Big Timber Running Club is excited to host the 4th year of the Emerald City Trail Series! A 5 week trail race series held at Mt Pisgah, Eugene, Oregon.

All races will start at 6:30 from the #38 trailhead near the Sheriff's Mounted Posse arena at the North end of Buford. Parking will be on Buford Park Road, just beyond the North Trailhead Parking Lot gate. Runners must have a $5 parking permit using the Passport Parking app and zone 97306 for each race. An annual Lane County Parks Permit will also work. Donate at least $50 to Friends of Buford and Mt. Pisgah membership, get a Lane County Parking Permit good at all parks, and park trail maps.

#1 - May 29, 2025, 6:30pm - 4.7 miles
#2 - June 5, 2025, 6:30pm - 3.7 miles
#3 - June 12, 2025, 6:30pm - 8 miles
#4 - June 19, 2025, 6:30pm - 3.4 miles
#5 - June 26, 2025, 6:30pm - 3 miles

The Emerald City Trail Series is a fun trail race series held in Howard Buford Recreational Area and Mt. Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene hosted by Big Timber Running Club. This set of five trail races between 3-8 miles takes place Thursday evenings May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19, and the final event and post race ceremony takes place on Thursday June 26th. What makes Buford and Mt. Pisgah a wonderful place to have a series is the wide variety of trails and scenery in the park. Mt. Pisgah's 1531' summit is in the middle of the largest of Lane County's 73 parks. It offers views of the Cascade Mountains, Spencer Butte, the Middle and Coast Forks of the Willamette River, Eugene, Springfield, Creswell, Jasper, Pleasant Hill, and Goshen.
There will be raffle prizes from different sponsors every week and we'll meet for a party after the last race on June 26, where we will give out awards and raffle prizes from our sponsors.

Early registration opens January 15th
Series - $90
$22.50/individual race.

Standard registration opens on March 1st
Series - $100
$25/individual race.

Race day registration is available at $30 per race, so sign up in advance to save some cash!

We honor and recognize that we gather for this event on the traditional lands of the native people within the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, including the Chafan Tribe, and the Kalapuya Tribe, all having occupied and stewarded these lands for countless generations.

Race Day Details
No parking at North or West Trailhead. All participants will park on the road past the North Trailhead parking lot. Follow the road to the Horse Arena for parking (opposite end of the park from the arboretum). A parking permit is required.

Check-in at near the start of #38 trailhead from 5:30 - 6:15 pm. Race starts at 6:30. Water will be available to fill a water bottle before and after the race (remember this is a cupless race). Nutritionist Shira Evans will be onsite providing fuel to get you through the race. Great Harvest Bakery will have treats post race. Falling Sky Brewing has provided beverages to enjoy.

Restrooms will be open by the race start.

Courses will be marked with yellow cones and small flags. Trails will be open to the public. Those not respecting park visitors and/or not following trail running etiquette will be disqualified.

*NEW FOR 2025*

At the first race on May 29th we will have prizes for the first male/female runners to reach the summit, 1 free month membership to The Circuit Bouldering Gym in Eugene! The circuit will also be raffling off 1-month passes and handing out day passes for all participants.

At the second race on June 5th we will have raffle prizes from Sponsors: The Clothes Horse and Porterhouse Clothing & Supply.

At the 3rd race on June 12th we will have raffle prizes from our bib sponsor Zenith Performance and Wellness, as well as Folklord.

At the 4th race on June 19th our sponsor Mount to Coast will be on site with shoe demos, and SIX lucky runners will walk away with a pair of the new T1 from Mount to Coast. More details to follow.

*NEW FOR 2025*
Cash prizes brought to you by our sponsor Mount to Coast! The top three male/female runners overall at the end of the series will be awarded cash prizes:
1st place - $150
2nd place - $75
3rd place $25

We know that not everyone can make all races, series awards will be based on your best performance at 4 of the 5 races. All runners who complete at least 4 of the 5 races will receive a branded pint glass from our sponsor Falling Sky Brewing.

Awards will also be presented to the top three male/female runners in the following age groups: 19 and Under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69. The top three male and female runners are not eligible for age group awards.

Race 1 May 29

*COURSE MODIFIED FOR 2025*

The new route is 4.7 miles with 1300' ascent, going up trail 3, 7, back to 3, with a steep climb to the summit, then down 1, 4, and finally back down 3. Runners reach views of Eugene and the Coastal Mountains, a rocky terrain climb through an open prairie and a descent past Swing Hill to the finish.

Race 2 June 5

Race # 2 is 3.7 miles. This out-and-back uses the North Bottomlands (#8) and North Quarry (#5) trails along the Coast Fork of the Willamette River. This flat and fast course is perfect for track and cross-country athletes to show their speed. It's also a nice shake-out run for those participating in the McKenzie River Trail Runs 50k the following Saturday..



Race 3 June 12

This year the long race will be the third race in the series. 8 miles with 2000' ascent using trails 3, 7, 1, 6, 2, 4, and back to 3. The longest and maybe the most challenging race of the series. This route is the only one that reaches the true summit of Mt. Pisgah. Look for Diamond Peak and Mt. Bachelor above the cascade foothills. Once at the top, runners will descend down a gravel trail toward the East Trailhead with scenic shots of Goshen and Pleasant Hill. This route uses all 2.8 miles of the short but steep grades of the shaded North Boundary Trail.




Race 4 June 19

*NEW COURSE 2025*

New for this year we added a second race that utilizes the riverbank trail. The race will start similar to week 2, along the bottomlands trail and then along the river. Once you get to the parking lot there will be a short climb over trail 17 to swing hill, followed by a fast finish down trail 3.




Race 5 June 26

3 miles with 750' ascent using trails 3, 7, 17, 1, and back on 3. This one may be short, but it's a tough one. Race #5 starts like the first race but turns on the Summit Trail from the arboretum for a half-mile climb with over 400' of vert. After the final run, celebrate the race series at the Emerald City Trail Series party.

For event related questions, please click on the Contact the Organizers button on the page.