⏵ Course guide · East Bay trail race
Inside Trail Racing's Berkeley Trail Adventure runs through Tilden Regional Park and Wildcat Canyon, up to a 31-mile 50K with about 6,800 feet of gain, mixing shady oak forest with open bay views. I will walk you through the terrain first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for East Bay hills. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Inside Trail Racing event page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
The course runs through Tilden Regional Park and Wildcat Canyon, with the 50K covering 31.0 miles and about 6,800 feet of gain.
Tilden offers an abundance of coast live oak and eucalyptus trees, giving long shady stretches broken up by open, exposed sections. Those open sections are the payoff: views of the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and, on clear days, Mt. Tamalpais across the water.
Aid stations spaced every 5 to 7 miles stock fruit, potatoes, and other runner-friendly food and beverages, frequent enough that you do not need to carry a full race's worth of nutrition from the start.
With 6,800 feet of gain over 31.0 miles, roughly 220 feet per mile, the 50K rewards a controlled effort more than an aggressive one.
A grade-adjusted pace target built for Tilden and Wildcat Canyon's rolling profile gives you a realistic number for what is sustainable, rather than pacing off a flatter course you may have raced before. The 8.5 hour window is generous, so there is little reason to bank time early at the cost of blowing up on a later climb.
A race-time calculator built around your goal gives you a finish prediction you can check against the hard 5:00 PM off-course time, useful to confirm early that your pacing plan actually works rather than discovering it too late in the day.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
September in the East Bay hills can run warm, especially away from the bay breeze in Tilden and Wildcat Canyon's exposed sections.
Aim for roughly 45 to 75 grams of carbohydrate per hour, using the aid stations every 5 to 7 miles to stay consistent through the 50K distance rather than front-loading early.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners, leaning higher through the open, sun-exposed stretches away from the shaded oak and eucalyptus forest.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a warm East Bay day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact Tilden and Wildcat Canyon course profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for East Bay hill climbing, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
It is a solid but approachable East Bay 50K: 31.0 miles with about 6,800 feet of elevation gain through Tilden Regional Park and Wildcat Canyon. Inside Trail Racing markets this race as a great option for first-time trail runners at the shorter distances, and the 8.5 hour time limit for the 50K and 35K gives real room to work with.
The 50K carries about 6,800 feet of elevation gain over its 31.0 miles, a meaningful but not extreme vert-to-distance ratio, roughly 220 feet of climbing per mile. Tilden Regional Park mixes shady oak and eucalyptus forest with open, exposed sections that open up views of the bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, and, on clear days, Mt. Tamalpais.
A September race in the East Bay can run warm, especially in the exposed sections of Tilden and Wildcat Canyon away from the bay breeze. Aim for roughly 45 to 75 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the 50K, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, leaning higher if the day runs hot. Aid stations are spaced every 5 to 7 miles and stock fruit, potatoes, and other runner-friendly food, so use that access rather than carrying everything yourself. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The 50K and 35K both carry an 8.5 hour time limit, and every runner must be off the course by 5:00 PM regardless of start time. With the 50K and 35K both starting at 8:30 AM, that gives a full working day to finish, generous for the distance and elevation involved.
Expect shady trails through coast live oak and eucalyptus forest, broken up by open, exposed sections with views of the bay and, on clear days, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mt. Tamalpais. It is classic East Bay hills terrain: rolling, well-shaded in places, and genuinely scenic when the trail opens up.
Yes. Inside Trail Racing specifically calls this "a fabulous race for runners of all ages" and "a great one for those embarking on their first trail-running event." The generous 8.5 hour time limit, aid stations every 5 to 7 miles, and a 350-runner cap that keeps the field manageable all make this a reasonable choice for a first ultra distance in the East Bay.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/berkeley-trail-adventure">The Berkeley Trail Adventure course guide</a>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.