PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

The Bulldog Ultra

Name: Bulldog Ultra Trail Race 2023 - SoCalTrail's 25k & 50K in Malibu Creek State Park
Uploaded: 2023-08-25
Description: Course links singletrack and fire roads in the Santa Monica Mountains. The 50km completes two laps of the same section, while the 25km ends after one lap. The start is at Malibu Creek State Park. The

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Calabasas
US

Race date Aug expected: August 2027
City · Distance: Calabasas · 50km
Entry fee: $203From the 2026 edition
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date August 2027 · expected · Soon

2026Date Aug 15, 2026 · Entry fee $185 · Start 07:00

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 12, 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.

Course links singletrack and fire roads in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The 50km completes two laps of the same section, while the 25km ends after one lap.

The start is at Malibu Creek State Park.

The 25km course has 2,783 feet of elevation gain.

The organisers say 2026 will be the event's 34th year.

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: 1

Chris ‘Tarzan’ ClemensRan in 2012 · Finish time 5:28:54

“All in all it was a great day and I’m glad I did it.”

Chris “Tarzan” Clemens tested fitness after hiking the Appalachian Trail at the Bulldog Ultra 50km. Alternating walking and running through second-lap heat and late cramps brought a finish in 5 hours 28 minutes 54 seconds.

Read the original on Chris ‘Tarzan’ Clemens

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.

Bulldog Ultra Trail Race 2023 - SoCalTrail's 25k & 50K in Malibu Creek State Park

J6 Flips

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

Ultra

Entry cost $203

50k Ultra Trail · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

25k Trail

Entry cost $185

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 50km

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

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00

START

Calabasas, CA

Start · Google Maps

The 50km starts at 7am and the 25km at 8am.

Both races pass aid station in sequence: Bulldog Lateral at 3.9 miles, Top of Bulldog at 6.3 miles, Top of Puerco at 9.9 miles and Tapia at 12.5 miles.

The 25km finishes at 14.8 miles, after 2,783 feet of climbing.

The 50km runners begin their second lap at 14.7 miles.

There is a toilet and drop-bag point here, and pacer joins the course.

They then pass Bulldog Lateral at 18.7 miles, Top of Bulldog at 21 miles, Top of Puerco at 24.6 miles and Tapia at 27.3 miles, finishing at 29.4 miles.

The organisers warn that temperatures in the canyon sections can exceed 100°F and that the climbs are long and steep.

Course offers views of the ocean.

The 50km race offers $3,500 in prize money: $1,000 for first, $500 for second and $250 for third.

The 25km winner receives $500 for breaking the course record.

This is the third race in the Bulldog Challenge Series.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

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

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startMalibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302
Transit cardLA Metro's TAP card covers the greater LA area, and riders can also tap a contactless bank card or phone…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Malibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302

No rail/transit station nearby; car access only. Access via 101 Fwy exit Las Virgenes Rd south.

Confirmed directly from official race site (socaltrail.events)

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start — Malibu Creek State Park base camp (50k starts 7:00am, 25k starts 8:00am)

Finish co-located with start/base camp.

Map

Transit card

LA Metro's TAP card covers the greater LA area, and riders can also tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet (Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover/JCB/UnionPay) directly at TAP validators for the same fare with a two-hour transfer window, no TAP card purchase required. The race venue in Malibu Creek State Park is well outside Metro's rail/bus reach, so car access is needed for the trailhead itself.

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 2026 race takes place on Saturday, August 15.

The 50km starts at 7:00 AM, the 25km at 8:00 AM, and course closes at 4:00 PM.

The parking lot opens at 5:00 AM, and registration and check-in begin at 5:30 AM.

The race venue is Malibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California.

Free parking is available along Las Virgenes and Mulholland roads.

Time limit are based on the time runners leave aid station.

The cut-offs are 11:00 AM at 14.7 miles, 12:15 PM at 18.7 miles, 1:30 PM at 21 miles, 2:45 PM at 24.6 miles, 3:15 PM at 27.3 miles, and 4:00 PM at the finish.

Runners who have not exited aid station by the cut-off cannot continue.

This is a cupless race.

Entry fee cost $203 for the 50km and $185 for the 25km;

including taxes and fees, the totals are $219.69 and $200.52, respectively.

Online registration closes at 11:59 PM (PT) on August 14.

Times are local to Calabasas. 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.

Good Nite Inn - Calabasas

Motel · 4.9km

7.9/10(1902)

View on Booking.com

Los Angeles Echo Park Lake Swan Boat Rental

$14

The Bulldog Ultra

About The Bulldog Ultra — 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