The 100 mile route starts at China Wall and finishes in downtown Auburn. Runners head out Mitchell Mine Rd to trail 6 into Eldorado Canyon then ascend to Deadwood on the Western States Trail, past the Pump to the infamous Swinging Bridge via the Devil’s Thumb descent and challenging climb back out. The route rejoins the Western States Trail for a fast descent to Eldorado Bridge, up to Michigan Bluff, through Volcano Canyon to Foresthill and on down Cal Street along the American River, past the Rucky Chucky river crossing and up to Driver’s Flat. From Mammoth Bar and the Confluence Trail the course splits off at No Hands Bridge to climb K2 to Cool, drops the Coffer loop to the American River, takes the Olmstead loop back to Cool, then crosses Hwy 49 to the Quarry trail and up Brown’s Bar to ALT before American Canyon, No Hands Bridge, Robie Point and Ann Trason’s White Bridge into historic downtown Auburn. Finishers under 35 hours earn a Western States qualifier.
Four distances on the canyons of the American River and the Western States Trail, all of them finishing on High St in downtown Auburn. The 100 mile and the 100K start high up at China Wall and run the trail down to town; the 50K and the 25K start in Auburn and go out and back. It is the spring race on the Western States course: the 100 mile and 100K are Western States qualifiers, and the top three women and top three men in the 100K take a Golden Ticket straight into Western States. Auburn calls itself the Endurance Capital of the World and closes its main street for the finish.
The race began as The Canyons 50k, an inaugural trail race through the canyons section of the Western States Trail run out of Foresthill on 3 May 2014 by race directors Charles Sheya and Tim Madden. It grew into a four-distance weekend based in Auburn, joined the UTMB World Series, and now runs a 100 mile, a 100K, a 50K and a 25K over one weekend in late April. The 25K moved to Friday evening for 2026.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew access | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | China Wall - Start | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 11.20 |
| 11.20 | Deadwood - 1 | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 2.30 |
| 13.50 | Swinging Bridge - Turnaround | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 2.30 |
| 15.80 | Deadwood - 2 | 6:30pm | · | · | ? | ● | 6.80 |
| 22.60 | Michigan Bluff | 7:45pm | ● | · | ? | ● | 5.90 |
| 28.50 | Foresthill | 9:30pm | ● | ● | ? | ● | 8.20 |
| 36.70 | Cal 2 | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 9.30 |
| 46.00 | Drivers Flat | 3:00am | ● | · | ? | ● | 7.90 |
| 53.90 | Mammoth Bar | 5:30am | · | · | ? | ● | 3.70 |
| 57.60 | Confluence | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 0.70 |
| 58.30 | No Hands - 1 | ? | · | · | ? | · | 3.00 |
| 61.30 | Cool - 1 | 8:00am | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1.70 |
| 63.00 | Coffer Dam - 1 | ? | · | · | ? | · | 4.60 |
| 67.60 | Coffer Dam - 2 | ? | · | · | ? | · | 5.90 |
| 73.50 | Cool - 2 | 12:00pm | ● | ● | ● | ● | 4.20 |
| 77.70 | Browns Bar - 1 | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 5.40 |
| 83.10 | ALT | 3:30pm | · | · | ? | ● | 7.60 |
| 90.70 | Browns Bar - 2 | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 6.10 |
| 96.80 | No Hands - 2 | ? | · | · | ? | · | 3.50 |
| 100.30 | Downtown Auburn - Finish | 11:00pm | ? | ? | ? | ● | ? |
Parking. Crew parking for Michigan Bluff is signed from the runner guide's map link.
Parking. Crew park at Foresthill Elementary School.
Parking. Crew park at the Drivers Flat trailhead.
Parking. Crew parking for the Cool aid station is signed from the runner guide's map link.
Parking. Crew parking for the Cool aid station is signed from the runner guide's map link.
12 people have been out there with a camera or a microphone.
+ 4 more.
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