⏵ Course guide · Southern California mountain race
The Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top climbs about 4,000 feet in just over 7 miles, straight from the Ski Lifts parking lot at 6,000 feet to the 10,064-foot summit of Mt. Baldy. I will walk you through what that sustained climb actually demands, then give you a pacing plan built for the 3-hour cutoff and the hike back down, with free calculators along the way.
These facts come from the official race website. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
This is not a course with sections to learn. It is one sustained climb from the Ski Lifts parking lot at 6,000 feet to the summit of Mt. Baldy at 10,064 feet, and the entire race plan comes down to pacing that single effort well.
Organized by the San Antonio Canyon Town Hall since long before most current trail races existed, the Run-to-the-Top has built a reputation as one of California's hardest and most storied mountain races. The 2026 edition is the 61st annual running, held every year on Labor Day.
Roughly 4,000 feet of gain over about 7 miles means the grade rarely lets up. There is no long flat or downhill stretch to recover your legs or your breathing, so most runners settle into a rhythm of running the moderate sections and hiking the steepest pitches, especially as the trail climbs above the tree line toward the exposed, rocky summit.
After you cross the finish line at the summit, you still have a 3.5 mile hike back down to the parking lot. The ski lift ride down is not included in registration, so plan for that descent as part of your total effort, not a bonus cooldown walk. Bring layers for the summit, since temperatures there run noticeably colder than the warm Labor Day air at the base.
The race starts at 8:00 AM and timing ends at 11:00 AM, a 3-hour window for the full climb. Course records sit around an hour, so most runners have real room, but the effort is more about sustainable climbing power than raw speed.
Because the entire race is uphill, a grade-adjusted pace target is far more useful here than a flat per-mile goal. Set an honest climbing effort for the steepest sections early, since going out too hard on the lower switchbacks is the most common way runners blow up before they reach tree line.
A finish-time projection built off your training and adjusted for a sustained 4,000-foot climb gives you a more honest number than any flat-race time you might bring in. Check that estimate against the 3-hour cutoff before race day so you know whether you are racing for a good time or racing to make the clock.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Most runners finish well inside the 3-hour cutoff, so this is a hard effort more than a long one, and fueling needs stay simple.
At an hour to two and a half hours of hard climbing, most runners do not need a detailed per-hour carbohydrate plan the way a longer ultra would demand. A gel or chews before the steepest sections, plus water from the four aid and water stations on course, covers most runners. Save the deeper fueling planning for races that run four hours or longer.
Labor Day heat at the base can leave you dehydrated before the real climbing even starts, so drink well in the hour before the race. Above tree line the air is cooler and drier, which can mask how much fluid you are losing, so do not skip the upper aid stations just because you feel cool.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan built for your weight and goal time 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 and this exact 4,000-foot Mt. Baldy climb, so race day is a pace you already know you can hold, not a guess.
It is one of California's hardest short mountain races. In just over 7 miles you climb roughly 4,000 feet from the Ski Lifts parking lot at 6,000 feet to the 10,064-foot summit of Mt. Baldy, almost entirely uphill. The men's course record is just over an hour, held by elite mountain runner Joseph Gray, and most finishers take considerably longer grinding up a sustained, relentless climb with no real flat sections to recover on.
About 4,000 feet, all of it packed into a bit over 7 miles from the 6,000-foot start at the Ski Lifts parking lot to the 10,064-foot summit. That works out to roughly 550 feet of climbing per mile on average, and the grade does not let up much along the way, so treat this as a sustained power-hike-to-run effort rather than a runnable trail race.
With a 3-hour cutoff and most finishers on course for well under that, this is closer to a hard climbing effort than a fueling-intensive ultra. A small amount of fast carbohydrate, one or two gels or chews, is usually enough for most runners, alongside water from the four aid and water stations on course. Save the detailed per-hour planning for longer races, and prioritize pacing the climb over managing calories here.
The race starts at 8:00 AM and timing ends at 11:00 AM, a 3-hour window for the whole 7+ mile climb. Late finishers are not guaranteed a finisher medal. Given the men's and women's course records sit around an hour to just over an hour, most runners have real room in that 3-hour window, but the sustained climb means pace estimates from flatter races will not translate directly.
The course follows a fire road and trail straight up the flank of Mt. Baldy through the Angeles National Forest, with almost no technical footing but constant, steady climbing. Labor Day weather at the base is usually warm, but temperatures drop noticeably as you gain elevation toward the exposed, rocky summit, so pack a layer for the top even if it is hot at the start. No poles or earbuds are allowed on course.
Yes, and this catches first-timers off guard. After you finish at the summit, you hike 3.5 miles back down to the parking lot yourself. The ski lift ride down is not included in registration, so budget time and energy for that descent as part of your day, not as an afterthought once the race clock stops.
Link this guide
Race directors and clubs: link or embed this guide anywhere. It stays current.
<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/mt-baldy-run-to-the-top">The Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/mt-baldy-run-to-the-top" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>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.
The timeline
Get the week-by-week countdown for this race: when to build, when to peak, when to taper.
One email with the timeline, plus training notes for this race. Unsubscribe any time.