About the race
A 5K, 15K and 30K — something for everyone!
Birch Bay Road Race offers a 5K, 15K and 30K distance — something for everyone! Run along the beautiful shores of Birch Bay, where you’ll spot eagles and herons as you run or walk these amazing courses. Views abound as the crisp sea air fills your lungs.
Birch Bay is a seaside village close to the Canadian border, just two hours from Seattle and an hour and a half from Vancouver, BC. Stay at Semiahmoo Resort and make a weekend out of it! Running groups and teams are invited to sign up for the Club Challenge. Walkers are welcome.
All participants receive a custom bib, participant shirt and finisher medal.
The Course
A short run along the shore of Birch Bay, with the sea air the whole way. There are no aid stations on the 5K course, but there is plenty of food and drink after you’re done running.
Views abound as the course runs along the shores of Birch Bay. Aid stations come at approximately 1.75, 3.75, 5.5 and 7.5 miles, stocked with water, GU gels and Tailwind electrolyte drink.
The long one, out along the bay and back, with eagles and herons for company. Aid stations come at approximately 1.75, 3.75, 5.5, 7.5, 9.5, 11, 13, 15 and 16.5 miles, stocked with water, GU gels and Tailwind electrolyte drink.
All Orca races are cupless — bring a handheld or grab a small reusable folding cup at the start.
Entry
Friday, April 10th, 4:00pm – 6:00pm — North Bay Community Church
Race morning, 7:00am – 8:30am — North Bay Community Church
Aid stations on the course serve water, GU gels and Tailwind electrolyte drink. 15K runners will hit the aid stations at approximately 1.75, 3.75, 5.5 and 7.5 miles. 30K runners will hit aid stations at approximately 1.75, 3.75, 5.5, 7.5, 9.5, 11, 13, 15 and 16.5 miles. There are no aid stations on the 5K course.
Cupless racing: Orca Running is committed to reducing waste and protecting the environment, so we do not hand out single-use cups. We recommend you carry a handheld bottle or a hydration pack, or we can provide you with a small re-usable cup that folds easily into your waistband and will serve you for this race and every race after it.
Porta-potties are available at the start line and finish line area, and at several points out on the course.
Free gear check is available at the Birch Bay Road Race. In an effort to reduce waste we do not provide drop bags, so please bring your own bag. We will have identification tags for you to use.
Overall awards go to the top 3 male, female and non-binary runners, and age group awards are given in 5-year increments. We do not mail awards after the race — they must be picked up on the day.
All courses close at 1:00 PM
Start line parking: Birch Bay Water Slides, across the street from the start line. If that lot fills up, there is parking in the neighborhoods to the northwest of the start/finish line.
Semiahmoo Resort & Spa is our hospitality sponsor. They provide participants a 20% discount valid April 10th–12th — use the booking link on the race page to get the rate.
Birch Bay Road Race has something unique: the Club Challenge! Members of running clubs, here are the steps:
Plaque awarded to the highest ranking Club Score.
Points awarded for Age-Group Finishes in 15K and 30K only.
Where your entry goes
Our charity partner for the Birch Bay Road Race is the Blaine High School Booster Club! The dollars donated go to support various programs for students, and the volunteers out on the course are raising funds for their annual trips to Central America. Say hi to the amazing and friendly volunteers that support the race every year!
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Good to Know
The fine print
We have a clear set of policies that we uniformly follow for all races. Entries are not refundable, but you can defer your entry, transfer it to another race, or transfer it to another participant. You can review our full set of policies here.
There are no higher stakes than being kind to the earth; we care deeply about keeping our planet viable for the next generation. To that end, we organize our events with an eye towards minimizing our impact on the planet. Read more here.
If you have a suggestion or idea for how we can improve our events in this regard, please let us know!
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