Bigfoot 200 is the original American 200-miler — the race that made 200-mile distances a real category in the U.S. ultrarunning calendar. 207 miles in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, around Mt. St. Helens, with 41,000 feet of climb and an 8-day cutoff. Held in mid-August. Founded by Candice Burt and Destination Trail; now joined by Cocodona, Tahoe 200, and Moab 240 as the major American 200-mile circuit.

The course

A point-to-point loop starting and finishing in Marble Mountain, Washington. The course circles Mt. St. Helens, traverses some of the most remote terrain in the contiguous US, and includes long stretches without crew access. Single-track, jeep roads, ridge runs, river crossings. Bear and cougar presence noted in pre-race briefings (and not as a joke).

By the numbers

  • Distance: 207 miles
  • Vert gain: 41,000 ft
  • Vert per mile: 198 ft/mi (moderate; volume is the challenge)
  • Cutoff: 8 days (192 hours)
  • Average finish time: ~80 hours
  • Date: Mid-August (Friday morning start)

How to qualify and enter

Bigfoot 200 requires a UTMB-style ITRA points qualifier, plus passing a race director review of training history. Lottery + waitlist. Demand has grown sharply since 2022.

The 200-mile difference

A 200-miler is not a long 100. It's a different sport. Three things shift:

  • Sleep is a discipline. Most finishers sleep 30–90 minutes per night, total. The plan: sleep at the major aid stations (Hummingbird, Spencer Butte). Don't try to push through with no sleep — you'll hallucinate by hour 60 and hurt yourself.
  • Foot care is non-stop. Plan to swap shoes 3+ times. Plan to clean and tape feet at every major crew stop. Most DNFs are foot failures, not fitness failures.
  • Crew is the race. 5+ days of crewing requires a team rotation. Plan it like you're planning a hostage negotiation. Tired crews make worse decisions than rested crews.

Gear strategy

  • Vest: 12L. UltrAspire Zygos 5.0 or Salomon Adv Skin 12.
  • Shoes: 3 pairs minimum — Hoka Speedgoat, Tecnica Magma, Hoka Tecton X (rotate based on terrain and foot swelling).
  • Headlamp: 2 primary + 2 backup (you'll cycle through 4 nights).
  • Layers: insulated mid-layer, waterproof shell, beanie, gloves. Cascades are wet and cold.
  • Sleep kit: sleeping bag, pillow, ear plugs, sleep mask in your crew vehicle.
  • Foot care: blister kit, leukotape, scissors, foot powder, multiple sock changes.

The Bigfoot experience

Most finishers describe Bigfoot as the most isolated, beautiful, and brutal experience of their running career. The forest sections are remote enough that you'll go 20 miles without seeing another runner. The Mt. St. Helens views are the kind that stop you mid-run. The hallucinations on night 3 are real and include reports of seeing the actual Bigfoot. (The race-naming was deliberate.)

A 200-miler is not for most ultrarunners. For the right person, it's the race that defines the rest of their relationship with the sport.