Julian, CA, United States · Saturday, October 17, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

The Peak 50k Race

17 days to go

50 km Distance

3,000 m Climbing

7.0 Grit · Hardcore

33.0787° N, 116.6020° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 60 m / km Mountain. Significant climbing. Steep sections will require power hiking.

Field size ~64 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

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

Typical conditions, October

Daytime high 25°C

Night low 13°C

Rainfall Dry — rain unlikely

Daylight 11 h 21 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for October — NASA POWER, grid elevation 584 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	50km	64	Kelsey Davis · 04:41:16	Melissa Anderson · 06:06:58
2024	50km	47	Tim Vail · 05:18:02	Caitlin Ziegert McCombs · 06:44:28
2023	50km	37	Benjamin Longuechaud · 06:20:24	Elizabeth Tenuto · 06:44:35
2022	50km	38	Robert Verhees · 05:46:25	Chloe Schulman · 07:42:39
2019	50km	63	James Goodrich · 05:16:46	Sheila Vibert · 06:31:17
2018	50km	62	Uldis Liepins · 05:45:27	Issy Nielson · 06:48:33

The field grew 36% between 2024 (47) and 2025 (64). 17% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50km) — 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 mountain course. Poles are highly recommended for the sustained climbs.

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 50 km of trail with 3,000 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 60 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 3,000 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Adidas

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

Salomon

Sense Ride 5

RunRepeat found the Salomon Sense Ride 5 to have immaculate lockdown and a smooth and stable ride, making it confident on moderate trails and steep downhills. I…

★★★★★ 4.5

Maurten

Gel 100

Hydrogel technology for 25g carbs per gel with minimal GI distress.

$3.5 ★★★★★ 4.7

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

Suunto

Vertical

Titanium GPS watch with solar charging, offline maps, and 140-hour GPS battery.

$630 ★★★★★ 4.5

All gear guides →

Overview

The Peak 50k Race in Julian, CA, offers a challenging 50k trail run with 3000 meters of elevation gain, making it a very hilly course at 60 meters of climb per kilometer. This race is set to run its 6th edition in October 2026, having been first held in 2018.

With 64 finishers in its latest running in 2025, The Peak 50k Race has a larger field than 66% of its 2662 peer 50k races. The course is described as mostly single-track trail, including a climb of Cuyamaca Peak.

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.