2025 Course Details
TRANSITIONS & TIMING
You will have a transponder that must be worn for every leg. If it is not worn, you will not get a time. There will be only one transponder per team and it must be handed off at each transition, starting with Alpine and finishing with the Sprint. Do not lose the transponder! If you do, you will have to pay for it.
ALPINE LEG & Course – Sponsored by Mt. Bachelor & MBSEF
The course starts at the top of Red Chair. To access the start, racers must take the Pine Marten lift up and ski down towards the top of Red Chair.
There will be marked areas for each wave to line up to wait. When your wave is called to move forward, racers will take off skis or snowboard at the top of the run. Please do not move other competitor’s gear. It is a first-come, first-serve placement.
After gear is placed, racers will walk down to the bottom of the 200 foot sprint. Length will vary due to snow conditions. Race officials will help you line up correctly and will call the start of your wave.
Racers will sprint up to their gear, put it on, and then race down Leeway trail. All racers must obey the control gates. Gate keepers will be monitoring the course and if you miss a gate you must re-enter or you could receive a time penalty.
The course is a beginner/intermediate run. The course may change slightly year to year, due to snow conditions.
Alpine-to-Nordic Transition
Upon entering the Transition Area, please check your speed and slow down before entering the chutes. Between Red Chair and Pine Marten lift will be five chutes, each labeled with a letter (A, B, C, D, E). The last digit of your Bib# corresponds to a specific chute:
A: 0-1 | B: 2-3 | C: 4-5 | D: 6-7 | E: 8-9
This helps spread participants out and helps you find your teammate and equipment easily. Volunteers will only let teammates and support people enter the chute immediately before the Alpine racer’s start time. Please verify with your Nordic skier or support person what chute you have been assigned, and your start time. Note: The same chute system will be used at the Nordic-to-Bike and Run-to-Paddle Transitions.
NORDIC SKI LEG
Note: we don’t anticipate needing to make changes our Nordic Course for 2025, but we will keep you updated if the course is revised for any reason. PPP Nordic Course will be marked at least a week prior to the event, if you wish to preview it.
The Nordic ski course was revised in 2018 to better protect it from potential snow melt and race day weather with much of the course staying on the south side of the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Trails in the protection of magnificent old growth timber. The trail no longer goes toward the north side of the trails where it is more open and exposed to storm winds and direct snow melting sun.side of the trails where it is more open and exposed to storm winds and direct snow melting sun.
In addition, this course does not go as low in elevation, and it has a nice flatter section before the climb back to the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center.
The current course first circles the West Village Parking Lot, before dropping down Blue Jay’s to Junction 11 where it follows the traditional course down to Junction 19. It then takes Woody’s Way through Junction 18 going all the way up to Junction 6. There the trail takes a right to junction 10 and continues on a nice easy loop on Blue Jay’s to Junction 11 where it turns left and returns to Junction 10 though Emil’s clearing still with easier terrain. From Junction 10 the course, like in the past, climbs up to the Common Corridor and returns back to the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center and the bike transition.
The majority of racers complete the PPP Nordic Course on skate skis, but there are several racers who opt for classic skis, especially if they are less-experienced Nordic skiers. There are no classic tracks set on course, however. If there were, they’d be quickly destroyed due to the temperatures and amount of racers.
Total distance of the PPP Nordic Course is 6km (or 3.7 miles). To view the Nordic Course on Strava, click HERE.
Nordic-to-Bike Transition – Supported by Sunnyside Sports
As Nordic Skiers pass the Nordic Center and crest the hill towards the parking lot they will see five chutes on the pavement, each labeled with a letter (A, B, C, D, E). The last digit of your Bib# corresponds to a specific chute:
A: 0-1 | B: 2-3 | C: 4-5 | D: 6-7 | E: 8-9
Staged biking equipment should be placed in the shoot that corresponds to your big number. Only bikers, nordic skiers, and Support People should be in the transition zone. If you enter the zone after the race has started, be very mindful of racers and stay out of their way. It is important to keep the area as clear as possible. Skiers must pass the transponder to their biker at the exchange line, which will either be designated by the snowline or chalk lines, depending on the year.
BIKE LEG – Sponsored by East Cascade Women’s Group
Upon leaving the Transition Zone, bike racers will proceed out of the West Village Parking lot towards Bend for 20 miles. ABSOLUTELY NO DRAFTING IS ALLOWED WHILE ON THE BIKE COURSE. PLEASE SEE PPP DRAFTING POLICY FOR MORE DETAILS.
There will be downhill car traffic between the Bike Start and the Sunriver Junction. After Sunriver Junction, the large majority of downhill traveling cars will be detoured through Sunriver. There will, however, still be a few cars (who have been issued special passes) allowed on the downhill side of the road. There will ALWAYS be uphill traffic. Please be aware of vehicles while racing and pay attention to volunteers on the course as well as the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, which will be present at the Sunriver Junction.
The course is primarily downhill with one uphill climb after the Sunriver Junction. Parents may not ride with their children on bike course. ONLY those competitors who are doing the Bike Leg are to be riding on the course (extra riders impede safety). Remember to have your Bib# visible as you approach the Bike Finish for the volunteers to call your number for your teammate or support crew to be ready. The Bike Finish will be just before the Mt. Washington Roundabout.
To view the Bike Course on Strava, click HERE.
Bike-to-Run Transition
As you approach the Bike-to-Run Transition be sure to slow down and look for signs. You will be directed to exit the bike lane on Century Drive and enter a small paved path that will lead you to the Transition Zone. The path is only wide enough for 1-2 bikers, so be prepared to yield to those in front of you. If all goes according to plan, volunteers and transponder readers will support the transition with teammates by calling out approaching numbers. For racers who may need it, there will be a clothing/shoe drop-off area in this Transition Zone for racers to use the morning of the race.
RUN LEG – Sponsored by the Athletic Club of Bend
The 5.2 mile course starts at the Athletic Club of Bend, which hosts the bike-to-run transition. Runners will start up the Haul Road Trail from the Athletic Club and then turn left on to Mt. Bachelor Drive to run through Mt Bachelor Village. As they approach Touchmark, runners will turn right and enter Touchmark roads, and ultimately access the River Trail.
There is a short-cut for 12 and Under racers who choose to do the shortened course, which will allow them to access the River Trail earlier in the course. The total distance of the shortened course is 3.7 miles.
Once on the River Trail, all runners will continue south to the far footbridge, cross the river, and return through Farewell Bend Park towards the Old Mill. There will be a short section of the run course where sprinters and runners are sharing the same trail. Runners must keep right on that section. Once they reach the Old Mill, runners will cross the flag bridge and run towards Riverbend Park, entering the run-to-paddle transition just after the dog park.
The run course provides runners with a wide variety of surfaces: dirt, pavement, sidewalk, gravel/bark chips, pavers, wooden planks and even one or two rocky sections!
To view the PPP Run Course on Strava, click HERE. If you’d like to see how it compares to the shortened course for 12 & Under racers, click HERE.
PADDLE LEG – Sponsored by Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe
Paddlers will launch from the downstream side of the beach at Riverbend Park and travel downstream for about .5 miles. We ask that paddlers do their best to stay to the left of the buoys for the entire course to ensure they do not impede other racers. However, ALL RACERS MUST take the turn-around buoy, which is just beyond the flag bridge in the Old Mill District, in a clock-wise direction. After racers turn, they will paddle upstream for about 1 mile, doing their best to stay to the left of the buoys, as they return. The finish and take-out for the Paddle leg is located on the opposite side of the river at Farewell Bend beach.
Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe will have rafts and guides to monitor the course and assist in an emergency. Approved PFDs (personal floatation devices) must be worn at all times in the paddle leg.
To view the PPP Paddle Course on Strava, click HERE. Please keep in mind that the turn around point will vary slightly year to year depending on water levels.
PADDLE-TO-SPRINT TRANSITION
Sprinters looking for this Transition Zone MUST NOT travel on course in the opposite direction. Instead, utilize the paved path closest to Reed Market Road and walk towards the beach/Bill Healy Bridge until you come to the Paddle-to-Sprint Transition. It is a very tight area and we recommend spectators watch from the Bill Healy bridge, if they must spectate near this transition.
Paddlers will receive help exiting the water on the downstream side of Farewell Bend beach. Teammates must wait off the beach and off the course until they hear their bib number being called. Once the number has been called, sprinters may move onto the beach, which will be the “Tag Zone.” BE AWARE THAT SPRINTERS ON TEAMS AND PAIRS WILL BE CROSSING THE RUN COURSE to access the beach. Please give runners the right of way.
Boats will be organized by bib number once they exit the water at Farewell Bend Park. We ask that racers, a teammate, or proxy pick up the boat used for the paddle leg within 40 minutes of crossing the finish line. If you are racing in a Team Category, you have the option to tag your sprinter and then paddle your boat back to Riverbend for self-storage. If you leave your boat in Farewell, you must bring a bib number with you to pick-up. Boats that are not claimed by 4pm will likely be left unattended at that time.
SPRINT LEG
The final sprint starts at the paddle take-out on the beach of Farewell Bend Park. Sprinters will run along side the run course and must be sure to keep left until they reach the bridge the connects Farewell Bend to Riverbend Park. Sprinters will run over the bridge and follow the sprint course where they will enter a final race shoot on the main lawn at Riverbend Park. On this sprint course there are 2 short stints of lawn running, but the large majority is on pavers.
At the finish, please enjoy snacks from Trader Joe’s and other beverages from Bigfoot Beverages.
To view the PPP Sprint Course on Strava, click HERE.