Orcas Island 100 Miler.
The Orcas Island 100 Miler sends you four times around the same 25-mile loop in Moran State Park, with two big climbs on every lap and a February that can deliver rain, snow or sun. Preparing for it is less about the distance than about meeting the same slopes again and again, more tired each time.
Orcas Island 100 Miler 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
Start and finish are at Camp Moran in Moran State Park, and you come back here at the end of every lap. Orcas Island can only be reached by ferry. The running is mostly single-track, sometimes rugged and sometimes smooth, through old-growth forest with views of the surrounding islands, the mountains and Puget Sound. Very little of it is flat: more than half the course is steeply up or down.
Each lap follows the same pattern. Straight out of Camp Moran the trail gains about 470 metres over just over five kilometres, a steady grade of almost nine percent. It then rolls past the Mountain aid station and drops to the low point of the lap. At Cascade, around 22 kilometres into the lap, the hardest stretch begins: 500 metres of climbing in three and a half kilometres.
The top of that ramp is not yet the summit of the lap. The trail keeps gaining height into the Constitution aid station area, the highest part of the loop at just under 700 metres. From there it falls more than 500 metres over the final eight kilometres back to Camp Moran. Across four laps and 15 aid stops that adds up to between 7,000 and 7,900 metres of ascent, depending on the measurement.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 0 | 5.2 km | 8.9 % | 11.7 % | +466 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 22 | 3.5 km | 14.3 % | 39.7 % | +500 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 38.4 | 5.5 km | 8.7 % | 12.1 % | +478 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 60.6 | 3.5 km | 14.3 % | 39.6 % | +500 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 77.1 | 5.5 km | 8.7 % | 11.8 % | +478 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 99.3 | 3.5 km | 14.3 % | 39.7 % | +500 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 115.8 | 5.5 km | 8.7 % | 12.1 % | +478 m | Cat. 2 |
| km 138 | 3.5 km | 14.4 % | 39.6 % | +499 m | Cat. 2 |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Orcas Island 100 Miler.
Start under control
The laps are identical, your legs are not. So divide the race by its eight big climbs rather than by kilometres, and take each at the effort you would trust yourself to hold on the seventh. The trap sits on the start line: almost nine percent is runnable on fresh legs, and running it costs hours on the second day.
Hold your rhythm
The race is decided on the third lap. By then the Cascade ramp arrives after about 100 kilometres, and if you can still hike it evenly, you have the endurance for what remains. The trail then takes you back past the finish at Camp Moran, and the last lap opens at once with the long climb. Decide before race day how you will handle that moment.
Spend what is left
The widest gap of the lap lies between Mountain and Cascade: ten miles without a station, twice any other section, with the steepest stretch waiting at the end. Refill at Mountain and eat early. Keep the long descent to Camp Moran deliberately loose on the first two laps, because all that braking comes out of your quads later, and more so on wet or snowy trail.
Training plan for Orcas Island 100 Miler: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect 28 to 36 hours, with the cutoff at 36. This is no steady long run but an alternation of long uphill hikes, punishing descents and few truly runnable stretches, and it lasts through at least one night. Aerobic base carries all of it, but your legs decide how long you get to use it.
Train race pace
Train the climbs as what they are here: repetitions. The closest match to the Cascade ramp is a session of several steep ascents of around 500 metres each, hiked briskly and run back down. Without a hill that size, collect the vertical through many reps on the longest steep slope within reach. What matters is that the final rep stays as clean as the first, because on Orcas the eighth climb counts, not the first.
Rehearse the course
Put long sessions on consecutive days so the second begins on tired legs, and open it with a climb where you can, as every lap does here. Finish with longer descents, since more than 500 metres down over eight kilometres comes four times in the race. Use these days to practise carrying enough for 16 kilometres without a station and eating while you hike uphill.
Arrive fresh
The key weeks fall in December and January, and the weather belongs to the training. Test clothing for many hours of wet and cold, and shoes on wet single-track. Run in the dark with a headlamp too: rugged trail is different terrain in a beam of light, and the night is certain to come.
Courses
Download the Orcas Island 100 Miler course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
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Everything about Orcas Island 100 Miler.
How long is Orcas Island 100 Miler?
Orcas Island 100 Miler is 160.93 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Orcas Island 100 Miler have?
Orcas Island 100 Miler has around 6,980 m of elevation gain over 160.93 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Orcas Island 100 Miler?
Orcas Island 100 Miler is classified as Mountainous, averaging 45.1 vertical metres per kilometre. 9% of the route is flat, 18% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 27% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Orcas Island 100 Miler have?
The hardest climb of Orcas Island 100 Miler starts at kilometre 22, runs for 3.5 km at an average of 14.3% and gains 500 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 2. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Orcas Island 100 Miler a loop course?
Yes, Orcas Island 100 Miler is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Orcas Island 100 Miler course?
Yes. The Orcas Island 100 Miler course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Orcas Island 100 Miler?
Preparation for Orcas Island 100 Miler should account for 160.93 km, 6,980 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Orcas Island 100 Miler?
The pacing strategy for Orcas Island 100 Miler should reflect 160.93 km, 6,980 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Orcas Island 100 Miler 2027 take place?
Orcas Island 100 Miler 2027 takes place on February 26, 2027.
Where does Orcas Island 100 Miler 2027 take place?
Orcas Island 100 Miler 2027 takes place in Olga, United States.
How do I register for Orcas Island 100 Miler?
Registration runs through the organiser: rainshadowrunning.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
