Gulch Countdown
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Gulch Countdown - Last Person Standing
The Gulch Countdown is a looped trail race held in Japanese Gulch in Mukilteo, Washington. The event for 2026 is scheduled for June 13, 2026. Registration opens on February 1, 2026. The race is Trail Sisters Approved.
The course is a 2.18 mile loop through forested terrain with ferns, mossy trees, giant cedars, and rolling hills that aim to give a mountain feel close to Mukilteo. The event is timed but not in a traditional single finish sense.
Racing is organized as repeated 2.18 mile loops. The first loop has a 32 minute cutoff. Runners who finish within the cutoff may use the remaining time for rest and aid before the next loop. Subsequent loops start together and the cutoff is reduced by one minute per loop. After 12 loops, which equals a marathon distance, loop cutoffs then decrease by 30 seconds per loop until only one runner remains and is declared the Last Person Standing.
Event logistics noted by the organizer include a full aid station, a fastest lap competition with recognition for the fastest lap for men and women, and a contribution of five dollars from every registration toward improvement of the Japanese Gulch trails. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
