About This Event
The HOKA Kodiak Ultramarathons by UTMB brings the renowned UTMB experience to the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, offering runners a uniquely American interpretation of alpine trail racing. Set in the mountain town of Big Bear Lake just two hours from Los Angeles, this two-day festival combines the hospitality of a rustic mountain community with the challenge and prestige of UTMB World Series competition. The event showcases the diverse terrain of the San Bernardino National Forest, taking runners through three distinct climate zones: high desert, sub-alpine, and semi-arid environments. Each landscape presents its own character and challenge, from technical single track to sweeping vistas of Big Bear Lake. The courses wind through iconic Southern California terrain, including climbs to Sugarloaf Mountain and descents into Siberia Canyon. As the 2026 UTMB World Series Americas Major, Kodiak offers double Running Stones for UTMB World Series Finals qualification and serves as a dual qualifier for both UTMB and the Western States Endurance Run. The downtown Big Bear Lake start/finish creates a true festival atmosphere with local vendors, music, and community support, while the mountain setting provides the crisp alpine air and stunning lake views that define this distinctive addition to the UTMB World Series calendar.
Choose Your Distance
10K
The 10K offers a perfect entry point into mountain trail running, featuring the crisp alpine air and scenic beauty of Big Bear Lake with manageable elevation gain. This shorter distance allows runners to enjoy the festival atmosphere and mountain setting while experiencing quality single track terrain.
21K
The 21K course begins in Big Bear Lake village and works through terrain that showcases the San Bernardino Mountains' diversity. Runners navigate singletrack trails, fire roads, and technical sections that require attention to footing and line choice. The route's design emphasizes the natural features of the range rather than manufactured difficulty. The high-altitude start means runners begin at elevations where oxygen is noticeably thinner, a factor that affects pacing from the opening miles. Course markings follow UTMB standards, and aid stations are positioned according to World Series protocols.
50K
The course traverses the San Bernardino Mountains through terrain that ranges from maintained forest trail to exposed alpine sections. Runners encounter the full spectrum of high-altitude mountain challenges: rooted forest singletrack, rocky ridgeline, and the thin air that makes every climb more demanding. The route's mixed terrain requires variable pacing, with technical sections slowing progress and smoother fire roads offering chances to open up the stride.
100K
The route travels through the San Bernardino National Forest, linking trails that span the mountain range's climate zones. Expect transitions from high desert scrubland through mixed conifer forest to the more exposed alpine environment near Sugarloaf Mountain. The course combines singletrack trail with fire road sections, requiring comfort with both technical footing and sustained climbing over variable terrain.
100 miles
The 100-mile course navigates a point-to-point route through the San Bernardino National Forest, transitioning through multiple ecological zones as runners descend from alpine environments toward lower desert terrain. The mixed surface includes technical singletrack, fire roads, and brief paved sections, requiring runners to adapt their rhythm and effort across varied footing throughout the race. Aid station spacing and cutoff times are designed for runners capable of maintaining forward progress through both night periods, with crew access points allowing for gear changes and nutritional adjustments as conditions shift. The course's technical sections demand focus even in states of fatigue, while smoother stretches offer opportunities to bank time and settle into sustainable pacing for the hours ahead.