Miwok Archives

Race: Miwok 100k

Runner: Kyle Fulmer

Race Date: 05/06/2023

Location: Stinson Beach, CA

Results: 11:38, 35th place?

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/9024756197

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

The Trails
The Swag
The People

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Bolinas Ridge Trail is always so tough, but you’re running in redwoods, so it can’t be that bad!

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

5am start, and not much warning! And the 15:30 cutoff makes things exciting!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

Paced the early climbs well, unless you are going for top 20 or 25, then you can power the punchy climbs early. Otherwise the Cardiac 2 climb and Bolinas Ridge can chew you up.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

The Crux is Bolinas Ridge and the climb out of Randall…be mentally ready to grind!

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Practice the up down up down up down of the Ridge, always tough for me!

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Course marking is NOT overdone. Know generally where you are going!

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Just about the prettiest

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

I would say so, but it is also a runner’s course…can be fast!

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Its all about the people, old school race for ultra runners by ultra runners

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Usually lots of tough locals, doesn’t draw the legends consistently anymore, but 350+ people is a big fun field

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Sign up early! Sells out pretty fast. Rooms in Stinson and Bolinas are really hard to get and pretty pricey. Way better to stay out there than drive through Muir Woods for the 5am start!

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Roctane and Water for drinks, fruits and the usual plus GU Gels

Weather and typical race conditions

Sunny and warm my first two times, rained for 8 hours this time!

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

Leg sleeves to help ward off the poison oak? Sunscreen 🙂

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yeah, its awesome. You hit Muir Beach and Tennessee Valley a couple of times, and then Randall is great with 13 miles to go. Make a friend pace you in!

How’s the Swag?

Awesome. Great shirts usually, this year was a hoodie!

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

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.