Races
Kodiak Ultra Marathons
Big Bear high country in one hundred kilometers. Sugarloaf once. Holcomb Valley. Altitude from the gun.
100 km+7,477 ft-7,478 ft19 hours6,800 ft to 9,896 fttech 6/10Checkpoints per race bookSan Bernardino MountainsUTMB IndexWSER qualifierOctober
Distance100 km
Gain+7,477 ft
Loss-7,478 ft
Altitude6,800 ft to 9,896 ft
Technicality6/10
Air35°F to 85°F
- Start6,801 ft
- High9,896 ft
- Low6,800 ft
- Finish6,800 ft
Geometryderived
Steepest drop958 ft-6.9% over 2.6 mi
Night miles23 misunset near 17:00 local
Time over 8k ft24%
The cruxSingle Sugarloaf crossing on a nineteen-hour clock (near mile 40)
Course DNA
The Course
Kodiak Ultra Marathons runs 100 km through Big Bear Lake, California. +7,477 ft gain and -7,478 ft loss. Surfaces skew 75% trail / 20% jeep / 5% paved. Single Sugarloaf crossing on a nineteen-hour clock. High point near 9,896 ft. Low near 6,800 ft. October temps run 35°F to 85°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 31.
The Work
Train for 7,477 feet of climbing across 100 km. Back-to-back long runs on trail. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 19 hours total means limited margin: rehearse fueling every 45 to 60 minutes and downhill eccentric work weekly. Technicality 6/10. Build a block that simulates the crux near mile 40.
Kit
October in Big Bear Lake, California: plan for 35°F to 85°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 19 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 16. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 75% trail: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 31.
Race Day
Hold effort through mile 16. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 31. Single Sugarloaf crossing on a nineteen-hour clock near mile 40 is where time is won or lost. Walk the steep pinches. Run the flats and gentle downhills. Crew at major aids: socks, calories, ice if hot. Transitions under 5 minutes when possible. Final third is 21 miles of fatigue management. Finish with reserve for the last descent.
Results
Kodiak Ultra Marathons finish lines.
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