UPDATE January 2023- SOLD OUT, WAITLIST STARTED.
Mark your calendar for April 15, 2023! Registration opens Tuesday, November 15th at 6:00am. We anticipate this event to sell out and will have a price increase in mid-December so don’t wait, share with your Trail Sisters!
In celebration of finding friendship through the trail running community, we are creating a ladies weekend in Walla Walla. April 15, 2023 will be a 6 hour woman’s race which helps promote Trail Sisters, an excellent platform for women in trail running. In 2014 I met Claire Walla in LA while coordinating the Trail Running Film Fest tour. I was so surprised to see another Walla on the list that I had to investigate. No, we are not related but we discovered we are the true definition of Trail Sisters. We have logged lots of miles, shared countless stories, and laugh often. We have always joked we need to visit Walla Walla, Washington one day….well, it’s happening and we are going big!
Registration
Registration will open to the public Tuesday, November 15, 2023 on Ultrasignup. Early-bird registration is $85 through December 14 // $95 after December 14. Space is limited to 100 runners, with a potential to expand. There will be a waitlist regardless of the cap. REGISTER HERE.
Results & Photos
2023 Results coming soon!
PHOTOS FOR 2023: A HUGE thank you to Taryn Graham for making the trip from North Bend to take photos! She was out there all day and got an incredible collection of captures. If you share one of her photos on social media, please give her photo credit – @woodsy_tg
2022 Result are now posted on Ultrasignup. Ranking is based on time finished which couldn’t be uploaded into the Ultrasignup results.
PHOTOS FOR 2022: A HUGE thank you to Sara Todorovich from Pro Proser Photography for taking photos on short notice! We love the photos Sara captured from the day but here’s what’s so cool – Sara is donating her entire stipend to Blue Mountain Land Trust and is challenging runners to donate a minimum of $1 per photo for each download to put towards this. She is collecting donations for one week via Venmo “@sara-todorovich”. Given that Sara is donating her services, please tag her and/or give photo credit if you share a photo on social media. You can find her at @proposerphoto on IG and The Pro Poser on Facebook. To access and download photos, use the PIN: 3147 YOU HAVE THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 29 TO DOWNLOAD AND DONATE!
2021 Results are now posted on Ultrasignup and photos are available to download for free courtesy of Taryn Graham.
Everyone will receive some Trail Sisters and Walla Trails swag and a raffle ticket for bigger prizes, and participants who run/hike all 6 hours will receive a Trail Sisters trucker hat (there will be different ones to choose from). The woman who completes the most amount of loops in 6 hours will receive a Walla Walla weekend gift basket – more to come but think wines, free stay lodging, etc. If there is a tie for most amount of loops, the woman who crosses the finish-line first will receive the gift basket.
Course //Aid Station
The course will follow the Whitetail Trail which is a 5 mile outer loop around Bennington Lake. It’s mostly double track trail with a few single track sections. The elevation gain is around 370ft per loop. Here is a map of the Bennington Lake trail system.
Aid Station
We will have standard aid station food like potato chips, gels, gummies, etc plus some of our favorite go-tos like peanut butter and pickle wraps! We also out aid station food (sorry, no big communal bowls).
Your Entry Helps Support Trail Sisters
Trail Sisters is an important platform for women in trail running and building community. Not only have we met other women to run with through Trail Sisters, but there are numerous articles pertaining to women on the trails. From women’s safety to periods to equal rights in trail racing, there is no topic off limits. We want to support founder Gina Lucrezi who has made women supporting women through trail running her full time gig. Case in point – Claire and I met some Trail Sisters while running in Walla Walla in November – Walla Walla local Gina Ohnstad recognized our TS hats and is now helping us on the ground with this event!
Bergevin Lane Vineyards – wine sponsor
We were fortunate enough to be introduced to Annette Bergevin, the General Manager and Founding Partner of Bergevin Lane Vineyards. Claire and I were able to confirm Bergevin wines are top notch on a scouting trip in November 2019. The beautiful new tasting room is open and runners get special treatment when they share their bib number – $5 glass pour on the Bergevin Linen Line-up and 10% discount on 1-11 bottles and 20% on a case for the runners when runners show their number.
Partners
There are several businesses, local and nationwide, that are supporting Walla Walla 6 Hour!
Graze – The place to go for sandwiches in Walla Walla for sandwiches! Graze will donating a gift card and some swag to the winner’s basket. We are brainstorming ways for Walla Walla 6 Hour runners to enjoy the delicious offerings for free or at a discounted rate.
Colville Street Patisserie – Best bakery in town and a great place to stop for coffee! Colville Street Patisserie will be providing gift cards to the winner of most miles and a few other lucky runners who will randomly be selected.
Lily Trotters – We love these compression socks for running and travel so we are thrilled Lily Trotters is donating 10 pairs to raffle! There will also be a pair reserved for the winner of the Walla Walla 6 Hour.
Photographer
PHOTOS FOR 2022: A HUGE thank you to Sara Todorovich from Pro Proser Photography for taking photos on short notice! We love the photos Sara captured from the day but here’s what’s so cool – Sara is donating her entire stipend to Blue Mountain Land Trust and is challenging runners to donate a minimum of $1 per photo for each download to put towards this. She is collecting donations for one week via Venmo “@sara-todorovich”. Given that Sara is donating her services, please tag her and/or give photo credit if you share a photo on social media. You can find her at @proposerphoto on IG and The Pro Poser on Facebook. To access and download photos, use the PIN: 3147
PHOTOS FROM 2021: https://gallery.taryngrahamphoto.com/wallawalla6hr/ Please give Taryn credit for photos shared on social media.
2023 Schedule:
Friday, April 14th, 2023 – 5:00pm-6:30pm, packet/bib pick-up, ask questions!
Saturday, April 15th, 2023 – 6:30am – 7:45am, packet/bib pick-up; 8:00am start; 2:00pm finish (Trail Sister’s hats given out as runners finish – make sure to grab yours!)
RAFFLE – when you are finished running, come over to the raffle table to see if your number was drawn!
Directions
From the WTA website regarding Bennington Lake: From Walla Walla, drive Highway 12 east for 4.6 miles to the Airport Way Exit. Turn right to travel across Isaac Avenue onto Tausick Way passing Walla Walla Community College on the left. Make a left onto Reservoir Road, and drive 1.6 miles to the parking area for Bennington Lake. You will pass two other parking areas on the drive that access trails along Mill Creek. Restrooms are available, and parking for horse trailers as well as cars and trucks.
Q&A // Rules
- What is Walla Trails doing to keep runners safepre-event, during the event, and post-event? UPDATE NOVEMBER 2022: We will be closely following what the COVID cases are like in Walla Walla county leading up to April 15th and communicating frequently with the US Army Corps of Engineers who manages Bennington Lake and approves our permit. Please be prepared for the following:
- Volunteers will be asked to take a rapid test if they appear sick
- All volunteers will have a mask on hand
- Hand sanitizer will be available at the start/finish/aid station area
- What is Walla Trails asking runners to do pre-event, during the event, and post-event? Here are some of the key safety measures we need all runners to follow:
- Stay home if not feeling well
- Please use hand sanitizer at the aid station and after you use the restroom
- Travel and stay with family or those in your running circle
- Are spectators allowed? Yes but parking is limited! Please limit to one car per runner. We highly encourage carpooling with running buddies or family members.
- Are men allowed to register and run the 6 hour? In the spirit of celebrating our vision of making this a ladies weekend, the inaugural year will feature a women’s only race.
- Are dogs welcome? Yes because we love having four legged friend join our events but dogs MUST be on a leash and like other dogs and people. If your dog enjoys running freely and can be grouchy with other animals or people, this event is not for your doggo.
- Can I camp at Bennington Lake Friday or Saturday night? No because access to the lake closes at 10:00pm.
- Can I transfer my registration to another race, or are there rollovers? At this time, we are not transferring or doing rollovers from 2022. If you want to “gift” your registration to another runner in 2023, email [email protected]
- Are there refunds? Yes:
- 50% refund by January 31
- No refunds on or after February 1