The McKenzie River Trail Run is a non-profit organization dedicated to hosting a fun and challenging environmentally conscious trail running experience and supporting the Upper McKenzie community and local businesses. This is a trail run hosted by the community, for the community.

Our Legacy

Everything starts with an idea, and the idea for the McKenzie River Trail Run came from the mind of Jeff Sherman sometime in 1986.  Jeff was a teacher and coach at McKenzie High School in Blue River, and he was also an avid long distance trail runner. He pitched his idea for a 50 mile trail run on the McKenzie River trail to a friend and, encouraged by the friend’s response, he enlisted some local folks to make the event a reality.  

So in 1987, the first Run was scheduled by the first directors: Tom and Virginia Wolfe, with some needed help from Anne Raftree and Maudie Pemberton. Forty people signed up that year, but it never happened. That year the Yellowstone Fire ravaged Montana and all emergency responders had a long and difficult season. Three days before race day, Virginia called everyone to deliver the news that the race was canceled as all her medical staff volunteers had just returned from the fires and canceled on her.  Jeff Sherman was deeply disappointed, as were many others. Three days later, Jeff, John Posthleswaite, Phil Vaughn, and the Cox brothers, George and Robert, met early that Saturday morning to run an “unofficial” MRTR 50 miler.  Jeff’s neighbor Ralph provided a mobile aid station and cheering squad.  Jeff, John, and Phil finished the 50 miles.

The first official event occurred in 1988, with a marathon and 50 mile distances.  Tom and Virginia directed for three years before Anne took it over in 1991. The marathon was dropped after the first three years and only the 50 mile distance survived. The course in these years started at the lower trailhead on the highway just downriver from the ranger station and finished at Paradise campground. Twenty six miles up and 24 down made it 50 Miles to Paradise! After four years as director Anne was ready to pass it on, so she drafted Phil Vaughn to continue as the new RD. 

Phil directed the event for 13 years, which included celebrating the 10th MRTR by including a 50k distance in 1997. The 50k finish line that year was at the Clear Lake picnic area. The 50k distance proved to be so popular that the 50 mile distance was dropped in 1998 and the start moved to Carmen Reservoir. Both Tim Hooton and Kirk Hendrickson, current race directors, participated in the race this year. This change was not a popular decision with many of the hardcore ultra runners, but the event exploded in the next several years.  Forty runners turned into 150 in just a couple of years.

Phil Vaughn finished race year 20 and happily passed the director torch to Mark Humphreys, Brad Putnam, and Mike Milbrandt. They took it and had a wonderful ten year run as directors.  The numbers continued to grow for this very popular event on the Oregon Ultra calendar, quickly reaching the USFS permit maximum of 200 runners and necessitating waitlists and lotteries for entry. Their signature addition was adding a bottle of wine to the runner’s swag and donating all proceeds to the Upper McKenzie communities.

Year 31, 2018, saw Tim Hooton take over as race director.  He and his group, Bill Sharp, Kirk Hendrickson, Todd Glender, and Rachel Geissler, have continued the excellent runners’ treasure on the river trail. After three years of dangerously close wildfires and a respiratory virus pandemic, they moved the race to June from September. Runners have commented on adjusting their calendars, but no one has complained about the lack of wasp stings and wildfire smoke. Bill Sharp retired from directing after the 2022 event to pursue supplying relief aid to the victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This group got the first 5 runners of the MRTR together for a commemorative photo outside of the Alesong on 5th tasting room before packet pick up.

With the exception of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire (that caused evacuations along the trail, desecrated many of the Upper McKenzie Communities, and closed the highway), the MRTR is the oldest continuously run Ultra in Oregon; directed, organized, and supported entirely by volunteers. It continues to be a run put on by the Ultra community for the Ultra community.

With the exception of the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire (that caused evacuations along the trail, desecrated many of the Upper McKenzie Communities, and closed the highway), the MRTR is the oldest continuously run Ultra in Oregon; directed, organized, and supported entirely by volunteers. It continues to be a run put on by the Ultra community for the Ultra community.