Horseshoe Lake Trail Run

Event details

The Horseshoe Lake Trail Run takes place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve in La Honda, CA. The event offers the following distances:

• 5 mi
• Half Marathon
• 30K
• Marathon
• 50K
• Kid's Run (6 years and younger, 50 yd dash) - free

Bib and shirt pick-up is available on race day at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve; participants are asked to arrive about 45 minutes before their event to receive bib and shirt. Parking is free. Drop bags are allowed at the Start/Finish for the 30K, Marathon, and 50K. To guarantee a shirt, register at least 10 business days before the event. All events have a 5-hour time limit.

Course, aid stations and rules

The course runs within Skyline Ridge, Long Ridge, and Russian Ridge Open Space Preserves and is mostly along the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Distances were measured with a Rolatape surveyor's wheel. Course marking uses colored ribbon roughly every 200 yards; polka-dot flagging indicates turns and blue ribbons mark wrong ways. If a runner does not see their flagging for 3-4 minutes, they are likely off course and should retrace their path.

Elevation gain and surface examples: the 5 mi has 960' gain (single track 66%, dirt road 34%), the Half Marathon has 1,800' gain (single track 57%, dirt road 43%), and the 30K has 2,760' gain (single track 58%, dirt road 42%). Aid stations are stocked every 5 to 6.5 miles with fruit, salty snacks, candy, water, and Skratch electrolyte drink; runners are advised to carry at least 20 oz of water between stations. The event is cupless; participants should bring their own fluid container. Headphone use is restricted to dirt road sections only. No dogs are allowed on the course or in the parking lot. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.