Monterey Ultra
Monterey, United States • 7 Feb 2026
Event overview
The Monterey Ultra 50 Miler is a trail ultramarathon held at Fort Ord National Monument and Laguna Seca Recreation Area near Monterey, California. The course distance is 50.7 miles with 7,080 ft of elevation gain. The route is made up of a 35-mile loop and a 15-mile loop. The event has a capacity of 150 runners for the 50M and a 14.5 hour time limit for the distance. Timing and live aid-station tracking are provided by a timing partner for an additional fee.
Course and logistics
Most of the course is on moderately technical dirt trails and on non-technical fire roads, with long climbs and sections of sand, rock, and roots. Courses are marked with colored surveyor ribbon placed about every 200 meters; blue ribbons indicate wrong-way trails. GPX and detailed turn-by-turn maps, aid station cutoffs, and elevation profiles are provided. Parking is available within the Laguna Seca Recreation Area adjacent to the start/finish area.
Aid, support, and rules
Aid stations offer a range of foods and drinks, including energy gels, stroopwafels, PB&J, potatoes, soda, water, Skratch Hydration mix, fruit, and basic first aid supplies (no anti-inflammatory medicine). Runners are strongly encouraged to carry at least one 20 oz bottle. This is a cupless event; runners must carry their own bottle or reusable cup (reusable cups available for purchase). Drop bags are available at Skyline (Mile 17.1 and Mile 39.1) and Laguna Seca (Mile 35.9). Pacers may join at the Laguna Seca aid station. Shirts, awards, and finisher items are specified in race materials. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.