Here are the letters from the Race Directors (BJ and Rich) in the order they were sent out (most recent at the top).
April 24th, 2026 – SD 100 Update #4 (FINAL)
Hi all!
Well, this is it. The last communication you’ll get from us before race day. I know, don’t cry. There is a lot of important stuff in here, so take the 5 minutes to read it and increase your chances of finishing. Don’t be a Goofus. Let’s start with some small details, like . . .
Runner tracking: You will be issued your tracker at the start. This little guy uses cell signal and gps to track you all over the course. It must be placed towards the top of your pack or somewhere similar where our little pinging satellites can find you! If you carry bottles only or something, you’ll have to figure it out, but we promise its easy to find a spot for it. The trackers themselves are pretty small, but they are in waterproof bags that can be slightly bulky. Please plan accordingly.
From last year, the tracking was pretty good and trackers updated fairly regularly. But they aren’t perfect, and it could go a long period before pinging on occasion. We do have spots on our course where there are dead zones where the tracking might drop out. These are few and far between. But crews and spectators should not panic if their runner hasn’t updated in a bit. It may be a dead zone or a quirk of the tracker. Your crew and spectators can see on the site the last time it pinged, so if a runner hasn’t moved in a while, he or she probably hasn’t had a heart attack or been eaten by a mountain lion. Well if they were eaten by a mountain lion, you might actually get some really interesting tracking. Instead, check to see when the tracker last was read. And if it says 24 minutes or something similar, then probably they are moving along just fine. If you aren’t updating on the website, your crew contacting us to say the tracker isn’t updating is not helpful. We know. We have some tricks to bring it back to life, and we promise we are working on it and doing all we can to bring you back to life.
With all that being said, your families and friends can follow your adventures at https://www.geotracks.co.uk/live/5081. They can also check Ultralive.net and search for San Diego 100. Which is not live, but will show what aid station you were last at and when. That is extremely accurate but delayed and useless for finding you on course until you get into an aid station. But coupled with the tracking site, folks who care about you have quite a bit of info.
When you cross the finish line, and you WILL cross the finish line, we’ll trade you your finisher sweatshirt for your tracker. Don’t drive off with it and make us find you! Not that anyone will drop, but if that were to happen, that person would theoretically give their tracker and bib to the aid station captain.
Cell phones: We also recommend carrying your cell phone with you. Keep it on airplane mode, or off, and you won’t drain your battery. We have pretty decent coverage on most of the course as discussed above, so if you are having an emergency, there is an excellent chance that even if you don’t have reception, you will soon and we can find a way to help you. Texting will work better than calling.
For you and your crews, if you are having an issue like you are lost or injured or run out of water, etc., unless it is life or death, please try to contact the RD’s as opposed to 911. There is an excellent chance that we can help you, and we know these trails and roads better than most folks so can help come up with a strategy to get to you fast. We also have the rangers and Cal Fire on speed dial, so we can likely get you help as fast if not faster than 911 as it is an extremely rural area. Of course if it is life threatening, get on the emergency line!
Penny Pines drop bags: So, for Penny Pines, you will have ONE drop bag. Yes, just one. Once you are through Penny Pines 1, we walk it across the street to Penny Pines 2. We’ve had a few questions about this, so wanted to clarify. Please plan accordingly.
Bib pick up: You can get your bib (if you know the secret code word from the video) on Thursday afternoon as outlined in the briefing. However, you MUST CHECK IN RACE MORNING BY 5:30 AM EVEN IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIB. Don’t make us call you out on the start line for grabbing your bib early and not checking in. We will publicly humiliate you. And we’re good at it. We will be hanging around on Thursday if you have any questions for us, or just come up and introduce yourselves and say hi! We would love the chance to thank you in person for running with us.
MANDATORY CREW MEETING AFTER START: After the start, there is a brief mandatory crew meeting to go over all the dos and don’ts with crews and pacers, and this is where the parking permit will be issued. Your crew (or whoever is going to be issued the pass) MUST attend this meeting. Your crew will have plenty of time to attend the meeting, get breakfast, do Wordle, go for a jog, and STILL meet you! So don’t just scamper down the road, but wait a few and we’ll have a brief meeting to emphasize the rules. Crews are the number 1 threat to our permits, so there are strict rules with disqualification as a penalty for violations, and our permit requires these meetings. It will behoove your crews to attend. And to stress, you only get 1 parking pass, so you, as a runner, may not have multiple cars associated with you on the course. If you have a pacer separate from your crew, they must get dropped off by crew or someone else or park in a non-race area and travel by foot or in someone else’s car to meet you to pace you.
NO Pets: No animals (other than wild ones!) allowed on our course or at our aid stations, service dogs excepted of course. This is a condition of our permit and our insurance. This is one that has resulted in a disqualification. We love dogs, but they aren’t allowed on many of these trails, and it will be very hot on race day, so even if they were allowed, they would be very unhappy. Also, dogs can act weird with runner energy and cause issues. We have been witness to more than one dog bite at a running event. And no, your dog isn’t that special. If we are able to track your dog or your family’s dog or your friend’s dog to you and it is in an aid station or on a trail, YOU will be penalized. Having said that, we had good success at the start/finish line with having a dog area in the shade away from the start finish line, so that will be available in an absolute pinch if someone must bring your dog to watch you finish the race. But that is far away from the finish line so not very fun to whoever has dog duty. Again, it is a lousy, lousy idea to bring your dog. We love dogs, so please don’t make us be hardasses on this.
Last Chance to Get a DNS: Hmm, that’s kind of a weird heading, but what we’re getting at is that we head out to the mountains on Tuesday, and we don’t have access to awesome wi fi, printers, etc. which is what we need to make major changes to our roster. So, if you want to drop from the run and not get a DNS (not sure why this matters to some people, but it does), you must let us know by Monday at 5 PM. After that we will not be able to make official changes to our roster, so that’s it! Please keep that in mind as well for changes from crew to solo etc. After Monday at 5 PM, no changes at all will be allowed. Please plan accordingly.
Volunteer Work: If you haven’t already, please let us know that you have either volunteered or make your donation to SURF in lieu of volunteer time. If you have donated, we get a record so you do not have to let us know about that. Otherwise, let us know you have met this requirement by sending us an email and letting us know. You will not be allowed to start if you do not have this completed.
Going Backwards on the Course: Ok, not sure why we have to write this, but the last 2 years, it has been a trend that someone leaves Sweetwater, gets to the base of the Harvey Moore climb, and chickens out and goes backwards on our course. Let us be super clear on this. Going backwards on our course is a super super poor idea. Like starting a land war in Asia bad. There is an excellent chance that the aid station in which you would like to seek refuge will no longer be there. If you pass the sweeps on the way back, we guarantee the aid station will not be there. And you will be somewhere in the dark and cold with questionable cell service at best and no viable way to get to safety. You will also have 2 pissed off RD’s who will ban you from this race and ask that you be banned from any SURF affiliated race, a request that will very likely be honored.
So, if you get up to leave an aid station, you MUST go forward. Please be sure you are mentally and physically prepared to go forward when you check out. It’s OK to call it a day if it isn’t your day. It isn’t OK to jeopardize yourself and our permits by putting yourself in an untenable situation to assuage your ego. You have our phone number if you are injured and can’t move another step. We have other ways to get you off the course if necessary. Once you get behind the sweepers, no one knows where you are and you become a huge worry. The only way that happens, which has happened the last 2 years, is if you tell the sweepers to screw off and wander out of our tracking perimeter. Don’t do it.
Wild critters and plants: You have an excellent chance of seeing some cool wildlife while you are running. Many of you will see turkey and mule deer. Look down in the meadows especially. They aren’t super shy. If you are a bird watcher, there’s all kind of interesting endemic species and Mexican migrants. Heck, maybe even a roadrunner for those of you who like Bugs Bunny cartoons.
You may see some other animals. Lots of lizards, including the San Diego horned lizard which has seen a remarkable resurgence lately. A few will see coyotes and many more will hear them. A mountain lion? Very very highly unlikely. Those green eyes that people very occasionally see at night are any number of animals, including coyotes, bobcats, ringtail, racoons, possums, etc. but not mountain lions. Although . . .
We do have photographic evidence that there was one passively lying in the grass at a safe distance watching the runners last year outside of Sweetwater for a few minutes. Here kitty kitty! If you don’t like mountain lions and you are the 1 in 100,000 to see one, make yourself big and make a lot of noise. They will skedaddle.
Much more potentially dangerous is the occasional rattlesnake out there. Don’t screw with them. Go WAY around. They can strike up to at least twice their length if cornered and given the opportunity. They will very likely be long gone as they don’t like the sound and vibrations of runners. Most of them are very shy and don’t want a piece of you, so just give them a wide berth and you will be fine. Don’t poke them with your running stick or anything insanely stupid.
There shouldn’t be a ton of ticks around because it has been very dry lately, but there may be a few. Please check occasionally, especially after the section between Green Valley and Sweetwater. The Saddleback trail is pretty overgrown, so not a bad idea to check after you reach the water crossing.
Speaking of overgrown, there is some poison oak out there. Stay away from red/green leaf clusters . You should be able to identify poison oak. The worst of it is between Green Valley and Blue Ribbon and then again up Noble Canyon. If there is a water course around, even if dry, there is likely some poison oak around. It won’t bother you during the race, but you may have an uncomfortable plane ride home with a souvenir of your time with us. Please be cautious.
Weather: Long range forecasts show a mild Santa Ana the weekend of the race, with high temps in the mid 70’s. Sigh. Well, in the past, folks would have killed for that. We have generally observed that the long term forecasts for San Diego run a little behind, so there is a chance we won’t see that Santa Ana until Sunday or Monday, meaning mid-60’s for highs. Keep your fingers crossed. Lows will probably be in the mid-40’s with wind, especially on the PCT. You’ll definitely want another layer for your evening.
Having said all that, these are mountains (yes, we have mountains in San Diego County), and even more to the point, mountains on the edge of a desert, so things can change pretty rapidly one way or another. Please prepare accordingly. You can expect single digit humidity and temps feeling at least 10 degrees higher than they are during the day as well as constant winds between 10 to 20 mph, gusting higher. It will be very blustery especially on the PCT at night. Plan on drinking more than you usually do as the dry winds will suck the water right out of you. Our number 1 reason for DNF’s is dehydration from not staying on it early. Don’t be that runner.
Post Race Party: Saturday, May 9, is the post-race party where you can tell your war stories and thank your volunteers and buy them a beer. It is at Hopnonymous Brewery which is located at 7705 Convoy Court in Kearney Mesa. We’ll remind you of it after the race, because you probably won’t remember anyways. Wear your SD 100 swag, and your first beer is on us. Please don’t be shy about buying any volunteers a beer. They will have earned it.
OK, end of lecture! We are so ready to see everybody! As you go through your final preparations, please send us any questions you may have, AFTER making sure the answers aren’t in the briefing or racebook. Please remember, that despite all these rules and stern warnings, that we are genuinely excited to see you and can’t wait to welcome you as part of the San Diego 100 family. You will see what that means when you get on the course and get all the love from the most amazing crew of volunteers in the sport. You’re going to love it, and we are super pumped to hand you that buckle when you cross the line!!
See you suckers soon!
Bj and Rich
April 16th, 2026 – SD 100 Update #3
Race Briefing Video and Secret Word are Live
San Diego 100 | Pre-race Briefing 2026
Just to warn you, for most of it, we look all washed out and kind of like AI characters or something. Video production is not our strong suit. Anyhoo, this is mandatory viewing and has lots of great info for you to absorb. To make sure you have participated in this mandatory fun, we have placed a secret word in the video. It is also in writing on the screen, so you can’t miss it. You will not be given your bib unless you know the secret word, so make sure you write it down or something.
Look, is it great watching a briefing video? Not really. But we’ve tried to make it as fun as possible, and its only like 30 minutes or so. And its way better than most 100 milers that make you go out of your way to actually sit somewhere that morning or the night before and squirm uncomfortably as they introduce all 47 aid station captains or whatever. This way, when you have a half hour to kill, you can just get it out of the way. So watch it on 1.5 speed on the toilet or whatever and just get it done. And don’t forget to find the secret word! No word, no bib.
Oh, and it’s hosted on the Cliffs and Meadows YouTube channel, hosted by former marking and sweeping captain Brian Gonzales. What else is there? The course videos for every single important turn on the course that we’ve talked about before. Worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Get Your Volunteering Done
There are still a few of you slackers who haven’t gotten that info to us yet. Remember, 6 hours of volunteer work are required to run with us. Can be at an ultra, doing trailwork, or heck, even at a local soup kitchen or humane society. Or buy your way out using the link on our site, with the funds going to Trailfit to support trail maintenance on the trails we use for the race.
That’s about it for now. We’ll have one final update the weekend before the race or so with tracking information, weather outlook (sneak peek – a little toasty but not bad!), and any last-minute issues that pop up. Until then, rest up and get your calories in. We can’t wait to see you!!
Bj and Rich
RD’s, San Diego 100
March 26th, 2026 – SD 100 Update #3
HI all!
Just a quick check in to see how everyone is doing and a few notes as we are just about a month away . .
Last two training runs
So the granddaddy of training runs is this Saturday at 7 AM. If you can make only one run, this would be the one. Essentially tracing the course from Trout Pond to Sweetwater (you will climb directly up to the course on Milk Ranch Road as opposed to snaking your way up Middle Peak), this 24-mile monster is the crux of the course on race day. A giant climb, remote rugged trails, and what promises to be the hottest part of the day for most creates a MASH unit at Sweetwater for the unprepared. Don’t be one of those! Come check it out. We will have limited marking at all the turns and have water and a limited hike in aid roughly halfway at Green Valley. And there will be a BBQ after, hosted by San Diego Ultra Friends with sandwiches, snacks, and beverages, adult and otherwise. Everyone is welcome, so bring a crowd.
Please note that this is a one-way run. (You could make it a loop if you want to turn your day into a 50k). You’ll need to find transportation back to your car at the start after the run. Having said that, everyone always works together to make sure that there’s a way back, so don’t let the lack of a ride stop you from coming . Worst-case scenario, we’ll give you a ride after the picnic. But get on social media, don’t be shy about asking other runners for a lift to the start if you park at the finish, etc. If you do leave a car at Sweetwater, BRING CASH. The park charges $10 cash in the iron ranger to park there, and they do ticket.
We’ll save the pitch for the night run until our last email blast, but it’s pretty damn fun.
2026 Runner Manual and Briefing Video
The runner’s manual will be up no later than 4/1. We do not expect any significant changes this year from the 2025 manual, so if you are feeling like you gotta start reading now, go for it!! But the new manual will be up for April Fools (just in time), so try to hold out and just check it out then. It is mandatory reading.
Speaking of mandatory, we are also going to put up a mandatory briefing video around April 15. That’s so you don’t have to come out and watch us drone on and on about stuff and you can watch it on 1.5 scrub and get it over with. However, it is mandatory viewing. We put that up about 2 weeks before raceday to try to include any last-minute developments. We try to keep it relatively short and entertaining, and somewhere in it, we include a secret password that you need to pick up your bib. It can’t all be honor system. Speaking of which . . .
Volunteer Work
Get your notifications in to us that you’ve got your volunteer work done. If you’ve worked with Trailfit, we have you. If you’ve donated either to us or SURF directly, we have you. Everyone else, please don’t forget. It would really suck to walk up to the registration table on Friday morning and not get a bib.
Ok, that’s it for now! There are still spots available, so if you know of some other suckers, er, interested runners, get them on board. There will be one or two more from emails to us before it’s all said and done (sorry). Hope the training is going great, and hope to see you Saturday!
Bj and Rich
March 4th, 2026 – March update and training run info
Hi all!
Just wanted to touch base as we move into March and are only 2 months out!
TRAINING RUN INFO
We want to thank everyone who came out to the first training run! We had a beautiful day if it was a little slippery in spots on the trail. Hopefully everyone had fun out there. Training run #2, the out and back to Hammer’s Hideaway from Sweetwater is this Saturday at 7 AM and hope to see a lot of you out there. Please remember everyone is invited, so feel free to bring friends, family, etc. We will again do beverages and snacks after. There will be an aid station at the turn-around at about 8 miles. Also, please remember that there is a $10 park fee to park at Sweetwater. BRING CASH! As of our last visit, there is no way to pay remotely for a parking pass there – they have an iron ranger into which you drop your $10 and it is gone forever. They do ticket, so good idea not to chance it. Training runs 3 and 4 quickly follow later this month. See the first newsletter for details, but 3 and 4 are both point to point runs, so plan accordingly. Again, just please be aware that anytime you park at Sweetwater, you will need cash. We only make a big deal about it because who carries cash these days? Well, you apparently if you want to do these training runs!
PARKING/CAMPING AT THE LAKE
Secondly, we met with the lake folks last week. They host our start/finish and have been very good to us and we appreciate them being willing to host all of us crazies every year. However, they have a policy change this year. NO SLEEPING IN THE PARKING LOTS BEFORE THE RACE. Sorry. You will receive a ticket if you sleep in the lower parking lot before the race. We didn’t even realize it was happening frankly or would have discouraged that earlier. So you’ll have to find somewhere else to park your giant Sprinter van for the night. There is dispersed camping at places in the Laguna Mountains, though none in Cuyamaca State Park. You may park at the lot beginning at 4 AM on Friday, May 1.
Alternatively, because they love you guys, they are offering cheap camping and cabin spots just across the lake! https://www.lakecuyamaca.org/camping. We’ve attached a map of where the spots are relative to the start line. The race starts at South End. The race rents the Lakeview Cabins. With that being said, as you can see from the map, there are a few cabins for rent, and instead of the weeknight price being $250 and fri/sat nights being $275, all the cabins are listed as $200/night for all nights. Additionally, they reduced tent sites down to $25/night from $35/40 and rv sites down to $35 as opposed to the normal $45-55. That’s pretty damn cheap!
Reservations can be made at this website –https://www.campspot.com/book/lakecuyamaca.
If you want to take advantage of these deals, use the below codes:
SD100TENT
SD100RV
To use the promo codes, you will add the site(s) to the cart and proceed to checkout, at which point there will be boxes for both Promo code/discount code -Please be sure you are putting the code in the PROMO CODE box.
The reservation system generally ensures that Fri/Sat have to be booked together. If you want to reserve a Thursday/Friday block, they can make an exception, but you have to do that in person. Call the lake and ask for Scott – He works Mon-Thurs 8am-1pm. You can just book Thursday of course if you then want to drive over and park Friday anytime after 4 AM before the race. All runner vehicles must be cleared out of the lake parking lot no later than 6 PM on Saturday night.
Just as an additional note, to stress again what we said earlier about parking large vehicles: we don’t have room for them. If you have a giant truck/sprinter van or something similar, you will be asked to park in the lower lot or an auxiliary lot somewhere at the start/finish (even if you are solo) and, because parking is tight, likely take up spots for other runners. This is also true of the first two crew accessible aid stations where parking is tight as well. So to the extent you can, please bring a normal size car if at all possible. If you can’t, no worries of course. We’ll squeeze you in somewhere, but it may not be as convenient as can be for you and/or your crew.
Whew, that’s a lot of rules! Bleah. Writing about rules sucks almost as much as reading about them. Almost. Just do your best, support our friends at the lake, and ask us if you have any questions. We’ll be happy to work with you as much as possible.
2026 RACEBOOK
The 2026 Racebook should be up soon. We don’t expect any major changes from the 2025 Racebook, but we like to wait until we have our permits in hand in case there are any last minute changes. Given how permits work, that sometimes isn’t the case, depending on where we are in the park pecking order. In any case, if we don’t have final permits in hand by April 1, we will put the Racebook up anyways. Again, we don’t expect any major changes, and certainly no course changes, so you can use the 2025 book for 98% of your planning.
VOLUNTEER WORK
Please email us verifying your volunteer work if you haven’t done it yet. Again, no forms necessary. We work on the honor system. Just let us know it is done. We like pictures, but just because we like to see what you guys are up to. There was a great video last year that we loved if you start feeling creative. Or bored. If you’ve donated, we have a record of it, so you are all set and no need to let us know.
OK, that’s it for this time. Let us know if you have any questions! We appreciate all of you and are looking forward to seeing you in a few months!
Bj and Rich
RD’s, San Diego 100
Jan 27th, 2026 – 2026 San Diego 100 Update 1
2026 San Diego 100 Mile Entrants,
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 a significant portion of the field who have opted to run in the Solo Division without the aid or support of a crew and pacers.
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. 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:
- Lodging (to include camping and RV space) can be limited in late April/early May. 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. You can also find camping at Paso Picacho which is about a mile down the road from the start.
- 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 the USFS Campgrounds.
- 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 2025 to April 30, 2026. 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 April 30, 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.
- San Diego 100 offers a 50% refund for any entrant who withdraws by notifying the RD prior to March 15. There are no refunds after March 15 since after that date all funds are obligated and permits are finalized. There are no rollovers or transfer of race entrant fees.
- 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.
- 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.
They start early this year, so weather is going to be a crapshoot. Be ready for anything. We will update via social media and email if there is a cancellation due to snow or road closures by the park or state. So please check before coming out if the weather looks iffy. We will make the call no later than the night before.
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, registered runners or no. 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 run 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 – Sunday, February 22 – 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 it is usually 40 degrees and raining, the smart answer for most was adult beverage and heated car. Can you be tougher?
Training Run #2 – Saturday, March 7 – 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 – Sunday, March 15 – 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 – Saturday, March 28 – 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, April 10 – 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 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.
- 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. We will be in touch again to check in before too long.
Happy Trails,
Bj and Rich