⏵ Course guide · Boise foothills ultra
Pulse Running's Bogus 50/50 sends the 50 Mile, 50K, and 27K fields out from the Fort Boise parking lot onto singletrack through the lower Boise Foothills, climbing toward the Sweet Connie/Eastside junction and out onto Dry Creek and Shingle Creek trail. I will walk you through the course and cutoffs first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a home-turf foothills ultra, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official race page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
All three distances start and finish at the Fort Boise parking lot and share the same lower Boise Foothills trail network, so the choice between them is really a choice of how much of that terrain, and how much climbing, you want to take on.
The 50 Mile winds from the lower foothills up to the Sweet Connie/Eastside junction, over to Dry Creek and Shingle Creek trail, and back, almost entirely on singletrack. With about 7,600 feet of gain and two hard cutoffs, this is the distance that asks the most of both your legs and your pacing discipline.
The 50K stays in the lower Boise Foothills on varying terrain and beautiful singletrack, with about 4,700 feet of gain and a single cutoff at mile 22. It is the same trail network as the 50 Mile without quite as much of it.
The 27K is an out and back on the 50 Mile and 50K courses, with about 2,300 feet of gain. It is a good option for spectator viewing and cheering, and a solid introduction to the same singletrack the longer distances cover.
The 50 Mile's mile 24 and mile 43.75 cutoffs are both stated as hard, meaning there is no discretion at the aid station if you arrive late. Build your pacing plan around clearing both with real margin, not right on the line.
A grade-adjusted pace target for the climbs toward Sweet Connie/Eastside junction and out onto Dry Creek and Shingle Creek gives you an honest number for what you can sustain across singletrack this technical, rather than a flat-ground pace that falls apart on the first real climb.
The first hard cutoff at mile 24 comes at just under half the 50 Mile distance. A finish-time projection built off your training and checked against both cutoffs, not just the finish, tells you early whether your morning pace is actually on track or whether you need to pick it up before Bogus Rd.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Late September mornings in the Boise foothills start cool at the 5 and 6 AM waves, then warm up quickly on exposed singletrack. This is a green race with no cups at aid stations, so hydration planning starts with what you carry, not what is handed to you.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the 50 Mile and 50K. Bring your own collapsible cup or bottle, since aid stations will not have disposable cups to hand you, and plan your refills accordingly rather than assuming you can grab and go.
Start toward 300 to 500 mg of sodium per liter in the cool morning hours, and push toward 500 to 700 mg per liter as the sun climbs over the exposed sections of trail later in the day. The lower foothills offer little shade, so heat management matters more than the modest elevation numbers suggest.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a warming Boise foothills 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 foothills climbing profile, and both hard cutoffs. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for the terrain, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The 50 Mile climbs about 7,600 feet on trails almost entirely singletrack, running from the lower foothills up toward the Sweet Connie/Eastside junction and out onto Dry Creek and Shingle Creek trail before returning to Fort Boise. Two hard cutoffs, mile 24 by 1 PM and mile 43.75 by 5 PM, mean there is no slack for a slow start. The 50K is the more approachable option at about 4,700 feet of gain with a single cutoff at mile 22.
The 50 Mile has roughly 7,600 feet of gain, the 50K about 4,700 feet, and the 27K about 2,300 feet. All three distances share the same lower Boise Foothills terrain, so the difference between them is mostly how many times you climb it, not a change in what the climbing feels like.
Late September in the Boise foothills usually runs cool at the 5 AM and 6 AM starts and can warm up fast once the sun is up over open, exposed singletrack. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the 50 Mile and 50K, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, leaning higher if the afternoon heats up. This is a green race with no cups at aid stations, so plan your own hydration vessel and build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The 50 Mile has two hard cutoffs: mile 24 at the Bogus Rd aid station by 1 PM, and mile 43.75 at the 8th Street/Motorcycle Parking aid station by 5 PM. The 50K has one hard cutoff at mile 22 by 2 PM. These are enforced as hard cutoffs, not suggestions, so build your pacing plan around hitting them with margin rather than exactly on time.
Nearly the entire course is singletrack through the lower Boise Foothills, including Dry Creek, Shingle Creek trail, and the Sweet Connie/Eastside junction on the 50 Mile route. The 50K runs a shorter loop through varying terrain in the same foothills, and the 27K is an out and back that shares the 50M/50K courses, which makes it a good spectator-friendly option and a solid intro to the terrain.
The 27K and 50K give newer trail runners a real taste of Boise foothills singletrack without the two hard cutoffs the 50 Mile carries. If you are eyeing the 50K as a first ultra, the mile 22 cutoff at 2 PM is generous relative to the roughly 4,700 feet of gain, but this is still a race on real singletrack with real climbing, not a flat rail-trail, so come with some vert in your training before you toe the line.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/bogus-50-50">The Bogus 50/50 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.