friend Refund

Go Beyond Racing’s cancellation policy provides a 50% credit toward a future race. But we are going to do something different for this race because we know that lots of people like to run it with a friend. And with a lottery, you may get in but your friend may not. So, we will refund 100% of the race price if you notify us that you want one by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 13. If you’d like to request a refund, email us at mthood50@gmail.com. The refund will not include the Ultrasignup processing fees.

Good luck, and please let us know how this new process goes for you.