The Peak 50K, Marathon & Half Marathon

The Peak is a mountain trail race at Cuyamaca Peak in San Diego County, offering 50K, marathon, and half marathon distances. The longer races begin early, with the half marathon starting an hour later. This is not a gentle run: the 50K and marathon ascend over 2,200 feet in the initial 6.3 miles, reaching Cuyamaca Peak, San Diego County’s second-highest summit, before the marathon descends 2,800 feet to Sweetwater Aid Station. The marathon course has an 8.5-hour time limit, the 50K allows 10 hours, and the half marathon cutoff is 4.5 hours. All three distances commence at Camp Hual-Cu-Cuish and utilize single-track trails. The half marathon follows the same initial route as the longer races up Conejos Trail before returning to the start/finish area. Marathon runners turn around at Sweetwater Aid Station, then climb back to Cuyamaca Peak on their return, accumulating up to 10,000 feet of total elevation change. The 50K includes a five-mile loop from Sweetwater before rejoining the marathon's return path, meaning those runners pass Sweetwater twice. The event is part of the SoCal Ultra Series, its trails are maintained by Trailfit volunteers under Ken Bonus, and a local detail includes a discount on handmade ice-pocket bandanas from T’s Cool Downs, with a portion of sales benefiting Malan Syndrome Research.