Rothrock 25K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 324m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Start easy and control your HR up to the Shingletown Gap pass.
• Hold your race pace up to 22.8km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 22.8km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.3km–15.6km · Descent of 324m averaging 6%, high point 736m. Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Work · 15.6km–22.8km · Plus 2 more climbs. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Home · 22.8km–26.3km · Descent of 289m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1188m+. With 46m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 27% of the distance is uphill, 33% downhill and 39% flat. The longest climb runs 2.8km at an average 12.0% grade (332m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.9km at an average 5.0% grade (296m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 34.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 44.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 89% trail. Flat-equivalent effort: 43.8 FlatKM.

Summits

The course also passes close to Little Flat (738m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.1km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 15 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 8.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 22.8km.
• #1 · 2.8–8.2 km · 324 m D−, -6.0% · 18.2 km ahead → control
• 22.8–26.3 km · 289 m D−, -8.2% · 0.0 km ahead → free

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 9°C to 21°C, with around 13°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 46%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 10% of days around this date.

Results

256 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Samuel Lanternier (United States) in 2:27:43. Women's winner: Tabor Hemming (United States) in 2:58:05.