Cascade Crest Classic 100 — usually called Cascade Crest — runs 100 miles through Washington's Cascade Mountains, starting and finishing in Easton, WA. 23,000 feet of climb. 32-hour cutoff. Held in late August. Long-running classic (since 2000), a Hardrock qualifier, and famous for two course features: a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, and the "Trail from Hell" — a 5-mile bushwhack-and-rock-scramble that breaks at least one runner per year.
The course
A loop course through the Cascades. Climbs out of Easton up to the Pacific Crest Trail (mile 33–53), runs along the Cascade ridge with views of Mt. Rainier, drops down for a rolling section, then re-climbs for the brutal middle. The Trail from Hell (around mile 70–75) is a single-track scramble through downed trees and rocky stream crossings — most runners walk it entirely. Finish is a long descent back to Easton.
By the numbers
- Distance: 100 miles (loop)
- Vert gain: 23,000 ft
- Vert per mile: 230 ft/mi (mountain)
- Cutoff: 32 hours
- Date: Last weekend of August
How to qualify and enter
Lottery-entry. 100K or 50-mile qualifier required. The race fills quickly when registration opens; many runners take 2 lottery cycles to get in.
Gear strategy
- Vest: 12L+ for layers. UltrAspire Zygos 5.0 or Salomon Adv Skin 12.
- Shoes: Hoka Speedgoat 6 or Tecnica Magma. Course is mixed terrain.
- Layers: long sleeve, light shell, gloves, beanie. Cascades are unpredictable.
- Poles: recommended. The Trail from Hell rewards anything you can use to push off.
- Headlamp: primary + spare. Two nights potentially in play.
The Cascade Crest experience
The PCT section is one of the prettiest 20-mile stretches in any American 100. The Trail from Hell is character-building. The aid station volunteers (many ex-finishers) know exactly what runners need. Most finishers describe Cascade Crest as the most distinctly Pacific-Northwest of the major 100s — moss, ferns, fog, and the kind of beauty that makes the suffering feel meaningful.