The 2026 Gorge Waterfalls 100K returned to Cascade Locks, Oregon, on the weekend of 11 April, marking one of the marquee openers of the North American ultra-trail calendar. Staged by Daybreak Racing on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, the event has built a reputation as an early-season proving ground for Western States and UTMB hopefuls, blending waterfall-laced single-track, slick basalt stair sections and long, quad-punishing descents across roughly 10,000 feet of vertical gain.
This year's edition attracted one of the deepest fields in the race's history, reflecting the continued pull of prize-money-rich spring ultras for North American professionals. The course, which winds through Eagle Creek, Wahclella Falls and the Historic Columbia River Highway corridor, once again doubled as a Western States 100 Golden Ticket race — raising the competitive stakes for runners chasing an automatic entry to the season's most coveted 100-miler. Two men's and two women's Golden Ticket places were on offer, a structure that has reshaped the way elite athletes plan their spring training blocks around Cascade Locks.
Conditions on race morning were classic spring Gorge weather: overcast skies, temperatures in the mid-40s at the start, and the kind of persistent damp that keeps the mossy basalt cobbles glossy and treacherous for the entire day. Runners who pre-ran the early Ruckel Creek and Nick Eaton climbs in training had warned the field about the exposed drop-offs and scree on those segments, and the early pack was notably cautious as a result. By the time leaders reached the first major aid station at Cascade Locks, the men's race had split into a clear front group of six, with the women's lead bunch running conservatively and sitting within a minute of each other through the opening 20 kilometres.
The Gorge's character favours patient, hill-fit runners rather than pure speedsters, and the course's middle section — a sustained climb to Wahtum Lake followed by a long runnable descent — has historically been where the race is decided. The 2026 edition held to form. Elite athletes who had wintered in Flagstaff and Boulder looked most comfortable on the technical footing, while those coming off road-focused blocks conceded time through the descent into Eagle Creek. Race organisers reported another record-sized finisher field, with the 50K companion event continuing to sell out almost immediately when registration opens each winter.
Beyond the competitive narrative, Gorge Waterfalls has become a reliable early-season barometer for the broader ultra scene. The race's field mix — a blend of sponsored professionals, regional Pacific Northwest specialists, and first-time 100K finishers — mirrors the wider growth of ultra-trail participation across North America, with UTMB World Series events and US domestic races now competing openly for athlete calendars. For many 2026 Western States qualifiers, the finish line at Cascade Locks also marked the start of a twelve-week countdown to Squaw Valley, and the hard miles banked this weekend will underpin a summer of racing at the sport's highest level.