— Gulch Countdown: Last Person Standing —
Location: Adam and Josie Braddock’s Home: Mukilteo, WA.
2025 Race Directors: Audrey Taber and Travis Cox
Schedule: Check-in 7:30-8:00 am, Race Briefing 8:15, Race Start 8:30, Race End ??
Parking: Please carpool with another racer to park in neighborhood streets nearby. There is also parking at the 19th St Trailhead or Tails and Trails dog park, each connected by a half-mile trail. There is also be parking at the 76th St Trailhead (community garden). Parking at a nearby trailhead is an excellent way to get a warm-up walk in! Please park legally and be considerate towards our neighbors, thank you!
Aid Station: We will have an aid station at the start/finish area with food and drinks (water, Gatorade, soda, bananas, potato chips, etc.). Consider bringing your own cup to reduce waste. Menstrual products are also available. To be fair to all racers, no aid is allowed on the course. We will have one porta-potty available; please give preference to the people currently racing. We will have an area for runners to place drop bags near the start line. Please bring a camp chair if you want a place to sit!
Course: The single-track trail is 2.18 miles with about 250’ of elevation gain. The hills are on the north end of the course. (See map below.) For the first eight laps, each racer can chose which direction they want to run the loop course. Starting at lap nine, all racers will run the same direction, alternating directions each lap. In addition to the halfway point, the ¼ and ¾ points will be marked. We will have a short out and back on the road before each lap to assist with passing before entering the single-track loop trail. Once on the single-track, please allow faster runners to pass you. Please be courteous to other trail users (e.g. hikers and mountain bikers) as we are sharing the trails.
Strava route: https://www.strava.com/routes/16030473
Full course video: https://youtu.be/cjGejO5egas
Time Cutoffs: The first lap has a 32 minute cutoff. Those who finish ahead of the cutoff can use the remaining time at the start/finish area for aid. All finishers within the cutoff then start the next lap together, this time with a 31 min cutoff. With each additional lap, the cutoff is reduced by one minute. After 12 laps, a marathon distance, lap times decrease by 30 seconds until only one runner remains. (See table above)
Timing: The end of each lap is the same time as the start of the next lap. There will be whistle warnings for 3, 2, and 1 minute to go, then a verbal countdown to the start. We will have a countdown timer at the finish line so everyone will be able to see the time remaining when they finish. We will also mark the men’s and women’s winner of each lap.
Elimination: If you finish a lap after the cutoff (or decide not to start the next lap) you are eliminated from the race. Please let the person timing know when you are eliminated and we will mark your bib with the number of laps run. If all racers are eliminated in the last lap, the first racer to complete the lap is the winner. In the case where there are two runners starting a lap, the one with the most lap wins gets to choose their direction, and the other runs the opposite.
Prizes: The Last Woman Standing and Last Man Standing will have their names engraved on the perpetual trophies. There will also be “medals” for each racer. Placement will be determined by total distance run (including the final lap outside the time cutoff) and then by finishing order.
Fastest Lap Competition: There will also be an on-going competition (and special recognition) for the current fastest lap of the day for both men and women. For the first eight laps, the fastest lap racers must go in the clockwise direction.
Cancellation Policy: Email us at gulchcountdown@gmail.com if you need to cancel your registration.
Pregnancy Deferral: If you become pregnant after registering, or have just had a baby and you don’t feel comfortable racing, we can defer your entry to the following year. (For 2025, we can refund your registration cost.)
Merch: We will have a limited supply of Japanese Gulch Runner merch for purchase and free stickers!
Volunteers: For those who are helping out, thank you so much! We’ll need help with timing, running the aid station, and taking down the course afterwards. Please contact us if you or someone you know can help!
Walkers: Anyone is welcome to stop by and run or walk a lap! You don’t need to be part of the race. To minimize disruption, please start after the racers.
We are Trail Sisters Approved! Learn more about the standards here. Contact us if you have any questions or suggestions on how to be more inclusive on race day.
Race Founder: Abram Elwell
What’s your limit?