Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB 2023: Route and live tracking

Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB is a three-day festival of racing which consists of five events and is now part of the UTMB World Series.

The weekend is headlined by the 100M race which sees runners embark on a 162.3km jaunt through the mountains of North California – centered around Big Bear Lake.

Here is our full guide to learning about this UTMB World Series event, following it live or even taking part.

Date, start time & live tracking

The five race weekend gets underway with the 100M category race which will begin at 13:00 local time on Friday, October 11.

A runner in action at Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB

On Saturday, October 12 the 100K race will begin at 06:00 local time, with the 50K event beginning two hours later at 08:00 local time. The final two races (22km and 10km) will begin on 09:00 local time and 11:00 respectively on the same day.

Live tracking will be available here.

Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB 2023 Route

The 100M race begins and ends in the village of Big Bear Lake. Runners competing in the 100M event will complete a circuit of the entire Big Bear Valley.

The opening 50K of the race concludes with a visit to the rarely trailed Siberia Canyon followed by a trail along the north shore of Big Bear Lake. The course then moves on to the Pacific Crest Trail for 20 miles before the real test begins in the second half of the race.

Runners will be required to cross Deadman’s Ridge before climbing to the summit of Sugerload Mountain – almost 10,000 ft of elevation. A cruise down the Knickerbocker Road closes out the 100-miler, will a large part of the running taking place above 7,000ft above sea level.

There are 15 checkpoints across the 100M course:

Start
Aspen Glen (10.7km)
Champion (24.6km)
Snow Valley (41.3km)
Green Valley (47.2km)
Camp Whittle (63.9km)
Van Dusen (76.7km)
Doble Camp (87.1km)
Burns Canyon (97.2km)
Sugarloaf 1 (108.9km)
Balky Horse (123.6km)
Sugarloaf 2 (132.0km)
Bear Mountain (140.9km)
Snow Summit (148.3km)
Grandview (154.8km)
Finish (162.3km)

Facts, Tips & FAQ

As a UTMB World Series Event, the Top 3 female and Top 3 male runners of the 100M, 100K, 50K and 21K at Kodiak gain automatic qualification to the UTMB, CCC and OCC races, respectively.

The race also acts as a dual qualifier for the 2025 Western States, alongside the UTMB World Series Finals. 100M runners must complete their race in under 36 hours to qualify for Western States, with 100K set a limit of 18 hours.

The UTMB Running Stones allocation is as follows:

100M – Four UTMB Running Stones
100K – Three UTMB Running Stones
50K – Two UTMB Running Stones
20K – One UTMB Running Stone

All finishers of the Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB collect Running Stones that can be applied to the UTMB Mont Blanc draw. To be eligible for the lottery, runners need to have a least one Running Stone and a valid UTMB Index.

How to qualify and enter the Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB

UTMB have listed the Elite Entry Request Criteria as follows:

Entry for the 100M category race requires a UTMB Index ranking of 800 (men) or 650 (women).
Entry for the 100K category race requires a UTMB Index ranking of 820 (men) or 690 (women)
Entry for the 50K category race requires a UTMB Index ranking of 850 (men) or 710 (women)

UTMB events reserve entry places for elite runners, based on their UTMB performance index. The events hold a limited number of complimentary and discounted entries based on event capacity.

For non-elite runners, the entry prices for the races are $349 (100M), $249 (100K), $169 (50K), $139 (21K) and $129 (10K).

Runners must be at least 18 years old to participate in the 100M, 100K, and 50k, 16 years old to participate in the 21k, and 12 years old to participate in the 10k.

Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB records and past winners

Tony Torres and Rachel Pagona are the only multi-time winners of the event. And last year French duo Vincent Bouillard and Claire Bannwarth respectively shattered the course record times.

Men’s Winners:

2023 – Vincent Bouillard 16:22:08
2022 – Tony Torres – 20:20:14
2021 – Tony Torres – 19:35:56
2020 – Cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
2019 – Rod Farvard – 19:31:00
2018 – Elan Lieber – 22:02:08
2017 – Ruperto Romero – 20:37:00
2016 – Miguel Lara – 19:58:00
2015 – Christophe Sigel – 21:31:00
2014 – Michael Jiminez – 25:01:00
2013 – Garry Harrington – 23:58:55

Women’s Winners:

2023 – Claire Bannwarth – 21:10:28
2022 – Andi Ramer – 31:04:33
2021 – Jian Springer – 25:30:43
2020 – Cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
2019 – Maria Rivera – 28:05:53
2018 – Daniela Seyler – 24:09:59
2017 – Rachel Ragona – 23:53:00
2016 – Suzanna Bon – 26:56:00
2015 – Rachel Ragona – 25:21:00
2014 – Gratianne Daum – 27:23:00
2013 – Jeri Ginsburg – 29:15:09

Runners in action at the Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB

Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB kit list

Mandatory Gear:

Minimum water supply: 1.5-2 liters of hydration capacity
- Runners will be required to carry 2 liters of water upon departing from the Champion, Green Valley Lake, and Sugarloaf 1 Aid stations
Reusable cup
Running pack for carrying supplies for the duration of the race
Mobile/Cell phone (smartphone strongly recommended)
- Mobile/Cell phone with international roaming that works in the United States of America
Two (2) working headlamps with spare cells/batteries (Recommendation of 200 lumens or more for the main light. One can remain in drop bags)
Jacket with hood for bad weather in the mountains/course terrain
Hat