⏵ Course guide · Ogden Valley two-peak ultra
Run The Skyline sends its 55K field up two separate named peaks, Ben Lomond and Lewis Peak, along the South Skyline Trail above Ogden Valley, before a long downhill run home along the Pineview Reservoir shoreline to Eden Park. It is a genuine two-summit mountain race in a corner of Utah that gets a lot less attention than the Wasatch Front. I will walk you through the two climbs first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for back-to-back peak bagging. Free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official Run The Skyline race site, including its dedicated 55K course-overview page. Race logistics change year to year, so confirm the current specifics before you commit.
Starting near North Fork Park in Liberty, the course points directly uphill from the gun, in the shadow of Ben Lomond Peak, and does not let up until the second summit is bagged.
The opening stretch twists and turns up switchbacks for 6 miles before reaching the "saddle" where the course connects to the Skyline Trail and meets Aid Station 1. From there, 55K runners continue climbing to bag Ben Lomond Peak on a short but grueling out-and-back, then return to the same saddle, now Aid Station 2, for a fast, flat, downhill cruise to Aid Station 3 at North Ogden Divide.
From North Ogden Divide the course points back uphill onto the steep South Skyline Trail. Just 3 miles up sits Aid Station 4 at Lewis Peak Saddle, a section the race's own course notes call "rather brutal," though also one of the coolest ridgeline trails around. From there it is a second out-and-back, 2.5 beautiful miles to Lewis Peak and back, bagging your second summit of the day.
Once you are back at Lewis Peak Saddle (now Aid Station 5), the course delivers a long, fast downhill to Aid Station 6 at Windsurfers Beach. From there you follow the Pineview Reservoir shoreline northeast to Eden Park and the finish, past the Hearthside Reception Center, watching for a couple of road crossings and boat-ramp traffic along the way.
Bagging two named peaks in one race means you cannot treat the course as one long climb followed by one long descent. Each summit push demands its own effort management.
The 6-mile grind to Ben Lomond Saddle is your longest sustained climb, but the South Skyline Trail push to Lewis Peak Saddle is the one the course itself warns you about. A grade-adjusted pace target for both climbing sections helps you avoid spending everything on Ben Lomond only to find the "brutal" section still ahead.
Because both peak saddles serve as aid stations twice, once on the way up and once on the return, you get two honest checkpoints to compare against a race-time prediction. Check your Ben Lomond Saddle return time to gauge whether your pace plan for Lewis Peak needs adjusting before you commit to that second climb.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 5:00 AM start means beginning in the dark and cool, with the day heating up through the second climb up the exposed South Skyline Trail.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and lean on the frequent aid access, six stations total, including both peak saddles hit twice, to keep intake steady through both summit pushes rather than running low right before the harder second climb.
Sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range covers most runners, leaning toward the lower end for the cool, early Ben Lomond climb and higher once the sun is fully up over the exposed South Skyline Trail push to Lewis Peak.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a two-peak Ogden Valley 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 and this exact two-peak Ogden Valley profile. Summit Line reads your real training, builds the climbing legs both summits demand, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
This is a genuine two-peak mountain race. From North Fork Park the course climbs switchbacks for 6 miles to the Skyline Trail, then bags Ben Lomond Peak on a short but grueling out-and-back before dropping to North Ogden Divide. From there it climbs the steep South Skyline Trail to Lewis Peak Saddle and bags a second peak, Lewis Peak, on another out-and-back, before a long downhill run home along Pineview Reservoir to Eden Park. Two summit bags in one race is a demanding format, and the South Skyline Trail section in particular is described by the race itself as "rather brutal."
Starting near North Fork Park in Liberty, the course climbs directly uphill for 6 miles of switchbacks in the shadow of Ben Lomond Peak to reach the "saddle" and Aid Station 1. From there, 55K runners continue up to bag Ben Lomond Peak itself before returning to the same saddle (now Aid Station 2) and cruising downhill to Aid Station 3 at North Ogden Divide. The course then climbs the steep South Skyline Trail 3 miles to Lewis Peak Saddle (Aid Station 4), out-and-backs 2.5 miles to bag Lewis Peak, returns to the same saddle (Aid Station 5), and descends a long fast downhill to Aid Station 6 at Windsurfers Beach before following the Pineview Reservoir shoreline northeast to the finish at Eden Park.
A 5:00 AM start means starting in the dark and cool, with the day warming through the two peak climbs. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusting upward as the day heats up on the exposed South Skyline Trail section. With six aid stations along the course, including both peak saddles hit twice each, you have frequent chances to reset your intake rather than carrying huge reserves between stops. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
After the second out-and-back to Lewis Peak, the course delivers a long, fast downhill from the Lewis Peak Saddle to Windsurfers Beach on Pineview Reservoir. From there it is a scenic shoreline run northeast to the finish at Eden Park, past the Hearthside Reception Center, with two to three road crossings and boat-ramp traffic to watch for along the way.
Only with real climbing experience under your belt. Two named-peak out-and-backs and a South Skyline Trail section the race itself calls brutal make this a demanding course for a first ultra distance beyond marathon. If you have trained on steep, sustained climbs and want a genuinely scenic Wasatch course with real summits to show for it, this is a strong step up from the shorter Half or 30K options the same race weekend offers.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/run-the-skyline">The Run the Skyline course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/run-the-skyline" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="Run the Skyline 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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