Races

Leona Divide

CaliforniaApril

Lake Hughes. Leona Divide hundred k. PCT chaparral. Nine thousand five hundred feet above LA.

100 km+4,509 ft-5,315 ft20 hours2,796 ft to 5,663 fttech 5/10Checkpoints per race bookPCThigh desertWSER qualifierApril
Distance100 km
Gain+4,509 ft
Loss-5,315 ft
Altitude2,796 ft to 5,663 ft
Technicality5/10
Air40°F to 85°F
Gradient profileDistance variant from parent course
  • Start4,213 ft
  • High5,663 ft
  • Low2,796 ft
  • Finish3,406 ft

Field, 2026 · 8-year samplescraped

Starters86
Finish rate74%
Median16:22
Sub-2464

Geometryderived

Steepest drop951 ft-8.3% over 2.2 mi
Night miles17 misunset near 19:00 local

Course records

Men8:40:34Christopher Wehan2019 scraped
Women11:55:48Allison Powell2022 scraped

The cruxAgua Dulce cutoff at mile 20 (near mile 40)

Course DNA

The Course

Leona Divide runs 100 km through California. +4,509 ft gain and -5,315 ft loss. Surfaces skew 95% trail / 5% dirt road. Agua Dulce cutoff at mile 20. High point near 5,663 ft. Low near 2,796 ft. April temps run 40°F to 85°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 31.

The Work

Train for 4,509 feet of climbing across 100 km. Back-to-back long runs on trail. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 20 hours total means limited margin: rehearse fueling every 45 to 60 minutes and downhill eccentric work weekly. Technicality 5/10. Build a block that simulates the crux near mile 40.

Kit

April in California: plan for 40°F to 85°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 20 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 16. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 95% 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. Agua Dulce cutoff at mile 20 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

Leona Divide finish lines.

Leona Divide

100KLake Hughes

Sources (3)

Leona Divide