Here are the letters from the Race Directors (BJ and Rich) in the order they were sent out (most recent at the top).
February 22, 2025 – RD letter #1
Congratulations on entering the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run! This is the first of a (hopefully) brief series of letters intended to help prepare you for the challenge of running 100 miles over some of Southern California’s most scenic and rugged trails. Over 250 experienced and passionate ultra-trail volunteers are committed to help you succeed in this amazing endeavor. For those who have run the race before, I’m sure you’ll agree that we have the best volunteer corps in the business. We are looking forward to showing off some of the finest scenery in Southern California and are very humbled and appreciative of your decision to run with us. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we look forward to trying to give you the very best race experience possible.
We are also very pleased to see that we have almost half the field who have opted to run in the Solo Division without the aid or support of a crew and pacers. Anyone who would like to change from or to Solo Division can do so up until June 1. Just email us with your preference to change.
If you haven’t already done so, please take time to thoroughly review the information on the race web site at: www.sandiego100.com. We’ve worked diligently to create a comprehensive site that includes detailed information/links to assist in your planning and preparations. Please pay attention to the internal cutoffs as they are slightly different than last year. After getting feedback from the runners and volunteers, we’ve tightened them up in the first half to allow folks more time to battle through the back half. Also, we have removed Penny Pines 1 and 2 as a crew and pacer switch station. Why? Because despite our pleading with runners last year, they abandoned their cars to pace their runners and created a parking nightmare. So pacers who start at Sweetwater will have to go all the way to Meadows. When you can’t see your crew after Noble Canyon, curse those 2024 runners who couldn’t follow the simple rules. 🙁 We will have the Runners Handbook up no later than mid-March with even more detailed information. We appreciate your patience.
In the meantime, if you don’t see something you need on the site , don’t hesitate to reach out to us and ask us questions. We are here to help and make your race experience the best it can be.
Below are some important early reminders:
1. Lodging (to include camping and RV space) is very limited in early June. It’s extremely important to make arrangements/reservations soon. There are camping and RV sites at Lake Cuyamaca and at the adjoining Chambers Park (east side of Lake Cuyamaca). Many of the cabins at Lake Cuyamaca are already reserved for race weekend volunteers but there may be still a few available to rent. Reservations for Lake Cuyamaca/Chambers can be arranged through the Lake Cuyamaca web site: www.lakecuyamaca.org.
2. Julian is 9 miles from Lake Cuyamaca and has several lodging options annotated on the Julian Chamber of Commerce web site. Many people also stay in Alpine which is about 30 minutes from the start and has all the amenities you could hope for including a fantastic brewery and a large casino. Also consider Mt Laguna Lodge and Paso Picacho and Green Valley California State Campgrounds.
3. A requirement for participation at SD 100 is working 6 hours of trail maintenance or volunteering at a race, community or charity event if trail maintenance is not possible. The time period for this volunteer service is from mid-June 2024 to May 31, 2025. If you reside in the greater San Diego area, we hope and expect you to accomplish your trail work on the SD 100 trails you’ll be running. The San Diego Trailfit web site (www.sdtrailfit.org) has information and signup dates. Those in Orange and North County SD can look at working at Daley Ranch which is looking for trail volunteers. It is the responsibility of all entrants to let the Race Directors know that you have completed the work by May 31, 2025. This is a requirement for participation and anyone who does not accomplish 6 hours of volunteer service will not be allowed to run the race. We don’t have a form for you to fill out. You simply send us an email to let us know you’ve done the volunteer work. You can also send pictures, as we really dig pictures. You are on your honor, but trail karma is a mutha, so no BS! You can also choose to donate $100 which goes to support SURF, Trailfit, Lake Cuyamaca and our volunteers in lieu of your personal service.
4. San Diego 100 offers a 50% refund for any entrant who withdraws by notifying the RD prior to April 15. There are no refunds after April 15 since after that date all funds are obligated and permits are finalized. There are no rollovers or transfer of race entrant fees.
5. In addition to the San Diego web site, the race has a Facebook Page (the Official San Diego 100) as well as an Instragram account which are linked on the San Diego 100 webpage. No vital information will be posted solely on social media, but there will be lots of fun nuggets going up on the various accounts, and we encourage you to log on and check it out sometime. Having said that, the primary method to disseminate race information is through your email address that you used to sign up on Ultrasignup. If you change your email address, please contact us with your new address, so as to continue to receive all Race Information Letters. Also, please periodically check the race web site homepage for updates. If you have any questions or concerns that are not addressed on the web site, feel free to contact us anytime at: sandiego100RD@gmail.com. You are responsible for any and all information in the e-mails sent to you, so please read them.
6. There will be a series of informal training runs and everyone is invited so please invite your friends and family if they want to join. If you run all five of these training runs, you will cover about 95 percent of the course. Both of us will be out at all the runs, running with you or working an aid station and/or the finish line. If you have any questions about the race, you will have a captive audience to answer any of your concerns, and we would love to meet those of you we don’t know already.
Each of the runs will be between 20 and 25 miles as outlined below. We will have an aid station at some point along the run which we will mark with orange ribbon in case you miss the bright orange jugs or gallons of water. These aid stations will have water and maybe some Tailwind or gels. There will be snacks and beverages at the end, adult and otherwise. Again, all are welcome to attend. You can expect the course to be lightly marked with ribbon at key turns, but you are highly advised to bring the GPX, a map and/or turn by turn directions with you. It will not be marked like it will be during the race with confidence markers – just key turns – so please don’t freak out if you go a while without seeing a ribbon. If there isn’t a marked intersection, there probably isn’t a ribbon, and we trust you to find your way. If you have any doubts, find someone to hook up with who knows the course.
Each of the runs will start at 7 AM with the exception of the night run (!!) with a little briefing by the RD’s about key turns and what to expect for your day. When the runs finish, of course, is up to you.
Training Run #1 – Saturday, March 7 – Start (Trout Pond) to Middle Peak
We will do the first 18ish miles of the race. The run will start at the Los Vaqueros trailhead, also known as Big Bend or Trout Pond, just south of Lake Cuyamaca as opposed to the Lake itself to save the parking fee. The run will quickly join the SD 100 course at about mile 1 and go around the lake, down behind Stonewall before going around its north face and up and over! The course then goes back to Trout Pond where you started for an aid station at about 12 miles before going up and over Middle Peak to 4 corners, where you will leave the course for a quick 1.5 mile run down Milk Ranch Road to Trout Pond and your car. Will you have the guts to go the whole 18 or stop when you smell the beer? Given last year it was 40 degrees and raining, the smart answer for most was adult beverage and heated car. Can you be tougher?
Training Run #2 – Sunday, March 30 – Sweetwater to Hammers Hideaway and back.
We will run from Sweetwater to Hammers Hideaway and back, about 20 miles. This is a part of the course, and the park, that many haven’t seen, and it is hard to incorporate into a loop, so we have to do it as an out and back. So on this run you go as far out and back as you like, though there will be an official turn around at Hammers, where there will be refreshments via an aid station. The Harvey Moore climb is a big one and good to see before race day. Post race refreshments will await you where you began at Sweetwater. Note that there is no reliable cell service at Sweetwater, so you will need cash to pay for your parking.
Training Run #3 – Saturday, April 19 – Penny Pines to Trout Pond/Los Vaqueros trailhead
A point to point run covering the last 20 or so miles to the finish. You will run on the PCT from Penny Pines to Sunrise. Don’t miss the turn to Sunrise or you will end up in Canada. From there you will work your way on the old course back to Trout Pond/Los Vaqueros trailhead with some beautiful meadow running. Again, you will be responsible for your own transportation, but we’ll have aid at Sunrise to help you on your way! Again, please feel free to put stuff out on Facebook about carpooling, or we will find you a ride back somehow. Please PLEASE don’t let the non-loop nature of the course keep you from participating. We will find a way to get you back where you belong. But we want everyone to be able to roughly feel what those last miles are like. It is a really fun rolling run, and doing it on fresh legs will give you the confidence you need on race day!
Training Run #4 – Sunday, April 27 – The Big One! – Trout Pond/Cuyamaca Peak/Sweetwater
An excellent test to see where you are at. This run is about 25 miles and designed as a point to point, but it is possible to loop it if you are in the mood for a really big day (see below). Otherwise, you will need to provide your own transportation from the finish (Sweetwater) to the start (Trout Pond), about 7 miles on Highway 79. Remember you will need cash to park at Sweetwater. Alternatively, you can close the loop on foot by traveling about 7 miles down West Side Trail to Paso Picacho and running the road or the Los Vaqueros route from there for roughly a 50k. But we are not marking it as a loop and if you choose to finish on foot, you are responsible for your own navigation. You can get aid from our finish line set up. Get on Facebook to find friends to help with rides. We haven’t ever left anyone stranded. Yet.
The course will start at the Los Vaqueros trailhead at Trout Pond and go up Milk Ranch Road, joining the course where run number 1 left off. From 4 corners you will go up Canejo to the Peak (yes the course goes all the way to the top!) and then traversing down through a series of lightly used trails, past the Airplane Monument where a training bomber crashed and they left the engine as a memorial, down to Green Valley where there is going to be a mid-run aid station. From there you will navigate to Pine Valley Trail and do a counter clockwise turn around some of Cuyamaca Rancho’s least used but prettiest trails. There will be at least 1 deep relatively unavoidable water crossing, so don’t wear your Sunday best. Once you SAFELY cross Highway 79, you will finish with the Harvey Moore climb and down to Sweetwater where we will have a finish line spread set up. The aid will be where the Green Valley aid station would be, about halfway, but don’t quote us.
Training Run #5 – Friday, May 16 – Penny Pines Loop -NIGHT RUN
The night run! Greg Bergeron first started an informal night training run and we stole, er appropriated, er borrowed the idea from him. Finish work in San Diego and drive on up for a great night with friends under the stars. Starting at 7 PM, we will all leave from Penny Pines and run from Penny 1 to Penny 2, which will be at night during the race for most of you! There will be an aid station at Red Tail Roost. This is a classic 20 miler where you will run from Penny Pines 1 through the meadows of the Lagunas hitting both the Meadows and Red Tail aid stations and then crossing Sunrise Highway over to the PCT with tremendous views where you will return to Penny Pines 2 and your cars. Make sure you don’t miss the well marked left turn to the PCT about a mile after Red Tail or the next stop is I-8 and Mexico. This entire run is on the course (miles roughly 60 to 80). There will be limited aid at Red Tail Roost, and no marking on the PCT. If you can’t stay on the PCT, you probably shouldn’t be out here.
So, that’s the schedule and the general lay out if you want a semi-supported run to see part of the course (or 5 semi-supported runs to see almost all of the course!). Just about the only part you won’t see if you do all 5 runs is the climb up Noble Canyon. If you get the chance, definitely check that sucker out on your own if you haven’t already.
A few notes on the training runs. We can’t really provide everyone transportation on the point to point runs. If you are relying on one of us, we may have to shuttle you and you may be hanging out a while. We encourage you to use our Facebook page and/or Twitter and/or Instagram to make arrangements with your fellow runners to figure out how you all get rides from the finish of the run to the start. If you have any questions about where to park or start or finish, please get in touch with us, and we will help you any way we can. Expect a charge to park at Sweetwater and remember to bring cash. Again, we will be on social media with more info and details for each of the runs as we get closer.
Now here comes the legal mumbo jumbo. These are self-supported runs to which you (and anyone who is interested whether in the race or not) are invited. While we will provide limited aid as outlined above, you must be self -sufficient on these runs and not count on anything we provide. We are only very lightly marking the course, and even then its just for confidence, so you should have the GPX, a copy of the map and turn by turn instructions to assist you. We will have a brief talk before everyone heads out about major turns to look out for, but you are on your own for navigation. If you are nervous about it, try to hook up with someone who has run the course before, or saddle yourself with one of the RD’s who should know how to get there. Theoretically. And please make sure you have arranged some kind of transportation from the finish to the start. We won’t leave anyone stranded, but we don’t have an official shuttle or anything either, so please reach out to your fellow runners and don’t be shy.
7. San Diego 100 is a cupless race, so you will need to bring your own cup and/or bottle for filling with drinks, soup, coffee, etc. at aid stations. For those who haven’t had to run a cupless race yet, several companies make nifty little foldable cups, many with a loop for attaching to a clip, that are lightweight, stand on their own, and can be used for both hot and cold drinks.
Finally, on behalf of our awesome volunteers, we wish you the very best of training along with your other race preparations! We’ll look forward to seeing you at the race and shaking your hand when you cross the finish line. Talk to you again in March. We will be in touch again to check in soon.
Happy Trails,
Bj and Rich