The 2018 Winter Night Trail Half and Quarter Marathon (put on by 131 Events) will take place on January 20 at Eagle Creek Park.
I have completed this race four out of the six years it has been held, and can honestly say outside of the Dopey Challenge in Disney World, this is the most enjoyable race of my year. It is truly a unique experience being able to run through Eagle Creek Park on snow covered trails at night!
Registration: This race SELLS OUT every year! If you even think you might want to run, sign up now so you are not kicking yourself later when it is sold out. Click here to register for 2018.
Pre-Race: Packet pick up is available the day before the race in addition to race day. Race day packet pick up closes 20 minutes before the race starts. The race is also self-seeding and started in waves to help prevent any congestion in some of the single-track sections of the course.
Parking: All entrants must enter Eagle Creek Park through the 56 th street entrance. You will have to pay the park entry to gain access to the park, so car-pooling is encouraged. Park entry is around $5 to $6. There is a parking lot just beyond the entry gate. If that lot fills up, you can park alongside the road.
Race: This is a 10k looped course and extremely well marked. This becomes more relevant if you are running the half marathon as people become much more spread out on the second loop. A headlamp or flashlight is REQUIRED for this race. I would recommend having a headlamp and at least a handheld flashlight of some sort. Make sure to test your headlamp during a run in the dark. In the past I thought
my light was bright enough; however, once on the trail my visibility was not what I hopped it to be.
Pro Tip: If you want a good finisher picture, make sure to turn your headlamp off when you come into the finisher shoot! Photos during this race are primarily taken as you go through the finish shoot (this is also the start for lap 2 on the half marathon). Make sure you turn off your headlamp each time you come through here.
Finisher photos with headlamps on and off
Post-Race: Bring a change of clothes (shirt, shoes, socks, ect…). The finish line is a fun place to hang out and cheer on other athletes, but not in sweaty clothes in the middle of winter. 131 Productions always hosts a great post-race at the finish line! There is also a disco ball! The finish line is stocked with plenty of hot chocolate and all kinds of treats. In the past, the race organizers have posted on Facebook for recommendations of post-race food – each year I have requested something, it has been at the finish line! Overall and age group awards are also awarded shortly after the top 4 or 5 in each category cross the finish line.
Be prepared to get muddy!
Post-Post Race: Another great feature of 131 Events‘ races is the race photos. They always look great and they let you download high resolution images for free! They don’t tag them with bib numbers like third party race photographers, but their photo site is easy to navigate and try to spot yourself. (All photos used in this article were taken from the gallery of race photos 131 makes available for free.)
Related Video: Winter Night Trail Running Gear