Walla Trails & Community

Eleven years ago I had the idea of recreating a night-time run like one I participated in Utah. No strings attached, bring your own aid station food to share, and run as much or as little as you'd like. It was a vital training run for my finish at Cascade Crest 100 in 2015. But how and where to recreate such an event with no zero money down? I called up Penny Blackburn - owner of @flying_horseshoe_ranch - who I worked with through the YMCA since 2006. With no hesitation, Penny said yes to hosting this zany idea at her ranch. Fast forward to this past weekend where we celebrated 10 years of Twilight 12 Hour // 9 years at the ranch. To celebrate and give thanks to 10 years of Twilight, runners donated $1800 to Penny but then turned around and surprised me with a plaque, cake, card, hat, and more. It was community appreciating community. A special shout out to: => @thatdjrunnerguy for bringing his DJ skillz to the aid station  => @wolfmotherworkshop for the beautiful plaque and keychains for 12 Hour finisher keychains => @emmie_on_trails // @deep_sea_ceramics for the mugs awarded to top runners => @silvaviator for showing up every year and surprising me with a cake => @wayoutther87 for the incredible album of photos that perfectly captured this year's magic => And to all the friends/volunteers who gave up a weekend to help runners with their loopy goals and then feed them copious amounts of pancakes, bacon, and coffee While this is officially Walla Trails and Community's last year, I'll find a way to keep the Twilight 12 Hour vibe alive. ✨♥️

Words are tough right now regarding the 10th year of Twilight 12 Hour (lack of sleep + emotional hangover), but @wayoutther87 did an amazing job capturing this special year. Check out Ben's album in the bio. Let's just say that the night-time running ranch magic was at an all time high. ✨♥️

WALLA WALLA 6 HOUR PHOTO ARE READY and @woodsy_tg did an incredible job capturing Walla Trails and Community's last year hosting this all women's event in Walla Walla. The energy from volunteers and partners was amazing on April 11.  A special shout out to the @wwsweetsrollerderby & @chadultraruns for bringing the fun at the aid station, @trail_sisters for the coveted hats, @wolfmotherworkshop for the beautiful medals, and to local partners @vitalwines @colvillestreet @visitwallawalla for their donations and support for the past 6 years. Walla Trails and Community/Gretchen Walla has the honor of sharing that Walla Walla 6 Hour will continue under local race director Shannon Hoehna with @runoregonevents - Shannon rearranged her spring break plans to help on race day, and showed she is the perfect person to take over.  Shannon knew many runners, volunteers, and local partners and was gracious with her conversations while still jumping into action on multiple fronts.   All and all, it could not have been a better day to transition Walla Walla 6 Hour to its new home.

The past few days were spent at Twilight 12 Hour headquarters - @flying_horseshoe_ranch - recovering from Walla Walla 6 Hour awesomeness and prepping for year 10 of the night-time shenanigans happening April 25-26.  I have never seen the Twilight course so rugged, full of wildlife, and hope. The property dealt with two fires last summer which affected a section of the course.  While hard to see at first, there is greenery sprouting up all over the burned area, and that's where I saw elk crossing. I look forward to recapping and sharing photos from Walla Walla 6 Hour, while also prepping runners for another memorable year at Flying Horseshoe Ranch.

We had an absolute blast partnering with @walla.trails for the sixth year of the Women’s 6-Hour Race, providing sustenance, supplies and good spirits to the incredible racers! #wallawalla #wallawallasweetsrollerderby #trailsisters

Between the rolling green hills, blooming trees, and prizes we have gathered from partners, we are excited for year 6 of the Walla Walla 6 Hour. Special shouts to: => @vitalwines => @snoqualmierunning => @trail_sisters => @colvillestreet => @visitwallawalla => @krissymoehl => @wolfmotherworkshop => @skratchlabs => @chadultraruns => Tamástslikt Cultural Institute Runners and volunteers, see you bright and early in the morning. It's going to be a special one.

One week before Walla & Walla reunite in Walla Walla to cheer on runners, reconnect with incredible volunteers, and celebrate our loopy creation c. 2019. ♥️🎉 📷: @woodsy_tg

Things got STRANGE at Aid Station 1/5 at @chuckanut50 this year! A huge thank you to friends who agreed to help 500+ runners dressed up as Eleven, Hellfire Club, and Demogorgons. Also, thank you to the HAM radio operators, @primebellingham medical team, and crew/spectators for putting up with our Strange shenanigans. We had a blast and particularly enjoyed not having to pack up wet gear from Aid 1 => Aid 5 this year. 🤪 Congrats to all the runners who toed the line and to @krissymoehl @406loving and @justemptyplates for another incredible race held in our beloved Bellingham. ❤️

Giving our favorite golden loop one last go... A week from today - Tuesday, March 24 - registration for The Golden 6 Hour will open.  It will be a low key event like Twilight 12 Hour - $45, potluck with fall favorites, tally your own loops, and a cool prize for the person who does the most amount of loops.  There will also be a prize for best Golden costume, and each runner and volunteer will receive a raffle to win a Golden 6 Hour hoodie.  Those should be out in the world, not in a storage room. Following 6 hours on top of Blewett Pass will be a post-race potluck at @flying_horseshoe_ranch , with Walla Trails providing the main dish (TBD).  Nothing fancy - just come eat and celebrate/cheers seven amazing years of getting loopy.  Not able to run the race but want to join the dinner?  Heck yeah - bring a dish to share and a donation for Penny, the owner of Flying Horseshoe Ranch.   If this event is cancelled due to smoke or snow (because either is possible), there are no refunds but 50% will be donated to Flying Horseshoe Ranch.  We owe a lot to Penny and her family - Walla Trails would not exist had Penny said no to Twilight 12 Hour 10 years ago. So mark your calendars for 🍂October 10🍂 for a larch party! 📷 1: @spr_photos2 2-4 @ryanthrower

UPDATES FOR WALLA TRAILS FINAL YEAR: => Walla Walla 6 Hour - all runners have been invited off the waitlist!  Make sure to check spam and either accept or decline the invite so we can accept any new registrations // about half way to our goal for @vitalwines fundraiser🙏 => Twilight 12 Hour - we have 57 on the waitlist with 10 waiting to accept an invite.  We will be removing those 10 this weekend if there's no decline or accept so check your spam and/or whatever email you use for Ultrasignup!  The goal is to get everyone in who is currently on the waitlist and possibly any last minute registrations in April  // also, DJ & hash brown station confirmed 🪩 => Hamster Endurance Runs - in previous years, each race had a cap but for the final year, we are letting people sign-up for whichever race they'd like until full.  WE HAVE TWO SPOTS TOTAL which would be a Hamster record if all distances filled up before April.  It's going to be a party at Padden 🎉 => Golden 6 Hour - we just got the greenlight to give this sweet little loop one last chance on October 10 so registration will open Tuesday, March 24.  It will be a low key, potluck, fall, all-the-things on top of Blewett and then at @flying_horseshoe_ranch because it's Walla Trails & Community's final event...and y'all, I need to unload those amazing hoodies! 🍂

Something top of mind is how Walla Trails and Community can help support communities who have hosted our events one last time. Regarding Walla Walla 6 Hour, there has always been a wine partner. Last year, we partnered with @vitalwines  - a non-profit that focuses on improving "equity in access to healthcare for vineyard workers and their families through education, advocacy, and direct services".  Healthcare is near and dear to heart because everyone deserves affordable healthcare, especially in such a wealthy country, yet it's a struggle for so many. Through the VITAL team, we learned that $1575 covers five vineyard workers with both exams and glasses.  As someone who does not have eye insurance and wears glasses, I know how valuable, pricey, and essential this healthcare cost is.  And as someone who enjoys a sip of quality Walla Walla wine, it's important to recognize that wine would not exist without the hard work of vineyard workers.  For anyone who has ever been involved with Walla Walla 6 Hour - runners, volunteers, friends, family, partners - join me/Walla Trails and Community in either making a donation and/or sharing this fundraiser to help essential workers in the Walla Walla wine and tourism community. Donation link in bio. 🫶 Cheers, Gretchen

Deep breath... 2026 marks Walla Trails and Community's final chapter. This is incredibly bittersweet news to share. It brings both heartache and relief.  Four events that I am very proud of - Walla Walla 6 Hour, Twilight 12 Hour, Hamster Endurance Runs, and Golden 6 Hour - will have one last hurrah under the Walla Trails name this coming year.   The heartache is in the form of not getting loopy with y'all and the surrounding communities on set dates.  Each event is very different in vibe and location and everyone has been incredibly cool and caring - volunteers, runners, rangers, etc.  But the relief of stepping back from racing directing along with other facets of owning a business is stronger. I know when I am burned out and what that could mean down the road.  A health scare in October gave me a solid yellow flag that I need to pay attention to. Walla Trails is in a good place and it feels right to end it on a high note. I share this news in advance because 1) I want to make sure those who have talked about doing Walla Trails events have the chance to do so, 2) those who have been long-time Walla Trails supporters, I hope to hug and thank you at some point in-person, and 3) I will be a free agent at the end of 2026.  I am excited to share my skills and passions in another realm and have trail running be my outlet, not my livelihood. Lastly, I/Walla Trails & COMMUNITY is not okay with what the administration is doing to our COMMUNITIES. More to say and share but for the moment, revisiting a quote I/Walla Trails & Community posted June 10, 2020: "A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social Web network. It's about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role." - Yehunda Berg 📷: @racheldemy // Twilight 2016 @woodsy_tg // Walla Walla 6 Hour 2024 @takaos001 // Hamster Endurance Runs 2021 @ryanthrower // Golden 6 Hour 2023