Re:  Detailed Information regarding the 2021 Ultimook Race, Tillamook Cross Country Invitational.

Dear Coaches,

Thank you very much for signing up for The Ultimook Race to be held September 4th on The Hydrangea Ranch in Tillamook.   We have worked hard to not only create a quality racing venue, but also an early season weekend experience that your athletes will talk about as one of their best memories in high school cross country.

Please read the detailed information below carefully.  If you have questions, please contact THS cross country coach Pat Zweifel at pat@ultimookrace.com or by phone at 503.815.3762 (office) or 503.812.9190 (cell).

We have changed the schedule slightly.  We have combined the novice races of the small and large division from prior years into one race in the middle of the day.  This opens the door to adding a 2nd open 5k race at the end of the day.

Ultimook Race schedule: 

8:15 AM Open Race 5k

9:00 AM Middle School Girls 3k

9:30 AM Middle School Boys 3k

10:00 AM JV Girls 5k, 1A – 4A

10:45 AM JV Boys 5k, 1A – 4A

11:30 AM Varsity Girls, 1A – 4A

12:15 PM Varsity Boys 5k, 1A – 4A

1:00 PM Novice Race (Boys & Girls), all divisions (1A-6A)

1:30 PM JV Girls 5k, 5A – 6A

2:15 PM JV Boys 5k, 5A – 6A

3:00 PM Varsity Girls 5k, 5A – 6A

3:45 PM Varsity Boys 5k, 5A – 6A

4:15 PM Open Race 5k

Coach’s meetings: Middle School  8:45 AM, 1A-4A @ 9:45 AM, and 5A-6A @ 12:45 PM

Within major divisions, we are on a rolling schedule. Meaning in 1A-4A we may run races ahead of schedule, but we will not start 5A-6A teams until 1:00pm. Please notify parents, as some travel a long way and we don’t want them to miss their kids running because we are ahead of schedule.

We are flexible as to which division you run in.  Just let us know what works best for you.  Washington schools up to 2A are encouraged to compete in the 1A-4A races and 3A and 4A in the 5A-6A race.  If you are in Oregon and a 5A-6A school, but feel like your team is better suited to compete in the 1A-4A race, it is okay, but you will be ineligible for team or individual awards.  However, if you elect to race up in division, you would be eligible to receive team and individual awards (i.e. 4A school race in the 5A-6A race).

Varsity Limit:  7 runners in 1A-4A.  10 runners in 5A-6A.

Course Description:  The emphasis of this course is to offer a “REAL” cross country experience without sacrificing a quality, race able course.  It features 2 river crossings (shallow water, but wide crossing), a mud pit (be sure shoes are securely planted on feet to avoid losing them to the suction), a mile of wood chipped trails, and of course a bunch of beautiful flowers.  It will not run through the corn this year.  Times will not be fast, but from my own experience in racing and from feedback the past five years, your athletes will look forward to coming back year after year—I promise you that.  Perhaps the best element of the course is that it is spectator friendly with many good vantage points and a view of much of the race.  Please notify your athletes that they will not be allowed to continue the race if they come out of the mud pit without a shoe(s).  We also recommend not wearing spikes.  There is about ½ mile of the race on packed gravel.  As last year, we will not be running the “hill,” but rather than extended loop on the East side of the farm.

In order to stay on schedule, there may be a small number of athletes still on the course when the subsequent race begins.  We will do our best to keep times for these athletes, but after 40 minutes (in the 5k race) we will be working off of a stopwatch and not a timer and the chances of making a mistake with their official time goes dramatically up.  We will also not be waiting for teams that are goofing off, and casually jogging through the course and playing in the mud.  To be frank, I would prefer teams like that to stay home as it is an insult to all the hard work I put into making this a great cross country race.

Race Cost: 

• Middle School Small School (less than 50 kids) $100
• Middle School Large School (50 or more kids) $200
• 1A-4A High School Team (1A-2A Washington) $250
• 5A-6A High School Team (3A-4A Washington) $300
• Mega Teams (over 100 athletes any age/any division) $400
• If you have just a few athletes, pay $15/athlete or rate above, whichever is lower.

$15/open race participant youth or $20/open race adult (register online at www.RaceEntry.com or sign up the morning of the race).  We have 2 open races–at 8:15 AM and 4:15 PM.  It is not necessary that we know which race you will be running in.  Races will be combines for results for one open race. There will be no open race awards.

The Ultimook Race is an Ultimook non-profit event.  See below for a set of links to your respective invoice.  Please make checks payable to “Ultimook” and bring check to the race or mail to Ultimook non-profit, 9455 Kilchis River Rd., Tillamook, OR 97141.    We are not in the collection business, so please do not make us chase you down months after the race in order to get paid—which we will if we have to.   You can also view your invoice on your athletic.net home page by clicking “Ultimook Race” and then “View Invoice,” and can subsequently pay online.

Invoices:

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Uniforms:  Because of the mud pit and possible staining, there will be no uniform restrictions.  Kids can wear practice gear if need be, however, no costumes allowed.  Boys can run without a shirt and girls can wear a sports bra.

Camping:   We are encouraging teams to camp out on the farm both on Friday before the race and/or Saturday after the race.  Tents can be setup around the track area in the center of the farm, in the hydrangea plantation, or around the main pavilion area (in this area tents must be taken down and moved by 7:00 am since it is on the race start area).  We will have greetings showing you where you can camp.

Electricity, water, and a limited amount of picnic tables/straw bales will be provided in and around the main pavilion area.  An optional spaghetti dinner on the farm will be organized Friday evening from 5:00pm to 7:30pm for participating teams ($7.00/person).  If you do not want to join in the optional dinner, please plan accordingly as the farm is about 5 miles from town.   The main pavilion area will be well lit until 10:00 pm.  Lights out is also quite time.   Obviously, port-a-potties and garbage cans will be available.   There will be a showing of the inspirational XC movie  “McFarland” drive-in movie style at dusk on Friday.  Hot showers will be available all day into the evening on Saturday for $5.00.  If you’re cooking your own breakfast, the pavilion is off limits with respective power outlets.

The cost of camping on Friday night is $5/person which includes a pre race breakfast.  You will have a choice between pancakes or biscuits and gravy.  If you are racing in the afternoon, this breakfast alone may not be sufficient.  Please plan to supplement.  Concessions will be available for purchase all day Saturday and into the evening.  There is no cost for campers (teams) on Saturday night, but you will be deserted and left to yourself as I will be going into a sleep induced coma.  Please do not help yourself to left over concession food and/or apparel.

If you plan on camping on The Hydrangea Ranch on Friday and/or Saturday night, please fill out this online form.

The deadline to fill out this form for camping is Sept. 2.  This will let us know which activities your team will be taking part in during the weekend.  If you will not be camping, it is not necessary to fill out this form.  If you do not fill out the form, we will assume you will not be camping and taking part in any of its associated activities Friday evening and Saturday.  Upon arrival on the farm, please check in to receive your tickets for dinner (optional $7.00) and breakfast (included in the $5.00 camping fee).  Dinner and breakfast is catered and will not be served without a ticket.  If you underestimate your number of campers or change your mind about dinner, it is possible to buy tickets once you’re here on the farm.

Showers:  Hot showers will be available after the race for $5.00 per person as a fundraiser for Tillamook Cross Country.   Maximum shower time is 5 minutes.  Athletes will need to wash off mud in the Kilchis River prior to taking a shower.  The mud would quickly plug up our drains.  There are two facets surrounding the main pavilion area.  These can be used to fill water bottles and cannot be used to wash off mud from participants.  It has always been a fight in the past to keep kids from creating a mud pit right next to our timing computer.  Please instruct your kids to wash off in the river and shower, not next to the pavilion.  Showers are not available on Friday and showers on Saturday are not included in your camping fees.

Parking:  Here is a parking  map.  Parking this year will be offsite, located about a ½ mile before The Hydrangea Ranch.  Please be aware of the signs indicating “Ultimook Parking.”  All spectators will need to park in the parking area.   Buses, though, can proceed past the parking area, drop off their athletes at The Hydrangea Ranch in the “drop off zone,” turn around, and then go back to the parking area.  Continual shuttle buses will be in motion shuttling people back and forth.  You will not be able to miss this parking area as there will be plenty of signs and the pink Volkswagen bug and yellow school bus in the middle of the cow pasture will give it away.  Please notify parents to look for parking signs.  Only handicapped marked vehicles will be able to part on The Hydrangea Ranch, all others will be turned back to the parking area.    The drop off zone is a short walk from the pavilion.  Campers will be allowed to park on the Hydrangea Ranch on Friday evening, but must leave for the parking area by 7am.

Farm Admission:  It will cost $5.00 per adult to enter the farm and $3.00 for students.  Please inform your parents so they are not surprised when they try entering the farm.

Directions to The Hydrangea Ranch:  The Hydrangea Ranch is located at Oregon Coastal Flowers, 9455 Kilchis River Rd., Tillamook, OR 97141.  Take Alderbrook Road off of Hwy 101, ¾ of mile North of the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  Go one mile and you will come to a “T”.  Take a right onto Kilchis River Rd.  Go 2 miles and stop at “drop off zone.”   Follow signs for parking area and then take the shuttle or walk 650 meters to The Hydrangea Ranch.  Click Here to get directions online.

Important note when leaving The Hydrangea Ranch:  When heading home, the vast majority of busses will be heading South on Hwy 101.  With heavy weekend tourist traffic, it can be very difficult to pull out onto Hwy 101 from Alderbrook Rd using the same exit that you came in on.  In order to avoid traffic backup problems, we encourage some of you to consider staying straight at the “T” at the intersection of Alderbrook Rd. which would provide you with an easier access to Hwy 101, just about ½ North of the other entrance/exit.  This is especially important this year during Labor Day Weekend.  Click here for Exit Map.

Registration of Athletes:  Register your athletes for the race via www.athletic.net by Wednesday, Sept. 1st at 8 pm.  We will be downloading entries at 8 am Thursday morning.  It will be too late to enter athletes after that.    I know it is very early in the season, but please register as many athletes as you think may be running and as early as possible. It is better to have too many names entered than not enough.  If you have a runner come that you don’t expect, simply give them a number of an athlete who doesn’t show up and subsequently edit the name of the participant on athletic.net prior to the results being marked as official.

T-shirts & Concessions:  There will be souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts, and XC hats available for purchase.  Concessions will be available on Saturday, including coffee.

Awards:  Awards will be given out at the end of each major division as time permits (i.e. junior high races, 1A-4A, and 5A-6A).  Team awards will be given out to the top 3 teams for Divisions 5A through 6A and the top 5 teams in the 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A division, as well as the top 3 middle school teams.  Unique locally grown flower bouquets will be given out as individual awards and hand engraved wood slabs will be given out as team awards.  Awards will not be given out to the novice and open races.

Check-in:  Please check-in at the main pavilion area on Saturday morning and pick up your packets.  If you didn’t mail in the registration fee, please pay at this time.  Tickets will be required for the optional dinner and the prerace breakfast.

Coaches Meeting:    A coach’s meeting will be held at the main pavilion at 8:45 for the junior high, 9:45 for the 1A-4A division, and then again at 12:45 for 5A-6A schools.

Course Run Through:  The course will be well marked and ready for walk/jog through anytime on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.  Maps will be provided in the race packets.  You can find a 3k map here or a 5k map here.