Monterey Ultra

Event overview

The Monterey Ultra 50 Miler is a trail ultramarathon held February 7, 2026 at Fort Ord National Monument and the Laguna Seca Recreation Area near Monterey, CA. The main distance is 50.7 miles with about 7,080 ft of elevation gain. The event is organized by Inside Trail Racing under a Bureau of Land Management permit. The field capacity for the 50M is 150 runners and the race has a 14.5 hour course time limit. Parking is available within the Laguna Seca Recreation Area.

Course and logistics

The course is a two-loop route (a 35-mile loop plus a 15-mile loop) that runs on a mix of fire roads and single-track, including deep sand, rocky and rooty sections. Courses are marked with colored surveyor ribbon about every 200 meters; turns are marked heavily and critical sections have laminated signs or flour arrows. Blue ribbons mark wrong-way trails. Aid stations are placed along the route and typically offer energy gels, chews, stroopwafels, sandwiches, fruit, salty snacks, soda, water and Skratch Hydration. This is a cupless event; runners must carry their own bottle or reusable cup and are encouraged to carry at least one 20 oz bottle. Drop bags are staged at Skyline and Laguna Seca aid stations (specific mile locations provided in course info). Crew access and pacer rules vary by aid station; several aid stations have no vehicular access. Timing and live aid-station tracking are provided (additional fee applies). Awards include trophies for top three overall, age-group medals, a finisher medal, and a custom hat for all 50M finishers. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.