The below information was given to coaches regarding the 2015 Ultimook Race. 2016 information will be updated closer to the race on Sept. 3rd, 2016. Please use the below information as a reference only.

Dear Coaches,

Thank you very much for signing up for The Ultimook Race to be held September 12on The Hydrangea Ranch in Tillamook.  We are happy that the Tillamook Invitational is once again active and strong as it was for much of the past four decades, though in a different venue.  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 updated information below carefully.  If you have questions please contact THS cross country coach Pat Zweifel at patrick@ultimookrace.com or by phone at 503.815.3762 (office) or 503.812.9190 (cell).

Updated Race schedule: 

8:15am            Open Race                                         5k                    $15/runner

 

9:00am            Middle School Girls                             3k

 

9:30am            Middle School Boys                           3k

10:00am          Novice Race (Boys & Girls)               3k                    1A-4A

10:30am          JV Girls                                               5k                    1A-4A

11:15am          JV Boys                                              5k                    1A-4A

12:00pm          Varsity Girls                                        5k                    1A-4A

12:45pm          Varsity Boys                                        5k                    1A-4A

1:30pm            Novice Race (Boys & Girls)                3k                    5A-6A

2:00pm            JV Girls                                                5k                    5A, 6A

2:45pm            JV Boys                                              5k                    5A, 6A

3:30pm            Varsity Girls                                        5k                    5A, 6A

4:15pm            Varsity Boys                                        5k                    5A, 6A

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, parts of a corn maze, and of course a bunch of beautiful flowers.  Times will not be fast, but from my own experience in racing and from feedback the past three 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.

 

Many athletes might be happy to know that we will not be running the “hill” this year as my neighbor across the street is too concerned about liability.  It is unfortunate, but we will add a loop on the East side of the farm yet to be explored by Ultimook runners.  An updated course map will be released soon.

 

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 45 minutes 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.

Race Cost: 

$50/middle school

$100 per 1A-4A high school (up to 2A in Washington)

$150 per 5A or 6A high school (3A-4A in Washington)

$15/open race participant

Invoices will be e-mailed out within a few days.  Please mail in a check to Tillamook High School, 2605 12th St., Tillamook, OR 97141 (please make a notation that the check is for the Ultimook Race—wouldn’t want it to go to the football program) or bring to race.  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.

 

There is no avenue for pre-registering for the open race.  You can do this on race day.  Be sure to arrive early enough to navigate parking, register, and warm up prior to the race.  The cost is $15.

 

Spectators:  This year we will be charging an entry fee of $2.00 per spectator to help offset some of the logistical costs associated with the event.  It is free to all kids in high school and below.  Please notify parents there will be an entry fee so they are not surprised at the gate.

 

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 come to the Oregon Coast early on Friday and camp out on the farm Friday night.  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).  Because of race times, some teams may prefer to camp out on Saturday night which is fine but there will be no food services.  We have plenty of camping space; do not worry about reserving space.  We have three large greenhouses that we used for the Ultimook Running Camp that are available to sleep in.

 

Electricity, water, and a limited amount of picnic tables/straw bales will be provided in and around the main pavilion area.  An optional spaghetti feed on the farm will be organized Friday evening from 5:00pm to 7:30pm for participating teams ($5/person).  If you do not want to join in the spaghetti feed, 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.   The cost of camping is $3/person which includes a pre-race breakfast.    There will be a showing of the inspirational movie “McFarland USA” drive-in movie style at dusk.  In the past we’ve had a campfire, but because of the seriously dry conditions, that may not be an option this year.

If you plan on camping on The Hydrangea Ranch on Friday night, please fill out this online form:  https://ultimookrunningcamp.oregoncoastalflowers.com/2014/08/19/camping-on-the-hydrangea-ranch-prior-to-the-ultimook-race/ .  This will let us know which activities your team will be taking part in during the weekend.  If you will not be camping the night before then 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 morning.   Upon arrival on the farm, please check in to receive your tickets for dinner (optional $5.00) and breakfast (included in the $3.00 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 $2.00 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.

 

Parking:  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.

 

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.

 

Registration of Athletes:  Register your athletes for the race via www.athletic.net by September 10th. The deadline is September 11th at 8am.  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 approximately one week later.

 

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).  Awards will be given out to the top 10 individuals in each race.  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.  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.  Ultimook XC Nike Backpacks will be given to the winners of the middle school boys and girls race, as well as winners of the varsity boys and girls race in both the 1A-4A division and 5A-6A division.

 

Check-in:  Please check-in at the main pavilion area once arriving on Friday afternoon/evening or 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 1:15 for 5A-6A schools.

 

Nike Gear:  As part of our Nike meet sponsorship all teams who have paid their registration will get discounted pricing on Nike uniforms and team gear. Contact Nike Team Dealer Gear Up Sports at mlavier@gear-upsports.com or 503-360-5488 and note you’re registered for the Ultimook Race. In addition, all coaches whose teams were registered by 6/20/15 can request Nike employee store passes from the e-mail above.

 

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.

 

School Liability Insurance:  Because this is a private farm, we require that all schools show proof of liability insurance.  You can fax a copy of your school’s liability insurance to the farm office at 503.815.9326, bring it to the meet, or mail it to:  Tillamook High School Cross Country, 2605 12th St., Tillamook, OR 97141.

 

 

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