Rio Del Lago 100 - September 11-12, 2010
Course Quicklinks
100 Mile Course
Time Limits
- 100 Mile: 30 hour time limit
- 50K: 12 hour time limit
Map
Elevation Profile
100 mile Course Description
Start to Cardiac Hill
The Rio Del Lago 100 miler starts at Cavitt School in Granite Bay and immediately goes within sight of Folsom Lake. You start on a rolling fire road and after several miles, will emerge onto a single-track trail. This varies from parts that are fairly flat, to rolling. None of the hills are major at this stage, but the accumulative effect is what you need to watch out for. Be very conservative on this part. You may have a hot, hot day ahead of you - hydration could be a key here even more than for most 100-mile races. You will go through aid stations at Twin Rocks (4.15), Horseshoe Bar (10.0) and Rattlesnake Bar (11.93). After Rattlesnake, there is a long section of some 9 miles before the next aid station at Maidu (21.24) there may be a self-service water-only stop a few miles after Rattlesnake aid station, but don't rely on ~ (unless it is guaranteed at the race briefing). Don't let yourself get behind on the hydration curve here, even though it will still be relatively early. About 2-3 miles before the Maidu aid station, you leave the Lake/River and start climbing gradually at first and then steeply up Cardiac Hill. Virtually all of this after the first portion is single track.
Cardiac to K-2
At the top of the hill you will run for several mils along a canal, which is relatively level, and then reach the Auburn Dam Overlook aid station at 22.74 miles, a major place for crews. You then drop down again along single track and then the fire road and join up with the Western States Trail (going backwards) and reach the next aid station at No Hands Bridge (26.68). This 3.94 mile section will be downhill, then rolling with one fairly steep, but short climb, then downhill and finally fairly level. Soon after this, you leave the Western States trail and take a little sojourn up K-2. Be prepared for this mother and fuel up in anticipation - it is essentially a firebreak with seven false summits. I would approach it on the basis that "you haven't got to the top until you've got to the top" - never anticipate the false area ahead of you as the top! Some parts of it are very steep, but it is nowhere near as long as say, the Westem States climb up Devils Thumb, the Angeles Crest one up to Mt. Wilson, or the Leadville climb up Hope Pass. It can be rather ferocious, however, particularly as things should be heating up by then. But you get it over with relatively quickly, as it is only 1.25-miles although you gain approximately 1,000 fee in elevation.
K-2 Out and Back to Auburn Dam Overlook
At the top, you go along fire roads across dry meadows to the Cool fire station, the next aid station (and famous for the start/finish of the Way Too Cool race). This is a little less than 4 miles away from No Hands Bridge. Then you are off on a pleasant 5% mile section (called the Olmstead Loop) through dry meadows and woods, some single track and some fire roads, pretty much a rolling hill section with a steep climb about 4.5, miles into it at Knickerbocker Hill (you gain 300 feet in 1/3 mile). At the top is an aid station with the same name, and then as a respite, a less hilly and short (1.59 mile) section along paved road back to the Cool FS aid station.
Past this you return to No Hands Bridge (40.35) by a different route (you would NOT want to run down K-2 on a 100 miler), much of it along the Western States trail. You follow the Western States trail awhile and then detour away from it to climb back up to the Auburn Dam Overlook aid station (this is just the backward direction of what you ran earlier) at 44.29 miles. Even though it is only 3.94 miles, hydrate well at No Hands and take at least two bottles. We see a fair number of wiped out "runners" coming up here even on the shorter 53.2 Sierra Nevada run held in conjunction with Rio Del Lago.
Auburn Dam Overlook Back to Cavitt School
You then follow the course back to the school where you started. Again, you visit aid stations at Maidu (45.7), down the steep, single track Cardiac Hill, the long stretch to the water-only self-serve aid station at the Power Plant (52.89), Rattlesnake Bar (55.09), Horseshoe Bar (57.02) and Twin Rocks (62.88). The big danger here is always hydration. It can be very hot in this area in September. Two bottles should be the ABSOLUTE minimum when you leave Maidu aid station for most runners, and that won't be enough in all likelihood. Also, the stretch from Horseshoe Bar to Twin Rocks will feel much more than the 5.8 miles that it actually is. I don't know why, but this can be a real tough section, probably because you've already done over 50 miles, it is single track on what can be at times an awkward and twisting trail on a lot of rolling hills, nothing big, but coming one after the other.
Cavitt School to Hazel Bluffs
After you drop back into the School (major aid station at 66.9), the remainder of the run (33 miles) is an out and-back section and will be much gentler than the first 67. It starts off along the levees for a short while and then detours onto single track rolling trails where you will criss-cross with the paved bike trail you must keep on the dirt trail (except for some short marked sections of bike trail). You will be doing this part in the dark and it will be much cooler by now. You will go past the Folsom Dam aid station (70 miles) and then down to the Negro Bar aid station (73 miles) by Lake Natomas. The single track continues to the Hazel Bluffs aid station (77.5). Most of this is flat or gently rolling with a few small climbs thrown in.
Hazel Bluffs to Finish Line
After the Bluffs you drop down and cross the American River Bridge on a paved trail by a road and then follow a bike trail around and under the bridge. You follow the bike trail along the Natomas Rowing center and soon you get back onto single-track trail on a smooth decomposed granite path - this is a new and attractive section by Lake Natomas. This stretch includes the most beautiful trail surface in the entire race, totally free of rocks and roots, etc., and several very scenic foot bridges. The nice part for you is that all along here through Willow Creek (80.8) aid station and to Mt. Lion Knoll (83.6) aid station, there are no real hills of any note. You turn around at Mt. Lion Knoll and retrace your steps back (again visiting the four aid stations at Willow Creek, Hazel Bluffs, Negro Bar and Folsom Dam) to the School and the welldeserved finish line. Besides a few climbs up the bluffs, it will be gentle until you leave Negro Bar aid station where you will soon face the last significant climb on the race - and it is only significant because you have already run 94.5 miles. Remember, if you make the final cutoff at Hazel Bluff (89.93 miles) and are a little late at the finish line, you will still be an official finisher.
Aid Stations
The aid station captains have many years of service at ultramarathon events and are professionals at their responsibilities. The aid stations are well stocked with fluids and a variety of foods. The fluids that are generally available are: water, Gatorade, and Coca-Cola. The night aid stations will also have soup, hot coffee and hot chocolate. The foods that are generally available are: salt replacement foods (saltines, pretzels, chips), energy bars, fruits (oranges, bananas, melons), potatoes, cookies, candies, etc. Several of the major aid stations will have sliced turkey and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In addition, many of the aid stations will have homemade baked goods.
Energy gels will not be available at the aid stations. You will receive enough gels in your goodie bag for the entire race. We do this so that you can carry the gels with you, and dispose of the wrappers at the aid stations. Please, do not throw them on the trails.
Drop Bags
(For 100 mile runners only.)
Run Management will provide transportation for drop bags to the locations specified on the Checkpoint Chart.
Drop bags must be securely tied, labeled clearly with the runner's name and entry number, and deposited at the appropriate collection stations established for each checkpoint on the Friday preceding the Race. Please do not use paper bags, shoe boxes, or anything made of paper-like products. These can get wet or tear easily. You should use distinctive plastic bags that you can easily identify.
If you feel that you will not return to Cavitt School (66.98 miles) by 6:30 PM, you should place a flashlight in your Auburn Dam Overlook drop bag, if you don't have a crew.
It is imperative that runners do not leave perishable items (bananas, fleshy fruits, etc.) in their drop bags. It is strongly recommended that warm clothing and an extra flashlight be placed in the drop bags that will be delivered to each of the night aid stations. Do NOT place glass bottles in your drop bags.
Due to the need for organization and "traffic" control at the aid station, drop bags may be retrieved only by the runners themselves or by an aid station volunteer. Crews will not be allowed in the drop bag areas.
The drop bags will be returned to Cavitt School as soon as the particular aid station closes. It is the responsibility of each runner to claim his drop bags. If you do not claim your own drop bags following the race we cannot guarantee that everything you left behind will be returned to you.