About This Event
California's natural beauty takes center stage at this exclusive trail race nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley at Rancho San Fernando Rey. Runners explore preserved landscapes previously closed to the public, traversing a pristine 30,000-acre private ranch that features mountains, pastures, cliffs, vineyards, and olive groves in their original state. The courses wind through terrain that has been the ancestral home of the Chumash Tribe for thousands of years, offering an authentic glimpse into vintage California. At the property's center sits Loma Alta Mountain at 2,758 feet, providing stunning views of Cachuma Lake and surrounding valleys, while the Santa Ynez River runs through the landscape dotted with endemic Blue Oak Trees and California's state rock, serpentine. This one-of-a-kind race experience offers runners over 100 miles of roads and trails to explore, with the start/finish line and expo housed in a rustic cattle ranch barn surrounded by oak trees. The event provides an exclusive opportunity to experience quintessential California ranch country in a setting that combines natural preservation with trail running adventure.
Choose Your Distance
25K
The 25K distance offers a taste of the ranch's diverse terrain with more manageable elevation gain. This Running Stones 1 category race provides an accessible introduction to the property's natural beauty.
50K
The 50K route samples the full diversity of the ranch's terrain, though specific course details vary by year as organizers utilize different sections of the property. Expect a mix of ranch roads and singletrack trails through coastal live oak woodlands, exposed grassland ridges, and valley floor passages. The terrain is characteristically mixed—neither purely technical nor runnable—with sections that reward strong hiking as much as efficient running. Water stations are strategically placed but spaced to require carrying fluids between aid.