⏵ Course guide · Eastern Sierra high desert
The OTHTC High Desert Ultra sends its 50K field on a rolling loop through the Mojave high desert east of the Sierra Nevada, about 2,800 feet of gain and loss on jeep roads, singletrack, and sandy washes. I will walk you through the terrain and swinging desert weather, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for the 9-hour cutoff, with free calculators along the way.
These facts come from the official OTHTC race pages. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
The 50K runs a loop over jeep roads, singletrack, and sandy washes east of the Sierra Nevada, climbing and descending between a low point of 2,516 feet and a high point of 3,705 feet for about 2,800 feet of total gain.
The Over The Hill Track Club has run this event for years as a genuine community race rather than a large commercial production. The 2025 edition drew 74 50K finishers, 49 30K finishers, and 29 10K finishers, and every single one of them finished: zero DNFs across all three distances. That track record says the course and cutoffs are fair for a runner who shows up prepared.
A 2,800-foot elevation profile sounds moderate on paper, but the sandy wash sections of this course eat pace in a way a clean elevation chart does not capture. Expect your effort on flat, sandy stretches to feel closer to a gentle climb, and plan your splits accordingly rather than assuming flat means fast.
The 50K is supported by nine aid stations stocked with water, electrolyte drink, cola, cookies, bananas, pretzels, and Vaseline, spaced closely enough that you are rarely far from support. The newer 10K route traverses through the historic Goldbug mining area, a distinct piece of desert history layered into the shorter distance.
From a 7 AM start, the 50K has a 2:30 PM cutoff at mile 25 and a 4:00 PM finish cutoff, a 9-hour window. An optional 6 AM early start adds an extra hour for runners who want more buffer.
A grade-adjusted pace target handles the rolling 2,800 feet of climbing well, but remember the sandy wash sections will slow you beyond what the elevation profile predicts. Build in a slower average pace than a similar-vert course on firmer trail would suggest, especially through the middle miles.
The 2:30 PM cutoff at Gracie's, roughly mile 25, is the checkpoint that actually decides your race. A vert-aware finish prediction built off your training tells you whether you are on pace for that checkpoint specifically, not just the overall finish, so you can adjust effort with real miles left to fix it rather than discovering the gap too late.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
Early December in the Mojave means a cold start, around 30 degrees, warming to as much as 80 by mid-afternoon. Your fueling and hydration plan should shift as the day warms.
Aim for roughly 50 to 70 grams of carbohydrate per hour, on the higher end if the sandy sections are costing you more effort than you expected. Nine aid stations give you frequent access, so lean on smaller, more frequent intake rather than carrying a huge reserve.
Start conservatively in the cold morning, then push sodium toward 500 to 600 mg per liter as temperatures climb through the afternoon miles. Desert air dries you out faster than the temperature alone suggests, so do not wait until you feel hot to increase your intake.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a swinging high-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 rolling High Desert Ultra course profile, and a fueling rehearsal for the afternoon heat swing, so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
It is a grassroots high-desert ultra with real but manageable climbing, about 2,800 feet of gain and loss over the 50K loop on jeep roads, singletrack, and sandy washes east of the Sierra Nevada. The terrain rolls between a low point of 2,516 feet and a high point of 3,705 feet rather than featuring one big climb, and the sandy washes can slow your legs more than the elevation profile alone suggests. The 2025 edition had zero DNFs across all three distances, a sign the course and cutoffs are fair for a well-prepared field.
The 50K carries about 2,800 feet of total elevation gain and loss, with the course running between a low point of 2,516 feet and a high point of 3,705 feet. It is rolling desert terrain rather than a single sustained climb, so expect repeated shorter ups and downs on jeep roads and sandy washes rather than one defining ascent.
The 50K gives you 9 hours from a 7 AM start to a 4 PM finish, and early December desert temperatures can swing from around 30 degrees at the start to as warm as 80 by afternoon. Aim for roughly 50 to 70 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and plan sodium in the 400 to 600 mg per liter range given the dry desert air. Nine aid stations spaced across the loop give you frequent chances to top off, but Ibuprofen is not provided, so bring your own if you use it.
The 50K has a cutoff of 2:30 PM at Aid Station 8, Gracie's, around mile 25, and a final cutoff of 4:00 PM at the finish. From a 7 AM start that gives you 9 hours total, or 7.5 hours to reach mile 25. An optional 6 AM early start adds an extra hour of buffer for runners who want it.
The course runs over rolling high-desert terrain east of the Sierra Nevada near Ridgecrest, mixing jeep roads, singletrack, and sandy washes that can sap your pace even where the elevation profile looks flat. Early December weather in this part of the Mojave swings widely, from around 30 degrees at the 7 AM start to as warm as 80 by mid-afternoon, so layering matters more than most desert races.
It has real appeal for a first ultra: nine aid stations keep support frequent, the 9-hour cutoff is generous relative to the terrain, and the loop course means help is never too far away if something goes wrong. The rolling, non-technical desert terrain is more about pacing through sand and heat swings than navigating steep or technical trail, which makes it a reasonable step up for a runner who has done a road marathon and wants their first trail ultra.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/othtc-high-desert-ultra">The OTHTC High Desert Ultra course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/othtc-high-desert-ultra" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="OTHTC High Desert Ultra 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.
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