Miwok 100k Race Info

Date

5/4/2019

Location

Stinson Beach, CA (Bay Area)

Avg Temps f.

72/48

Gain/Loss in ft

11,800/11,800

ft/mile gain

190

Highest Elev.

~1800 ft

Start

5:00am

Surface

Fire Road and Single Track Trail

Time Limit

15.5 hours

Sunrise/set

6:10am

8:05pm

Furthest Aid

7.4 miles

Summary: Beautiful race starting and finishing in Stinson Beach, in the Marin Headlands, on many of the same trails as The North Face 50 and other popular trail races throughout the year, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond on a clear day. Nearly all of the course is fire roads and single track trail, with a lot of elevation change, and while a lot of the climbs are runnable, some feature stairs and by the second half of the race, you may be too worn out to keep running the runnable stuff. Really popular race with a lottery entry and a Western States and UTMB point qualifier race.

Lessons Learned from Race Reports

Cup-free race
Gels are not handed out aid aid stations because of trash issues, so bring your own
Poles are allowed but must be carried start to finish
Need a headlamp at the start because you’ll be running in the dark for about the first hour
Be ready for a really early morning with trying to get to Stinson Beach for the start at 5am
If you have crew, have them be aware that it’s a fair amount of driving around as well to get to the crew aid stations.
Weather can be all over the place, from hot and sunny to cold, foggy and wet. Bring the appropriate gear and be ready for any last minute change in weather
If it is warm, have a plan to carry plenty of water in the second half. A 20 ounce bottle likely won’t be enough.
Bring sunscreen. The course is fairly exposed so even if it’s not hot, you’ll still get sunburnt, and if it’s rainy, the exposure means you’re taking a lot of wind and rain in the face and ears!
Poison Oak and Bees are plentiful on the course, so be aware and bring Tecnu for your arms and legs immediately after the race
There is a “no pooping in the woods” policy (pee is ok), so use aid station bathrooms/porta potties
The race starts with a bottleneck climb up Dipsea Trail for about the first 2.5 miles, including stairs. Options are to go out hard to avoid it, go out normal and be frustrated with it, or sit back, relax, and save your legs and mental energy.
Be mindful of cutoffs, as they are not very forgiving – for a course with this much vert, 15.5 hours if a tight cutoff. Try and minimize time in aid stations.
Helpful to have a pacer for that final 13 miles, as you still have plenty of work to do!
If you get car sick, know that it’s a windy road to the start
Some sections of trail are very narrow
Be ready for out and back sections to where you’ll be passing the people ahead/behind you on some narrow trails
Good advice – 100k is like a mini-100 miler, so long enough for stuff to go wrong, but you don’t have to run overnight

Elevation

Total gain/loss: 11,800/11,800

Ft/mile gain: 190 ft/mile

Total climbs: 7 major, countless minor

3x 1300-1700 ft, 4x 500-1000 ft

Longest climb: ~1700 ft from miles ~31-38.5

Course map / Elevation profile

Aid stations

Total aid stations: 10

Furthest distance apart: 7.4 miles

Locations: Miles 2.8, 8.0, 13, 18.6, 26, 30.3, 35.5, 42.5, 49.2, 55.9, 62.2

What’s available: Water and Tailwind and other typical ultra aid station fare. NOTE: Because of trash issues and Park Service rules, they can’t hand out gels; runners can bring their own still.