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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

The Peak 50K, Marathon & Half Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Julian
US

Denis Barthel · CC BY-SA 4.0donald gomez, CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date in 2 days: Oct 17, 2026 Sat
City · Distance: Julian · 50km
Entry fee: $110Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenTBD ~ Thu, October 15, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 15, 2026

About the race 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.

Long climbs and leg-burning descents with stunning views.

Mostly singletrack with excellent scenery.

Climb the second-highest peak in San Diego County, Cuyamaca Peak.

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.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

Full recap

HighpointTrails - Cinematic Mountain Views · Full recap

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.

Marathon

Entry cost $110

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Half

Entry cost $100

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Ultra

Entry cost $155

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.

Runners start · local timeFrom 06:30

Event	Start
Ultra50km	06:30
Marathon42.195km	06:30
Half21.0975km	07:00

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

Milk Ranch Road, Julian, CA

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Lake Cuyamaca Recreation Area, 15027 CA-79, Julian, CA 92036

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
50K: 10 hours, marathon: 8.5 hours (4-hour midpoint cutoff), half marathon: 4.5 hours

Events consist of 50K, Marathon, and 1/2 Marathon.

Start is at Julian, CA at 6:00 AM local time.

The finish line is at Lake Cuyamaca Recreation Area, 15027 CA-79, Julian, CA 92036.

Typical race-season temperature: around 19°C (66°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

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 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

The Peak 50K/Marathon/half marathon in Julian; packet pickup information has not been published.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNone — no public transit serves this venue
Getting to the finishNone — same rural mountain venue as start
Transit cardNo dedicated transit card system; Julian, CA is a small rural mountain town in San Diego County's…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

None — no public transit serves this venue

Start/finish is at Milk Ranch Road at Highway 79, Julian, CA, near Lake Cuyamaca in San Diego County backcountry. 50K/Marathon start 6:00 AM, Half Marathon starts 7:00 AM.

Rural San Diego County mountain venue near Julian, no public transit — car access only. Confirmed exact date match: Oct 17, 2026.

Map

Getting to the finish

None — same rural mountain venue as start

Course climbs Cuyamaca Peak (San Diego County's second-highest point); finish is back at the Milk Ranch Road start area.

Map

Transit card

No dedicated transit card system; Julian, CA is a small rural mountain town in San Diego County's backcountry with no public transit. Car access only - a rental car is needed to reach The Peak 50K/Marathon/Half Marathon venue.

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 50K course has approximately 10,000 feet (approximately 3,000m) of total elevation gain and loss, requiring careful pacing.

After the first 6.5 miles gaining about 2,200 feet, the course drops 2,800 feet to Green Valley aid station in the first half.

Finish time cutoffs are set at 10 hours for 50K, 8.5 hours for Marathon (with 4-hour midpoint cutoff),

and 4.5 hours for half marathon, requiring careful pace planning by segment.

Times are local to Julian. 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.

San Diego｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at San Diego International Airport

$78

The Peak 50K, Marathon & Half Marathon

About The Peak 50K, Marathon & Half Marathon — 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