Pacific Trails California by UTMB

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Single loop on ranch roads, wagon tracks and singletrack, starting and finishing at the same point on Rancho San Fernando Rey.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Red Rock hydration station at mile 3.3, ahead of 1,403 ft of climbing on the way to Loma Alta
• Loma Alta, the 2,758-ft mountain at the center of the ranch, with its aid station at mile 8.1
• A water crossing near mile 14
• Cow Camp at mile 21.3, the only intermediate cutoff
• Steeper climbs around miles 15 and 23, where the guide says poles help

The route mainly follows historic ranching roads and wagon tracks, with singletrack down oak canyons and up to open ridgetops. The ranch mixes coastal sage scrub, live oak woodland and grassland, along with pastures, vineyards, olive groves, creek and river crossings, and serpentine rock. Some dirt roads may be shared with off-highway vehicles, and the guide discourages headphones there. Horses and cattle may be on or near the course, and runners are told to give them plenty of room. The ranch is closed outside race weekend, so the only way to scout is the Lagrion video preview recorded in October 2026. All distances are marked with blue ribbons.

The organizer describes mid-November in the valley as crisp mornings and warmer days, and warns that conditions can differ between Solvang, the ranch and higher ground. Rain is the known risk: an atmospheric river of over 13 inches canceled the 2025 race, in an amount the organizers said the ranch had not seen since 1965. Race management can delay the start, change the course or call a Hot or Cold Weather Kit, perhaps only days before the race, so bring both kits.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Pacific Trails is UTMB’s World Series event on California’s Central Coast, held on Rancho San Fernando Rey, a private ranch that had never hosted a public race. UTMB announced it in July 2025 as its ninth North American event, with Dillon Osleger as race director and 900 places planned across a 50K and a 25K. That first edition, set for November 22–23, 2025, was called off on November 18 after more than 13 inches of rain turned a dry creek bed into a river and blocked vehicle access to the course. No edition has been run yet, so there are no past winners or course records. The 50K carries 2 Running Stones for the UTMB World Series Finals lottery, and its top three men and women qualify automatically for OCC.

Preparing for a Race Like Pacific Trails California by UTMB

The fixed-distance race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.

Best Fit

• Runners collecting Running Stones, with 2 for the 50K and 3 for finishing both races in the 2-Day Challenge
• Fast runners chasing an automatic OCC place, which goes to the top three men and women
• Runners who want to see a private ranch that is otherwise closed to the public
• Runners moving up to a mountain 50K, with a 10-hour limit and one intermediate cutoff

Planning Notes

• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• Leave Cow Camp at mile 21.3 by 1:30 PM. A runner arriving after that time is dropped and loses the bib, and the organizer can add or change cutoffs.
• The race page calls the course point-to-point, but the runner guide gives a single start and finish, and the course GPX ends within a few meters of where it begins.
• The GPX on the race page was last updated August 14, 2025, and the chart warns that permitting may change the course. Follow the course markings, which take priority over GPX files.
• Mandatory for the 50K: phone, 15 cl personal cup, 1 liter of water capacity, safety blanket, whistle and food reserve. A missing item can mean disqualification.
• Older course material may use earlier station names: Old Man Mountain was Cow Camp, and today’s Cow Camp was Demesio.
• UTMB Live uses LiveTrail checkpoint splits, not GPS, and the guide warns of delays of up to two hours.

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Print a pace band for your goal time
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist