| Date
9/23/17 |
Avg Temps f.
50/76 |
Gain/Loss in ft
8852/8852 |
Furthest Aid
6 miles |
Highest Elev.
9,967 |
| Start
5am |
Surface
Trail, dirt road |
Time Limit
15 hours |
Sunrise/set
7:16am/7:23pm |
Longest Climb
3000ft/12 miles |
Summary: Only a few years old, the North Face 50 Utah is located 20 miles outside of Salt Lake City, and the race starts around ~7,000 feet and quickly climbs to 10,000 feet in the first 12 miles. The course takes place along the Wasatch Back, part of the Wasatch Mountain Range in the resort destination of Park City. Runners will be on a mix of double and single track trail, ski runs, mountain bike trails and various dirt access roads.
Race Details
Lessons Learned from Race Reports
- Headlamp or a flashlight are mandatory
- Beginning hill is during the cooler part of the day, so may not need tons of water, hence don’t carry too much water or nutrition weight on that first big climb
- First climb feels more runnable than it looks
- Race goes to singletrack fairly quickly, so keep that in mind if you’re a strong/weak climber in terms of where you’d like to be on the climb early on and how cool you are passing a lot or being passed
- After the first climb, some of the descents are steep and technical, but at least in the daylight
- Miles 15-17 allow for some faster miles due to terrain lightening up
- Crews/Pacers have to take a chairlift to the aid station at mile 21 via the Crescent Mine Lift (Spectators can pick up a discounted lift coupon, normally $24, at the Race Information booth redeemable at the Park City Mountain Resort Ticket Office.
- Miles 21-25 allow for faster downhill miles
- After mile 25 uphills start to be less runnable, especially mile 26-27, rocky and exposed
- Possibility of seeing wildlife is real, especially moose
- Mile 40 is the start of the last big ascent before reaching the last 5 mile downhill section, which is very runnable
- Later aid stations will have much more stuff than the earlier ones in the dark and/or cooler miles
Elevation
Total gain/loss: 8852/8852
Total climbs: 5 significant
1x 3000ft miles ~0-12.3
1x 500ft miles ~18.1-19.6
1x 600ft miles ~25.1-29.1
1x 800ft miles ~32-33.5
1x 900ft miles ~38.5-42.1
Longest climb: 1x 3000ft miles ~0-12.3
Steepest climb: 1x 800ft miles ~32-33.5
Map & Elevation Profile in the Course Guide
Aid stations
Total aid stations: 9
Furthest distance apart: 6 miles
Locations: Miles 4.2, 9.7, 15.6, 21.6, 27.2, 32.3, 37.8, 42, 45.3
What’s available: Typical salty and sweet ultra aid station fare, with eletrolytes from Skratch Labs
Crew access
Locations: Miles 21.6 and 45.3 (same for spectators)
Crew instructions/directions: See Course Guide
Pacers
Yes, after mile 21
Race qualifiers
UTMB – 4 points
Race reports
Strava activities and GPX files
https://www.strava.com/activities/411575260
https://www.strava.com/activities/400812420/overview
https://www.strava.com/activities/400870676
Race Website
https://www.thenorthface.com/get-outdoors/endurance-challenge/utah.html