Leavenworth Trail Fest
Welcome to little Bavaria
Leavenworth, Washington is a German-themed town tucked away on the eastern side of the labyrinth-like Cascades Mountain range. Our trail fest is here to bring together runners from all over to experience some of the best flowy trails and views in the area. Our 5k course is trail and beginner-friendly, while the 27k takes you for a tour of the surrounding mountains. Challenge yourself with the 55k course for a loop so nice you’ll do it twice.
We’ll meet at base of the Leavenworth Ski Hill Area. The courses showcase the ridgelines north of town, with sweeping Cascade views and contrasting terrain– from alpine ridges to fast forest service roads dropping toward the Eastern Cascades’ dry landscape. A great early summer racing destination.
This event exists because of strong local trail partnerships and a shared belief that mountain running should be challenging, welcoming, and rooted in place.
By Runners For Runners
We celebrate mountain running and the community that surrounds it. Trails in the Pacific Northwest are steep and demanding, and this course was chosen to balance meaningful elevation gain and expansive views with runnable, flowy terrain.
We are grateful to our land and trail partners– the Evergreen MTB Alliance and the Leavenworth Ski Hill Area– for their continued stewardship and for sharing these trails with us.
Trail Fest is supported by partners who help make the weekend more than just a race, including Leavenworth Alpenhorns, Fall City Kombucha, Brooks, Black Diamond, Näak and more.
We also partner with regional organizations such as the Evergreen MTB Alliance and Cowgill Trail Collective for real PNW vibes, and provide race entries to the All In Trail Collective and Tierra Libre Run to increase access and diversity in our sport.
Bring your family for the weekend or extend your stay. Leavenworth offers an ideal base for mountain adventure, community gatherings, and post-race recovery.
Leavenworth Skyline 27K
Distance: 27K
Elevation Gain: ~3,800 ft
Start/Finish: Leavenworth Ski Hill Area
As participating race in the 2026 Vert Running Series, runners self-select into various categories: elite (top-10 hopeful), masters (45+) and sport (mid-pack to competitive) divisions. Additional prizes for the King, Queen and Monarch (first to high point).
The Skyline 27K is fast, demanding, and scenic. The course begins at the base of Ski Hill and climbs “The Nut” for approximately two miles before transitioning to forest service doubletrack that ascends to Tumwater Ridge, near the Tumwater Paraglider Launch.
At the high point, Vert King, Queen, and Monarch are crowned. From there, the course descends and traverses toward Freund Canyon on smooth, fast downhill forest roads and trail, opening up expansive views of the Eastern Cascades’ alpine desert. A final climb leads to one last fast descent back to the finish and festival area. Top man/woman wins a free entry to Mammoth Trailfest 26k.
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Ski Hill 55k
Distance: 55K
Elevation Gain: ~7,700 ft
Format: Two loops of the 27k Skyline course
A course so nice you’ll do it twice. Introduced to honor the history and terrain of the Leavenworth Ski Hill Area, the Ski Hill 55K offers a double mountain challenge. Double the vert, double the views, and extended time on these fast-flowing trails.
This course will have plenty of aid with seven aid station stops along the way and a 10-hour cutoff.
The Town 5k
The Town 5K was created to ensure everyone has a way to participate in Trail Fest. This shorter course is ideal for first-time trail runners, families, and youth athletes. That being said, it’ll be harder than your typical 5k ;).
Youth Under 20 get 50% discount use code "YOUTH2026"
Divisions
27k Divisions (Vert Running Series participating event)
Awards are given to the top 3 in each division for men/women/non-binary.
Elite
A front-of-pack runner who is a top 10 hopeful. This division is for high-performance, semi- or professional runners, and/or runners hoping to build a competitive resume. (Cutoff time 2:45:00 to receive Elite podium awards)
Sport
Trail runners who don’t have the time to train like the Elites but want to get out and give it their all.
Masters
45 plus years of age, who still love to compete but are getting tired of those youngsters just nudging them out at the line.
5k and 55k Divisions
Awards are given to the top 3 in each division for men/women/non-binary.
For the 5k, there will be boys and girls (U19) division.
Youth Under 20 get 50% discount for all races use code "YOUTH2026"
Swag and Awards
All 27k and 55k finishers may choose one of the following during registration:
A custom Leavenworth Trail Fest finisher award; or,
Three trees planted in the Pacific Northwest through our partnership with One Tree Planted
All 27k runners will receive Vert Running Series points to take aim at the VRS Championship at the North Bend Trail Fest on 10/3!
27k and 55k participants also receive a post-race meal at the Trail Family Food Tent.
All 5k finishers will receive a custom finishers medal along with snacks and a special treat from La Javelina.
Podium Awards
Top man/woman of the 27k earns free entry to 2026 Mammoth Trail Fest 26k
Top Elite man, woman and nonbinary receive free entry to Vert Running Series Championship on October 4, 2026
Custom wooden podium awards for top three finishers in…
55k mens/women/nonbinary
27k mens/women/nonbinary for the elite (cutoff time 2:45:00 to receive Elite podium awards)/masters/sport divisions
5k mens/women/nonbinary and for the first boy & girl finisher (U19)
Gear awards from Brooks and Black Diamond for the Vert King, Queen, and Monarch (fastest to the high point).
Its A Trail Fest
At the base of the ski hill, we are going to hang out Bavarian-style. We want a place for our volunteers to unwind, for friends and family members to chill and racers to sprawl. A space for your race directors to laugh.
Packet Pickup, Friday, May 22 at the Ski Hill Lodge
Packet pickup
Group run
Live music
Current trail festival experiences include (subject to change):
Trail Family Food Tent - all runners get a free meal
Fall City Kombucha keg - bring a growler for a cheap fill
Leavenworth Alpenhorns - mountain horns to kick off the 27k
Kids race - Before the 5k, 30 minutes of zoomies at the race start for tots to teens
Hammerslag - A German game involving hammering nails into stumps
Inflatable costume race - This event promises laughter, friendly competition, and outrageous inflatable costumes
Volunteer
We have several volunteer opportunities that you can sign up for here at Ultrasignup. All volunteers will receive $20 credit per hour served to use on any of our events here on Ultrasignup. These credits are good for two years and can be transferred to a family member or friend if you email us.
Race Polices
Race Polices Link
Other FAQs
Event's current local time: 11:06 AM PT
