Unofficial guide • AC100
Master the Crest.
Local intel for the Angeles Crest 100. Training missions, crew plans, and solo strategies built in the San Gabriels.
Unofficial guide • AC100
Local intel for the Angeles Crest 100. Training missions, crew plans, and solo strategies built in the San Gabriels.
Angeles Crest 100 is a historic point-to-point mountain hundred through the San Gabriels. Big vert, hot canyons, tight cutoffs, and tricky logistics. This guide translates the official docs and scattered race reports into a clear path from “maybe” to finish line.
No crew. No pacers. Just you, your drop bags, and the clock. The Solo buckle is one of the most respected awards at AC100, but there’s almost no structure for how to chase it.
Angeles Crest 100 is famous for tricky logistics: long drives on Highway 2, crowded parking, and dead cell zones right when you need info most. Your runner doesn’t need more drama — they need a crew with a plan.
AC100 isn’t just about mileage. It’s long climbs, punishing descents, heat in the canyons, and a long stretch of night in the San Gabriel Mountains. The more your training looks like race day, the better.
AC100 requires a qualifying ultra from an approved list (distances and rules can change, so always check the official race website). For most runners, a trail 50-mile race is the most practical path: it’s long enough to prove you can go deep, but short enough to fit into normal life with smart training.
I’ve put together a separate guide focused just on that step: choosing and training for a first 50-mile race with AC100 in mind.
→ Read the “Your First 50-Miler” qualifier guide
Or start with the AC100 50-mile qualifier hub for the race-by-race list:
Most 100-mile gear lists are generic. Angeles Crest has very specific demands: dusty singletrack, hot sun, rocky descents, and a long night above Los Angeles. Small gear mistakes become big problems at 2:00 a.m.
The Angeles Crest 100 is one of the most iconic and confusing races in ultrarunning. The course is wild. The logistics are messy. The best advice is scattered across old PDFs, race reports, and half-remembered Facebook threads.
I live in the San Gabriel Valley, train on these trails, and I’m currently working toward my own first 50-mile finish on the way to AC100. This site is my way of turning local miles, maps, and mistakes into something you can actually use: clear guides, simple checklists, and honest notes from the ground.
Nothing here is official race guidance. It’s the unofficial playbook I wish I had when I first started looking at the Crest — shared so you can spend less time hunting for information and more time training.
Start with the AC100 Start Here guide, then check out the first 50-miler qualifier guide and the gear & local resources page.
Occasional emails with route changes, new guides, and local recon from the San Gabriels. No spam.
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