Angeles Crest Ultramarathon

Trail 100-miler in California with extreme elevation

July

Month

Kilometers

Runners

Single

Stage

Trail

Pt-to-Pt

Extreme

Elevation

About the Race

WHY RUN IT?

The Angeles Crest Ultramarathon is a 100-mile mountain race that takes place every year in California. It is one of the most prestigious events in the world. As such, it has become a popular way for people to test their endurance. Walk away from the Angeles Crest 100-miler with a sub-24 hour silver belt buckle and you’ll be in rare company. It’s hard enough to get into the race, with only 220 slots each year, then less than 20 percent of runners make the 24-hour goal. You’ll also be on your way to completing the “Western Slam” – four notoriously difficult 100-mile ultras in the Western US.

“It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse.”

- Ann Trason

The Angeles Crest course includes a short stint along the scenic Angeles Crest Highway, but it is mostly trail. Highlights include running through pine and Douglas fir forests, Mojave Desert landscapes, and the San Gabriel Valley. Race temperatures are usually high, but not quite as bad as the infamously sweltering Badwater 135. You might think of Los Angeles as flat, but the hills rise quickly as you venture east of the city, especially into Angeles National Forest. Portions of the course run along the beautiful Pacific Crest Trail, and any sections you miss, you can do on recovery hikes, if you don’t head straight to a mountain lake to chill.