Castro Valley, CA, United States · Saturday, September 26, 2026

Fixed Distance 50 mi

Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile

Race completed

80 km Distance

2,300 m Climbing

7.5 Grit · Hardcore

37.6941° N, 122.0863° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 29 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Field size ~90 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50mi) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, September

Daytime high 28°C

Night low 11°C

Rainfall Dry — rain unlikely

Daylight 12 h 03 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for September — NASA POWER, grid elevation 233 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	50mi	90	Kellen Scott · 07:43:53	Caitlin Boldt · 09:46:07
2024	50mi	75	James Scanlan · 07:34:31	Amanda O'Brien · 08:32:10
2023	50mi	98	Zachary Speno · 07:16:34	Katherine Song · 07:51:37
2022	50mi	96	Chikara Omine · 06:54:08	Amanda Wiggenhorn · 09:10:37
2021	50mi	81	Matt Ward · 08:17:45	Katy Pieri · 08:51:43
2019	50mi	80	Jonah Backstrom · 07:23:55	Kali Klotz-Brooks · 08:49:36
2018	50mi	95	Mark Klink · 08:49:23	Erika Hoagland · 09:14:28
2017	50mi	64	Alexander Kramer · 07:54:06	Devon Yanko · 08:23:38
2016	50mi	125	Selvin Henriquez · 07:39:54	Jennifer Pfeifer · 08:35:33
2015	50mi	186	Luke Neumann · 07:48:14	Amy Phillips · 08:13:10

The field grew 20% between 2024 (75) and 2025 (90). 33% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50mi) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

⛰️ terrain

This is a rolling course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.

By UltraHub Expert

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 80 km of trail with 2,300 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 29 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 80 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 2,300 m of ascent to walk up.
Headlamps 80 km almost certainly means running into the night.

Salomon

Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra to be perfect for midfoot and forefoot strikers, while iRunFar noted that the shoe feels incredibly effici…

★★★★★ 4.5

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

All-in-one calorie and electrolyte drink mix. 200 calories per serving.

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Komperdell

Carbon Ultralight Vario 4

4-section folding carbon poles with compact pack size for mandatory gear.

$160 ★★★★★ 4.5

Nitecore

UT32

Dual-beam trail running headlamp (1100 lumens) with spot and flood beams.

$100 ★★★★★ 4.5

All gear guides →

Overview

The Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile is a 50-mile trail race in Castro Valley, CA, with 2300 meters of elevation gain over its 80-kilometer course. This gives it 28.8 meters of climb per kilometer, placing it among the more challenging 50-mile races.

With 90 finishers in its latest edition, this race has a larger field than 71% of its 661 peer 50-mile races. The event, organized by Scena Performance, has been held 10 times, with the first edition in 2015 and the latest in 2025.

Similar races

Other 50 mi trail ultras, closest in distance first.