⏵ Course guide · Anza-Borrego Desert
Second Wind Trail Running's Old West Trails Fest sends the 50K, marathon, and half marathon fields through some of the Anza-Borrego Desert's most scenic terrain, starting and finishing at Stagecoach Trails RV Resort. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a mild, welcoming spring desert day. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Second Wind Trail Running event 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 Stagecoach Trails RV Resort, running out through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park's trail network before turning back. The 50K and marathon share most of their route; the half marathon runs a shortened version.
The course threads through several named aid stations, Stage Coach Saddle, Blair Valley, and Plum Canyon among them, with 50K runners turning around at Blair Valley to return to Stage Coach Saddle while marathon and half marathon runners take a shortcut loop back. The route then follows the California Riding & Hiking Trail for a stretch before continuing on marked jeep road and trail.
Old West Trails Fest is built as a full weekend at Stagecoach Trails RV Resort & Campground, with camping, cabins, and hot showers available. The race itself is only about 2,500 feet of combined gain and loss on the 50K and marathon, and about 670 feet on the half marathon, numbers that put the emphasis on desert scenery over technical difficulty.
The race organizers are explicit that generous time allowances are built in to welcome runners who are newer to trail, and that the goal is to experience the desert's scenic beauty rather than chase an exact distance. That philosophy, paired with the modest elevation change, is why the event sees a steady stream of personal records each year.
With only about 2,500 feet of combined gain and loss, this course rewards steady, sustainable running over technical climbing skill, which makes it a strong venue for a personal record attempt.
Because the elevation change here is modest and spread across the full distance rather than concentrated in one big climb, a grade-adjusted pace target still helps, but your bigger lever is simply holding a sustainable, even effort across all 31 miles rather than managing one defining ascent.
March in the Anza-Borrego Desert brings some of the most comfortable conditions of the year, so this is a good course to run an honest pace test rather than manage heat. A finish time prediction built off similar terrain gives you a real target to chase, and mild conditions mean fewer surprises pulling you off that plan.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Overnight lows in the low 40s warming to daytime highs in the low 70s make this one of the more comfortable desert races on the calendar, but the dry air still adds up over 31 miles.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. With water-only stops between the main aid stations, carry enough carbohydrate to bridge those gaps rather than relying on aid station food alone.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners here. Even at mild temperatures, desert air pulls more moisture from you than you notice, so do not skip electrolytes just because the thermometer stays reasonable.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a mild March desert 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 desert course profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for a steady desert ultra, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
This is one of the friendlier desert ultras around. The 50K and marathon courses carry only about 2,500 feet of gain and loss combined, and the race organizers describe the distances as "welcoming and runner friendly" with generous time allowances built in for runners newer to trail. Many Old West finishers set personal records here, which tells you the terrain is more about desert scenery than technical difficulty.
The 50K and marathon courses both carry about 2,500 feet of combined gain and loss across the full distance, according to the official race description. The half marathon is considerably gentler, at about 670 feet of elevation change. None of these numbers suggest a mountain race; this is a desert course built for steady, sustainable running.
Early March in the Anza-Borrego Desert runs mild by desert standards, overnight lows in the low 40s and daytime highs in the low 70s, so dehydration risk is lower than a summer desert race but still real given the dry air. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range. The course passes through multiple aid stations, including water-only stops between the main ones, so plan your carb carrying between the fuller stations. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
Second Wind Trail Running builds generous time allowances into this event specifically to welcome runners newer to trail and to older runners, rather than publishing tight formal cutoffs on the main event page. Check the current runners handbook and aid station chart on the official race site for the exact time limits before you commit, since these can be adjusted year to year.
The course starts at Stagecoach Trails RV Resort and runs through some of the Anza-Borrego Desert's most diverse and pristine terrain, with aid stations at Stage Coach Saddle, Blair Valley, and Plum Canyon among others. Early March in the desert brings the most comfortable weather of the year here, overnight lows in the low 40s warming to daytime highs in the low 70s, with the desert displaying its spring wildflower and scenic best.
Yes, this is one of the more approachable first-ultra options in Southern California. About 2,500 feet of combined gain and loss, generous time allowances explicitly built for trail newcomers, a welcoming race culture, and mild March desert weather all point toward a good first-50K choice. The organizers note that many runners set personal records here, which is a strong signal for anyone chasing their first ultra finish rather than a technical mountain test.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/old-west-50k">The Old West 50K 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.