The race begins in the hills above Moscow, Idaho, a town of just over 23,000 in the western Idaho panhandle that’s also home to the University of Idaho.
At just over 2,500 feet above sea level, this town along the Columbia River Plateau is known for its clear blue wide-open skies and the hills and prairies of the Palouse region, which spills over the state border into nearby Washington.
For runners, this race dates all the way back to 1978, when a few dozen runners braved the hills, trails and logging roads of Moscow Mountain.
The race continued throughout most of the 1980s but was abandoned for about 4 years, until it was re-established in the early 1990s. The race included a biking portion for a few years, but the biking event was phased out in 2010.
The starting line lies at the edge of where the forest begins, near the intersection of Foothill Road and Tolo Trail.
From there, the course winds eastward along a combination of single-track trails and logging roads, which the organizers say make for a “wickedly rugged” race course. Runners need to be ready for some seriously challenging elevation climbs, though the course itself is largely smooth, they add.
