2026 Course Notes from the Race Director

We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks for this year's HOKA Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB! Ahead of this year's race, I wanted to send along a few notes on the course to help you feel prepared and confident for race weekend.

The information below covers a variety of course related topics that apply to all race distances. Additionally, I’ve included notes at the bottom that apply to your specific race.

1. Final course details are coming

• The race runs on the San Bernardino National Forest, and we are still waiting on final permit approval from the U.S. Forest Service.
• The posted routes are pending Forest Service approval. We expect any changes to be small, but sections may still change.
• We will email and post on social the moment routes are locked. Download the final version then, even if you have already loaded a route to your watch.
• Find your race

2. Semi-autonomy

UTMB World Series events run on semi-autonomy. Expect fewer aid stations, some farther apart, and more self-reliance between them than you may be used to.

• Carry enough fluids and food, plus the right weather gear, in between aid stations.
• In Big Bear, that means mountain terrain and high altitude.
• Check the aid station chart and pack for your longest stretch.
• See the Race Regulations for detail.

3. Markings, signage, and your watch

• Paying attention to signs at junctions is critical. Where your course splits from another distance, look for the sign for YOUR race and follow it. Do not assume the runner ahead of you is in your race.
• All courses are marked with bright orange ribbon and flags. Every distance uses the same markings.
• On sections you run in the dark, markings carry reflective tape: a tab on the ribbon itself and on the clothespin holding it to the branch.
• Watch for wrong way signs at larger intersections. Don't go that way.
• Course markings override your watch. We check the course in advance, but conditions change and markings may be adjusted on race day.
• Your watch may not match the posted distance exactly - this is not uncommon. Device settings, terrain, tree cover, and even weather all affect GPS.

4. Sharing the trail

• The courses overlap in places, so at times you will share trail with another distance. Give people room and be friendly.
• Uphill has the right of way.
• When passing, call out "on your left." When you hear it, please let the runner by.
• Expect company on the trail, especially early on. This is the UTMB World Series Americas Major, and a field this size is part of what that means. We use a staggered start to thin out the mass start and delay bottlenecks as the field reaches narrower trails. Be patient with each other and enjoy being part of a big event.

5. Cutoffs

• Aid station cutoffs will be later than the printed chart. We measure the gap between the first and last starter crossing the timing mat and push the cutoffs back by that amount. The chart is the earliest they could be, not the latest.
• Refer to the Aid Station Chart on your race page for cutoff times at each Aid Station and the Finish Line.

6. If you can't start

• Volunteer instead! Earn credits toward free race entry plus cool swag.
• Become a volunteer

100 Mile

• Leave Crab Flats Aid Station (Mile 8.4) with at least 1.5 liters of water. It's required for the 11-mile stretch to Camp Whittle.
• Cactus Flats crew location has been removed. No crew or pacers at Cactus Flats.
• Sugarloaf: be aware of cross traffic on the final 2 miles to the summit (~ Mile 72-76). It's a short section, and two-way traffic comes with a high alpine summit. Uphill runners have the right of way, so be patient and be kind.
• Front runners, after Bear Mountain (about mile 90): about half a mile after you leave the Bear Mountain aid station, once you're off the asphalt road and back on trail, there's roughly a mile where you'll come up on the 100K field early in their race, still running close together. Please share the trail here. We're letting the 100K runners know too. Thank you for your understanding.
• On Saturday you'll share parts of the course with runners from other distances, mostly after the Bear Mountain Aid Station.
• Finish: the final descent now comes down Going Green trail after the top of Snow Summit (previously Knickerbocker, 2N08 if you ran the race before).

100K

• Sugarloaf: be aware of cross traffic on the final 2 miles to the summit (~Mile 14-18). It's a short section, and two-way traffic comes with a high alpine summit. Uphill runners have the right of way, so be patient and be kind.
• Early in your race, on about a mile of trail near Bear Mountain, the leading 100 mile runners will come through while your field is still close together. Please share the trail and let these 100M lead runners by.
• New this year: based on last year's feedback, we've added a hydration station (called Grandview) between the Snow Summit and Bluff Lake aid stations. It may be self-serve.

50K

• New start time: 7:30 AM, moved from 8:00 AM for operational reasons
• Between the Snow Summit and Bluff Lake aid stations (~Miles 6.5-14), the course follows a forest service road: fast, runnable, and very scenic, with plenty of singletrack still on the rest of the route
• New this year: based on last year's feedback, we've added a hydration station (called Grandview) between the Snow Summit and Bluff Lake aid stations. It may be self-serve.

21K

• New start time: 9:00 AM, moved from 10:00 AM for operational reasons
• The actual distance of your race is about 13.5 miles
• There are 2 aid stations on your course
• You will share some trails with other distances

10K

• New start time: 12:00 PM, moved from 11:00 AM for operational reasons

See you in the mountains.

Susie Schmelzer, Race Director