⏵ Course guide · PCT out-and-back, San Diego County
Second Wind Trail Running's Oriflamme 50K sends runners out on the Pacific Crest Trail, down more than 2,000 feet into the Anza-Borrego Desert, and back up a 5-plus mile climb through Oriflamme Canyon to finish at Sunrise Trailhead. I will walk you through the out-and-back course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for that defining second-half climb. 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.
The full 50K runs out and back from Sunrise Trailhead: north on the Pacific Crest Trail, down into the desert via Oriflamme Canyon, through Box Canyon to the Blair Valley turnaround, then back the exact same way.
The race opens on nice, rolling single track mostly along the Pacific Crest Trail, with great views of the desert below. This early section is where you build a rhythm before the course shifts character at the Mason Valley aid station.
From Mason Valley, the course shifts east and begins a roughly 2,000-foot descent into the desert, steep at times, reaching the desert floor after about 5 miles. From there you continue east on soft desert track before turning onto the California Riding & Hiking Trail, which hugs Box Canyon and the historic Old Mormon Trail up to Blair Valley and the turnaround, sandy and rocky underfoot, with desert flowers possible in bloom.
After the Blair Valley turnaround (water only, 11:00 AM cutoff), you retrace the same route: back through Box Canyon, across the desert floor, and then the climactic 5-plus mile climb back up Oriflamme Canyon to Mason Valley before rejoining the Pacific Crest Trail for the final rolling single track home. This return climb, arriving in the second half of the race, is what separates a good day here from a rough one.
Everything on this course points toward one moment: the 5-plus mile climb back up out of the desert. Pace the first half with that climb in mind, not against it.
The drop into the desert is fast and steep, and it is tempting to bank time there. Resist pushing too hard on the way down; the quads you save on that descent are the ones you need for the climb back up several hours later.
A grade-adjusted pace target for the Oriflamme Canyon ascent gives you an honest number for what you can sustain on tired legs late in the race, rather than assuming you can match your outbound pace on the way back up. Check your position against the 2:00 PM Mason Valley cutoff early enough on the climb to adjust if you are behind.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 7:00 AM start means the desert floor sections and the return climb hit during the warmest part of the morning, right when your fueling needs to hold steady.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and top off deliberately at the Mason Valley aid station before you turn into the Oriflamme Canyon climb, since it is a long stretch to the next fully stocked stop.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners, leaning toward the higher end through the Box Canyon and desert floor sections where there is little shade and April heat can build fast.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and an April desert climb 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 out-and-back climbing profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for a late-race desert climb, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
The defining feature is the climb back up, not the way out. You start at Sunrise Trailhead, run north on singletrack along the Pacific Crest Trail, then drop roughly 2,000 feet into the desert down Mason Valley Truck Trail before continuing on to the Blair Valley turnaround at mile 15.5. The return trip means climbing back up that same drop through Oriflamme Canyon, a 5-plus mile ascent that arrives well into the second half of the race when you are already tired. The 9 hour overall time limit is not overly tight, but that final climb is the real test.
The official course description centers on a single defining feature: a drop of more than 2,000 feet from Sunrise Trailhead down into the desert via Mason Valley Truck Trail, followed by a 5-plus mile climb back up through Oriflamme Canyon to return to the finish. Total elevation gain and loss figures beyond that single climb are not published on the official race page, so plan around that one big out-and-back drop and climb rather than a specific cumulative number.
April in the Anza-Borrego Desert can still run warm once the sun is fully up, and this out-and-back course puts you deepest in the desert, and furthest from the finish, right around the hottest part of the day. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, leaning higher on the exposed desert floor sections. Aid stations at Mason Valley and S2 are hit twice each on the out-and-back, giving you predictable refuel points, with a water-only stop at the Blair Valley turnaround. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
There are three checkpoints: you must reach the Blair Valley turnaround (around mile 15.5) by 11:00 AM, return to the Mason Valley aid station (around mile 26.0) by 2:00 PM, and finish by 4:00 PM, a 9 hour overall limit from the 7:00 AM start. An optional 6:00 AM early start is available if you want extra daylight margin.
The course opens with nice, rolling singletrack along the Pacific Crest Trail for the first 5.4 miles with desert views below, then shifts to a steep, sandy descent down Mason Valley Truck Trail into the desert floor. From there it is soft desert track and the California Riding & Hiking Trail through the historic Old Mormon Trail corridor and Box Canyon, sandy and rocky underfoot, up to the Blair Valley turnaround. Expect desert wildflowers if the timing lines up, and plan for April desert heat, especially on the exposed lower sections.
It can work for a well-prepared first-timer, but the defining climb, more than 2,000 feet over 5-plus miles back up Oriflamme Canyon arriving in the second half of the race, is a real test of climbing legs under fatigue. The 150 runner field cap keeps the event intimate, and the 9 hour cutoff with three interim checkpoints gives you clear markers to judge your pace against. If you have trained specifically for a sustained late-race climb, this is a reasonable first 50K; if your training has been mostly flat, expect that final ascent to humble you.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/oriflamme-50k">The Oriflamme 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.