Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K - Elevation Profile, Aid Stations and Cutoffs
- Rancho San Fernando Rey, Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA
- 51.8 km
- 1,547 m D+
- 7 aid stations
Map, checkpoints and cutoffs Map · checkpoints · forecast opens Nov 5 Race-day forecast is live
Race-day conditions
Weather, daylight and your arrival time at all 9 checkpoints, set to the 07:00 start.
- Start
- 07:00
- Daylight at the start
- 06:31-16:56
- Aid stations
- 7
Course profile
Rancho San Fernando Rey, Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA
- Distance
- 51.8 km
- Elevation
- +1,547 m -1,547 m About 30 m of climb per km
- Highest point
- 796 m
Next edition Sat 14 Nov 2026 · 07:00
- Start
- Competitive finish UTMB Index 700 4h29 after the start
- Mid-pack finish UTMB Index 500 6h25 after the start
- Sunset 9h56 after the start
- Cutoff 10h after the start
Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K is a 51.8 km (about 32 miles) ultra-trail with around 1,547 m of elevation gain, starting in Rancho San Fernando Rey, Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA. The overall cutoff is 10 hours. That is 30 m of climbing per kilometre. Pacific Trails California by UTMB has 2 races, from 24.8 to 51.8 km; this one ranks 1 of 2 by distance and 1 of 2 by climbing per kilometre.
The biggest climb between checkpoints gains around 428 m from Red Rock (Hydration Station) (km 5.3) to Loma Alta (km 13). The steepest sustained section on the elevation profile averages about 10% over roughly 2.2 km around km 9. The published checkpoint list has no crew-access points - check the official runner guide for assistance rules.
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide.
Other distances at Pacific Trails California by UTMB
| Race | Distance | D+ | Cutoff | Next start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Trails 50K (this page) | 51.8 km | 1,547 m | 10h00 | Nov 14, 2026 |
| Pacific Trails 25K | 24.8 km | 667 m | 5h00 | Nov 15, 2026 |
Plan against the cutoffs
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Estimate your finish
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Course math
Four numbers worked out from this course's distance, elevation and checkpoints.
TrailMath effort-km
75 effort-km
About 6 h for a mid-pack finisher (index 500). Not a pacing guarantee.
Distance + gain ÷ 100 + loss ÷ 200, beside ITRA's gain-only km-effort. Model TM1.0.
How TrailMath works →UTMB Index category
50K
67 km-effort (distance + gain ÷ 100). Calculated from the course figures, not an official classification.
Estimate your UTMB Index → ITRA and UTMB indexes explainedBiggest climb section
+428 m
Red Rock (Hydration Station) → Loma Alta · km 5.3–13
The largest gain between two checkpoints, not one continuous climb.
Biggest descent section
−385 m
Santa Cruz (Water Only) → Cow Camp · km 26.1–34.3
The largest loss between two checkpoints. ITRA's km-effort ignores descent; TrailMath counts it: 75 km-effort.
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Race-ready pack
Too late to build a season. Not too late to race smarter.
With 16 days to go, training can still sharpen you, but most of what you can still gain is freshness. What changes your finish most now is your margin at each barrier, how you fuel each leg and how rested you arrive.
16 days to the startSat, Nov 14 · 07:00 PST
Pace and fuel, checkpoint by checkpoint
| Checkpoint | km | Barrier | You | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock5.3 km · +122 m | 5.3 | In the app | ||
| Loma Alta7.7 km · +428 m | 13 | In the app | ||
| Old Man Mountain7.3 km · +217 m | 20.3 | In the app | ||
| Santa Cruz5.8 km · +196 m | 26.1 | In the app | ||
| Cow Camp8.2 km · +224 m | 34.3 | Sat 13:30 | In the app | In the app |
| Boot Hill6.9 km · +171 m | 41.2 | In the app | ||
| Horse Canyon4.8 km · +81 m | 46 | In the app | ||
| Rancho San Fernando Rey5.8 km · +108 m | 51.8 | Sat 17:00 | In the app | In the app |
No crew access on course: what you carry has to last from one aid station to the next.
A barrier is a cut-off to clear, not a pace to aim for: race on effort, and expect the later legs to be slower.
Fuel by the hour, not by the kilometre - each leg is time between aid stations. Race on the fuel you trained with: nothing new this week.
Arrive fresh
- 3h01Rest of this week
- 5h17Week 2
- 3h36Race week
What the plan engine gives at 6 h/week: 2 sharpening weeks just under your current volume, then a lighter race week. The first bar is only the days left this week.
Your days, one by one
Your Pacific Trails 50K race plan
Your split to every barrier at your pace, your fuelling leg by leg, and your race week day by day. Pacific Trails 50K is already filled in.
Aid stations and checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Km | Cumulative gain (m) | Cumulative loss (m) | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start - Rancho San Fernando Rey Crew Drop bag | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Red Rock (Hydration Station) | 5.3 | 122 | 23 | - |
| Loma Alta | 13 | 550 | 184 | - |
| Old Man Mountain | 20.3 | 767 | 542 | - |
| Santa Cruz (Water Only) | 26.1 | 963 | 752 | - |
| Cow Camp | 34.3 | 1,187 | 1,137 | Sat 13:30 |
| Boot Hill (Water Only) | 41.2 | 1,358 | 1,329 | - |
| Horse Canyon | 46 | 1,439 | 1,393 | - |
| Rancho San Fernando Rey (Finish) Crew Drop bag | 51.8 | 1,547 | 1,547 | Sat 17:00 |
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide. Source: official race guide, verified October 29, 2026 - Official race website
FAQ
How much elevation gain does Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K have?
Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K has around 1,547 m of cumulative elevation gain and 1,547 m of loss over 51.8 km.
What is the cutoff time for Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K?
The overall Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K cutoff is 10 hours, with intermediate time barriers at major checkpoints.
How long is Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K?
Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K covers approximately 51.8 km (about 32 miles), starting in Rancho San Fernando Rey, Santa Ynez Valley, California, USA.
How many aid stations does Pacific Trails California by UTMB - 50K have and which allow crew?
The checkpoint table lists 7 major aid points between the start and the finish. Personal crew assistance is not part of the published checkpoint data - check the official runner guide.
Training for this race?
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