01 / KNOW THE ROUTE
What the course asks of you
Down into the canyons
From China Wall the course takes Mitchell Mine Road and drops into Eldorado Canyon, then climbs the Western States Trail to Deadwood. It passes the Pump and the Swinging Bridge to Devil's Thumb, then loops back through Deadwood a second time. Each canyon means a long descent followed by a long climb.
Michigan Bluff, Foresthill and the river
The route descends quickly to Eldorado Bridge and climbs to Michigan Bluff, then crosses Volcano Canyon to Foresthill and runs along Cal Street. The Western States Trail follows the American River to Driver's Flat and Mammoth Bar, then the Confluence Trail leads to No Hands Bridge.
The climb into Auburn
The last section climbs to Robie Point and crosses the White Bridge to finish in downtown Auburn. The organiser says maps, GPX and aid stations shown are from 2026 and may change for 2027.
02 / BUILD THE BLOCK
How to prepare
Long climbs and long descents
The canyons are the race. Build regular long runs with sustained climbs of 30 minutes or more, and train the descents as seriously as the climbs. Downhill strength, such as step-downs and eccentric squats, helps your legs survive repeated drops into the canyons.
Prepare for spring warmth
Training through a UK winter and spring, you may meet warmer conditions on race day than in training. The organiser can require a hot or cold weather kit. In the final six weeks, add some heat exposure on easy runs and practise drinking and taking salt on every long run.
Practise the runnable finish
After Foresthill, Cal Street and the river trail are far more runnable. Finish some long runs with an hour of steady running on gentle trail so you can still move well when the climbing eases.
Keep your running and strength work in one place. Explore MaxMile for your Canyons 100K preparation, or compare the levels of personal coaching.
03 / PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Pace the race you have trained for
Go out gently: the early drop into Eldorado Canyon makes it easy to run too fast downhill and pay for it on the climbs. Hike the steep climbs to Deadwood and Devil's Thumb, and keep eating from the first hour.
Plan to arrive at Foresthill with enough left to run Cal Street and the river trail. Keep the 20-hour limit in mind if you need a Western States qualifier, and remember that aid station cut-offs are set in the organiser's chart.
04 / MAKE ROOM FOR TRAINING
When should your block start?
The Canyons 100K is on Saturday 24 April 2027, about 24 weeks from early November 2026. A 24-week block starts now; a 20-week block starts around Monday 7 December 2026, so Christmas falls early in the build. Use December and January for volume and hill strength, February and March for your longest climbing weekends, and April for a two-week taper.
Build the trip in. California is 8 hours behind the UK in late April, so arrive several days early to settle sleep before a 05:00 start. If you are not yet entered, note that online entry closes on 18 April 2027 or earlier if the race sells out, and that deferral requests close on 24 March 2027.
05 / SORT THE PRACTICAL BITS
Kit and race-weekend planning
Bib pickup is at the race expo in Auburn; in 2026 there was no race-morning pickup for the 100K and shuttles ran early from the Gold Country Fairgrounds to the start. The 2027 schedule had not been published when we checked, so use the organiser's final instructions.
Mandatory equipment can be checked at random before and during the race, and missing items can lead to penalties, including disqualification. The organiser may also require a hot or cold weather kit depending on conditions. The full list is in the UTMB North America equipment document linked from the race site.
