About This Race
The 5K serves as an introduction to Black Mountain's technical demands, condensing the park's challenging character into a shorter but still demanding effort. New trail runners or those returning from time away will find this distance provides a solid workout while allowing them to focus on navigation and technique. Despite the shorter mileage, the course maintains the event's technical reputation through carefully selected trail sections.
All distances start and finish at Black Mountain Community Park, with routes diverging based on distance selection. The half marathon tackles the most challenging terrain, featuring significant climbing on technical singletrack trails that demand careful footwork and sustained effort. The shorter distances utilize less technical but still challenging groomed dirt trails, offering substantial climbing while remaining more accessible to developing trail runners.
Elevation Profile
Elevation profile estimated from terrain data. Actual course may differ.
The course gains 194 ft over 3 miles, with the steepest section between mile 0–mile 0.
Location
Practical Info
SAN - San Diego International Airport
Best For
Notable Features
This race serves as an ERS Championship Qualifier and is deliberately scheduled as a post-Thanksgiving tradition, combining holiday recovery with serious trail running. The event maintains exclusivity with a 300-runner cap, ensuring it sells out while preserving the trail experience. The technical nature of the half marathon course, described as the most challenging in the series, attracts competitive runners while the shorter distances provide stepping stones for developing trail runners.