Hamster Endurance Runs
About the race
Hamster is about more than running laps around Lake Padden. It's about challenging yourself, celebrating small victories, and finding out what you're capable of with a community cheering you on.
Whether you're chasing your first marathon distance, running farther than ever before, or going after the 100-mile belt buckle, there's a place for you at Hamster.
A portion of race proceeds supports the Whatcom Family YMCA Scholarship Fund, which helps make programs and opportunities more accessible to families in the community.
Our history
Hamster Endurance Runs started in 2013 with a simple idea: bring people together to run big miles, have fun, and give back to the community.
In 2018, Kelly Krieger passed the torch to Gretchen Walla, who continued building Hamster into a welcoming, supportive, and loopy event that many runners have come to love.
Beginning in 2027, Trailkind Endurance will carry that tradition forward.
The goal is not to reinvent Hamster, but to preserve what makes this race special while keeping it a place where every runner feels welcome, supported, and celebrated.
Whether you are an experienced ultrarunner, a first-timer, or someone who loves running in circles, you are welcome at Lake Padden.
Big miles. Good people. Endless loops.
Run Long. Be Kind.
The course
32hrs
24hrs
12hrs
6hrs
The race is a set of loops around the scenic 2.6-mile loop at Lake Padden in Bellingham, Washington. Runners choose 6, 12, 24 or 32 hours of running or walking. The wide, non-technical gravel trail winds through Pacific Northwest forests. The start/finish area doubles as an aid station.
Location
Bellingham, WA, USA Open in Google Maps
City insight: Bellingham
Bellingham is a city and the county seat of Whatcom County in northwestern Washington, lying about 21 miles south of the Canada–United States border between Vancouver and Seattle. It is the site of Western Washington University and is the northernmost city in the contiguous United States with more than 90,000 residents. The marine climate brings mild, wet winters and cool, dry summers, so late spring through early autumn is the best time to race.
Know from the athletes
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