PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Dick Collins Firetrails

Name: Dick Collins 50 Miler 10-12-2013
Uploaded: 2013-11-14
Description: This race carries on the tradition of Dick Collins Firetrails. Its history dates back to when Dick Collins was the race director, and a bench commemorating him stands at the camp below Skyline Gate n

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Castro Valley
US

Lights and freedom · CC BY-SA 4.0John at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Mercurywoodrose · CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date Sep expected: September 2027
City · Distance: Castro Valley · 100km
Entry fee: $135From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date September 2027 · expected · Soon

2026Date Sep 26, 2026 · Entry ~ Sep 25, 2026 · Entry fee $135 · Start 08:00

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 10, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This race carries on the tradition of Dick Collins Firetrails.

Its history dates back to when Dick Collins was the race director,

and a bench commemorating him stands at the camp below Skyline Gate near the 50-mile turnaround point.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

John Nguyen

“I ran a lot in the final 13 miles, and that felt awesome.”

At the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile, the runner faced steep hills and vomiting. Alternating running and walking over the final 13 miles helped restore some strength and reach the finish.

Read the original on Scofflaw Runner: Chasing Dreams...

John BurtonFinish time 8:23:33

“For some reason, the uphills felt easy and runnable.”

At the Dick Collins Firetrails 50-mile race, their legs felt heavy from the start, just 2 weeks after running Bear 100. They kept passing runners uphill and, despite fading late, finished 20th overall in 8 hours 23 minutes 33 seconds.

Read the original on Running John

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Dick Collins 50 Miler 10-12-2013

David Thull

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2026 edition

Marathon

Entry cost $135

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

100K

Entry cost $260

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

100K BA100 Bundle

Entry cost $582.25

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

50 Miler

Entry cost $235

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 100km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 05:15

Event	Start	Time limit
Ultra	05:15	16.5h
Marathon42.195km	08:00	12.5h

START

Lake Chabot Marina/Cove Picnic Area, 17936 Lake Chabot Rd, Castro Valley

Start · Google Maps

Cutoff
Bay Ridge 100K 16.5 hours (05:00 start) · Firetrails 50 15.5 hours (06:00 start) · Golden Hills Marathon 13.5 hours (07:00 start)

The race lineup includes the 100K, 100K BA100 Bundle, 50 Miler, and Marathon.

The race starts in Castro Valley, CA, at 8:00 AM local time.

Course is a point-to-point course with a different start and finish.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Event T-shirt 2026

This may change for the next edition.

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Bib can be collected at the starting area on race morning, and collection by family members or friends is permitted.
Both the 100K and 50M are UTMB points races.

Lake Chabot Regional Park, Castro Valley, CA

start location

Google Maps

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startLake Chabot Marina, Cove Picnic Area, 17936 Lake Chabot Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94546. Nearest BART: Castro…
Getting to the finishSame Lake Chabot Marina location — 100K and 50-Mile finish where they started.
Transit cardThe Bay Area's Clipper card covers BART, AC Transit and other regional systems reaching Castro Valley…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Lake Chabot Marina, Cove Picnic Area, 17936 Lake Chabot Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94546. Nearest BART: Castro Valley station, roughly 27-40 minute walk (per Moovit routing, not official race site); AC Transit bus lines 28 and 40 also serve the general area.

100K starts 5:00 AM, 50-Mile starts 6:00 AM, both from Lake Chabot Marina, stated plainly on the official race site (firetrailsultra.com). The separate Marathon distance is point-to-point starting in Tilden Regional Park.

Parking lot opens 5:00 AM, free. Shares its start/finish venue (Lake Chabot Marina) with Skyline 50k Endurance Run (132046).

Map

Getting to the finish

Same Lake Chabot Marina location — 100K and 50-Mile finish where they started.

Finish at Lake Chabot Marina, Castro Valley.

Map

Transit card

The Bay Area's Clipper card covers BART, AC Transit and other regional systems reaching Castro Valley station; as of BART's 2025 "Tap and Ride" rollout, riders can also tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet (Apple Pay/Google Pay) directly at the fare gates instead of buying a Clipper card. A minimum stored value of about $2.55 is required to enter a station with Clipper, and cards are sold at station vending machines.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The race takes place in Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley, with different start times and time limit for each distance.

The Bay Ridge 100K starts at 5:00 AM with a 16.5-hour time limit,

Firetrails 50 starts at 6:00 AM with 15.5 hours, and the Golden Hills Marathon starts at 7:00 AM with 13.5 hours.

Because of permit conditions and park closing times set by the East Bay Regional Park District, the time limit is enforced strictly.

The start elevation is approximately 73 m (240 ft), while the highest point on the course is approximately 558 m (1,830 ft).

The 2026 Firetrails 50 uses the 'Original course,' including sections used in earlier editions.

Times are local to Castro Valley. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hilton Garden Inn Oakland/San Leandro

Hotel · 4.2km

7.5/10(159)

View on Booking.com

Sausalito–San Francisco Ferry Ticket

$15

Dick Collins Firetrails

About Dick Collins Firetrails — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run