Santa Cruz Trail Run

Santa Cruz Trail Run

The Santa Cruz Trail Run takes place at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton, CA on August 22, 2026. The event offers multiple trail distances and is limited to 330 entrants across all routes.

• 10K : 6.0 miles, 980 ft elevation gain
• Half Marathon : 13.5 miles, 2,625 ft elevation gain
• 30K : 18.2 miles, 3,250 ft elevation gain

Most of the courses run on moderately technical dirt trails and twisty single-track, with stretches of dirt fire road and a brief paved all-access trail. All routes include a half-mile ridge section across loose sand; the Half Marathon and 30K each cross the San Lorenzo River twice. Hiking or trekking poles are permitted.

Aid stations are placed roughly every 5–6 miles and provide a variety of foods and beverages such as energy gels, waffles, trail mix, salty snacks, Coke, water, and Skratch Labs hydration. Aid stations carry basic first aid items but no anti-inflammatory medicine. This is a cupless event; runners must carry their own bottles or reusable cups. Reusable cups and 500 ml soft flasks will be available for sale on site. Drop bag service is not available.

All races are chip timed using MyLaps and Race Director; disposable chips attach to the back of each bib. There is a six hour course time limit. Parking inside the park costs $10 with limited parking available along Highway 9. Dogs are not allowed in the park.

Awards include top-three overall trophies, finishers medals for all, a dead-last finisher award, and age-group medals including non-binary categories. Volunteers receive a race T-shirt, food, and credit toward future events. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.