Whatcom County's Ski to Sea relay marked its 51st running on Sunday, May 24, drawing a sold-out field of 500 registered groups across a multi-leg course stretching from the upper slopes of Mount Baker down through the county's road and waterway network to the finish line at Marine Park in Fairhaven. The event sold out faster than any previous year. With four-time defending winners Birch Equipment absent from this year's field, the title was genuinely up for grabs - and the day delivered a finish close enough to hold attention well into the afternoon.
How the Race Unfolded
Race organizers flagged early that reduced snowpack would shorten the cross-country ski leg - a logistical adjustment that likely compressed early splits across the field. By 7:46 a.m., Boomer's Drive-In (Bib #1) had passed the baton first from cross-country to downhill ski. Marr's Heating overtook them on the downhill leg, finishing first and carrying that lead through the run, road bike, and canoe portions of the relay.
Pacific North Sports tracked Marr's closely through most of the course. By the cyclocross-to-canoe changeover just before 11 a.m., Marr's held roughly a ten-minute advantage over last year's winning pace set by Birch Equipment - notable given the shortened ski leg. Pacific North Sports closed that gap through the water stages. At 1:18 p.m., Pacific North Sports overtook Marr's entering the sea kayak leg, setting up a tight finish on the water. Sea kayaker Ian Sawyer of Pacific North Sports crossed the line first at approximately 1:20 p.m., with Marr's finishing less than 30 seconds behind. The top ten groups had all crossed by 2:19 p.m.
One detail worth noting: group #46, THE REVENGERS, had a single member completing back-to-back legs - road bike directly into canoe. Seventeen groups received early release under the race's relay rules, and 13 of 18 car-free groups had completed the road bike leg by midday.
Road Closures and Spectator Access
The county's infrastructure felt the event's footprint. Organizers recommended avoiding the Mount Baker Highway east of Maple Falls, Riverside Park in Everson, Hovander Park, Zuanich Park, and most of downtown Fairhaven for anyone traveling by car. Increased bus service ran shuttles to the Fairhaven finish area throughout the day.
Spectators were welcomed at Hovander, Zuanich, and Marine Parks. Riverside Park, however, was closed to spectators entirely - flood recovery work is still ongoing there, a reminder that the county's event calendar operates alongside infrastructure pressures that don't pause for race day.
Coverage and Results
Live radio coverage ran on KGMI 790AM and 96.5FM from 7 to 9 a.m. with Joe Teehan and Dianna Hawryluk reporting from Mount Baker, followed by finish-line commentary from Allan Fee and Jason Upton from 1 to 3 p.m. Full group results are available through Ski to Sea's official web app. The My Bellingham Now team provided rolling updates throughout the day via radio, the website, and the My Bellingham Now app.
Pacific North Sports takes the 2026 title. The field is already watching to see who lines up next year - and whether Birch Equipment returns to reclaim what it held for four consecutive years.
