Woodside Ramble Trail Run Course Guide

The 50K carries about 5,400 feet of gain over 31.2 miles, the most vertical of any Inside Trail Peninsula race, through the forested canyons of Huddart and Wunderlich County Parks. The organizers describe the hills as "long, and challenging," and an 8 hour cutoff at a mid-December date means shorter daylight to work with. It is a solid step up from the flatter East Bay ITR races, closer to a genuine mountain 50K.

The 50K climbs about 5,400 feet over 31.2 miles, the 35K about 3,600 feet over 23.1 miles, the Half Marathon about 2,600 feet over 13.2 miles, and the 10K about 1,100 feet over 6.2 miles. The climbing comes on moderately technical dirt trails and non-technical fire roads through the redwood canyons of Huddart Park, up onto the drier, chaparral-covered ridgeline near Wunderlich Park.

This is a cupless event, so carry your own bottle or reusable cup. Aid stations carry Gu Energy gels and chews, Stroop Waffles, trail mix, boiled potatoes with salt, PB&J, and Skratch Labs hydration mix. For a 50K with 5,400 feet of gain on an 8 hour clock, aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range. Mid-December on the Peninsula runs cool, so dial sodium toward the lower end unless the day runs unusually warm. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.

The 50K and 35K both carry an 8 hour time limit from their 8:00 AM start, with all runners off the course by 4:00 PM. Given the mid-December date, daylight runs out well before that cutoff, so plan for headlamp-ready gear if you are running toward the back of the 50K field.

The course runs through the forested slopes and steep, cool canyons of Huddart and Wunderlich County Parks on the San Francisco Peninsula, under towering second and third-generation redwoods along small streams and gullies. As you climb, the mixed evergreen forest gives way to drier chaparral and manzanita-covered ridgeline, including the renowned Crystal Springs and Skyline Trails, with long, challenging hills throughout.

It is a tougher first-ultra pick than Inside Trail's East Bay races. About 5,400 feet of gain over 31.2 miles for the 50K is real mountain-adjacent climbing, and the 8 hour cutoff on a short mid-December day leaves less margin than a summer race would. The 35K, with about 3,600 feet over 23.1 miles, is a gentler entry point into the same redwood terrain if you want the scenery without the full 50K commitment.