Golden Gate Spartan Trail 50K

Saturday, November 23rd, 2024

San Francisco, CA- 7:00AM

A little over a month ago, I ran my 2nd ultramarathon at the Golden Gate Spartan Trail 50K. This is a somewhat well known event, as pro runners such as David Laney, Andy Wacker and Eddie Owens have all raced here in the past. Although last year and this year didn't seem to be nearly as competitive (especially last year). This was an event that I was interested in before I even moved to California and the trail racing focus for the fall, plus the convenience of being out there made it an easy decision. It would also help the fall be a little more focused, as this would serve as my goal race and there would be a big event in the future for me. 

With a lot of free time in the fall, at one point I visualized myself running crazy mileage and frequent trail long runs. Travel and other race/exploration ended up sapping a lot of time and energy, so I never put together a focused training plan and ended up doing things more spontaneously. This meant decent mileage and good fitness with many races I was doing and the occasional trail long run, but far from the marathon plan where I was doing regular workout and hard long runs. That said, I still felt I was going into this in a good position to run well, just not quite perhaps peak fitness. My first ultra at Quebec last year I really had low expectations and just wanted to finish. Here I'd be looking to actually run well. Of course, I had quite a bit more experience going into this one with three marathon training blocks plus having done Quebec versus pretty much nothing over half marathon then. 

This was not a smooth leadup to race as I got "banged up" just before the race by spraining my ankle and getting a horrible blister 2 weeks out at the Pass Mountain 25K, and got sick shortly after. I also went too hard in my tune up workout and had a tight hamstring going in. I got these things under control by race day, but didn't really 100% resolve all of them and there was certainly the potential for one to pop up mid-race. I'd just have to hope for the best. 

I drove up to Cupertino Thursday afternoon, then ran in San Jose Friday morning and took the train up to San Francisco. It was absolutely pouring, and the streets were flooded which definitely made the travel harder. I picked up my bib which probably wasn't worth it given long, expensive uber rides and the line ended up being non-existent in the morning. Got some really bad pasta and went to bed.

Wake-up and had the worst race stomach of my life, just on the toilet pretty much for 1.5-2 hours. Another worry, fortunately this did not affect me during the race. What was more concerning was I just happened to check the website for some reason and found out the race was moved up half an hour, and the course was changed - new course had an extra 1,400' of elevation and two long OAB sections. But I didn't even have time to worry about the course - I had to leave ASAP with the time change. Safe to say I was much more stressed out and less excited now. 

Now there was 12 miles of OAB running, and 5,800' elevation instead of 4,400' which is considerably more difficult. I also had planned out which aid stations I would stop at, and now I had no idea where the aid stations would be with the changes. This would be the least prepared I've been for a long race and I'd have to go with a "figure it out as I go approach". I also had no idea what effort to race it at. Originally I figured 6:30 effort would be adequate, but perhaps that would be too hard now with the extra elevation. 

Pre-race was mostly smooth once I got there, not much for lines. Checked my bag then did a short warm-up and tried to use the bathroom. Got over to the start and the start wasn't even set up and no one was lined up which was really strange and I had zero confidence the race would actually start at 7. Surprisingly they got things up quickly and we started at 7:05. The course started in Crissy in the Presidio, then crossed the Golden Gate bridge to do a big loop (now a medium loop with several OABs) in the Marin Headlands before returning. So the first and last 3ish miles would be decently fast and mostly paved or cement. Started with 300 meters across a field, which is normally a good start except this field was in horrible condition and there were big holes nearly everywhere in the grass. Had to run with a big stride and be really careful. 

Based off last year's results I assumed that I'd likely be in the top 3, if not contend for the win and was pretty surprised to hit the dirt path in 8th or so. I settled in around 6:30 effort which moved up to 6th place around the mile where I lingered but had no intention of passing. The 2 miles on the cement golden gate bridge sidewalk was kind of unpleasant and did not feel as good as covering these miles in the San Francisco marathon where I was running much faster. I made a note of my competitors, 4th and 5th, just ahead of me while top 3 were a ways out. Immediately after crossing the bridge, we took a series of awkward turns including down a slippery metal staircase under the bridge and back up to the road level. It was really nice to get onto the singletrack, which was pretty smooth. Extremely foggy and exposed so this part felt pretty cold. There was a bit of wind and light rain as well. I saw 5th place pass into 4th and I was quickly approaching 5th as well. I didn't really want to pass this guy being so early (and he may quickly repass me) and I had to pee, so I took about 10 seconds stopped to pee and let him go a little. Except I understand how hard it would be to pee so I didn't actually get anything out. I started to gain on this guy again and came to a sheltered spot and stop to actually pee this time. Climbed up to about 900' where things shifted to a dirt road. About 7:00 for the first three miles and 9:30 for the 4th and 5th. 

Some other guy came out of nowhere in the fog and passed me and the guy ahead. A few up and downs in the fog before a long downhill mile 8. These guys were running the downhills much faster and I was in 7th in no man's land after a while. I was running close to 6 minute pace on this downhill which seemed too fast but I'd likely mess up my legs more if I was braking hard to slow it down. 7:01, 7:40, 6:10 for 6-8. Came into the mile 8 aid station, filled up my water bottle pretty quickly and continued. Now began out and back #1 - would climb 700' on singletrack over 1.6 miles, drop 250' in 1.3 miles then turn and come back. I think I got back in 6th here and am assuming the guy who passed me quickly in the fog was in the bathroom as the next time I saw him, he was behind me (and I never passed him running).

Miles 9 and 10 were pretty tough with somewhat technical singletrack spots, a lot of climbing, and some steep section. I could see 5th and 4th ahead, same guys as before, and was definitely running a little faster than them. I was a little worried my legs might be cooked later but figured it was still best to run this stuff since it didn't feel too bad. I caught 5th place towards the very end of the uphill (now on a smooth dirt road), but he repassed me very quickly as it turned to a downhill. My legs were feeling a little fatigued which was concerning given I had 20+ miles to run. The nice thing about the OAB is I was able to see how far competitors were ahead of me. Like before, top 3 were out of reach, and 4 and 5 still pretty close. I used the aid station to refill my bottle and put in an electrolyte tablet which allowed 5th to get a good gap on me as he didn't stop. I wasn't super far ahead of 7th but enough that I probably wasn't going to get caught anytime soon. I slowly reclosed the gap on 5th over the uphill but once we got back on the singletrack downhill he was quickly out of sight. I had to deal with another issue as well, as there were now many people going out and the trail was quite narrow. Some gave room, some didn't and it was nice to finish up this section. I didn't stop at the aid station again for long, just threw out some trash. I think I had a gel about every 35 minutes which was working well so far. In Quebec, I had consumed both flasks between aid stations (34 ounces), but here I settled for just one as it was much cooler conditions and I was moving a lot faster. It would have been difficult to have two flasks as I probably would have overhydrated. Note to self- the flasks are kind of awkward to drink out while running - I should get some straw attachments for next year so I don't have to arch my neck. There was a short amount on flat pavement before the second OAB. Splits 9-15: 10:05, 8:27, 6:28, 8:03, 6:43, 7:13, 6:52. 

OAB #2 would last from miles 16 to 21 and feature shorter, but steep climbs. Climb of 450' over 0.9 miles, drop 350' over 0.4 miles, 200' climb over 1 mile, then drop 400' over a mile. It had cleared up quite a bit and the views over this section were spectacular over the sweeping ocean. My legs were pretty tired and there might be carnage later, but manageable for now. I repassed into 5th early in the first climb. He gave me some encouragement and I said some to the effect of he was the better downhill runner, I was the better uphill runner so I'd see on the next downhill but he was never really near me again. Most of this section was on dirt roads so fortunately didn't have traffic issues coming back like before, which would have been a real pain to deal with at this point. This climb was only slightly steeper than the previous ones, but it was enough for it to feel real hard. That next downhill was much steeper than any previous section on wooden stairs and a little slippery. It was really difficult to run and I noted this would be a good section to powerhike on return. I had brought a few energy chews and figured that would be a good time to take it. The next climb was short and not too bad, some singletrack, mostly dirt road. Enjoyable here running in nice conditions with the ocean views. Last mile was downhill and actually pretty muddy. Experienced some soft dirt and picking up mud on the shoes, which I hadn't felt since Southern California runs in February. I was able to see the top guys come towards me. 1 and 2 were well ahead, at least a full mile but I was pretty close to 3 and especially 4. I took a little more time at this aid station, grabbing a few snacks (oreos and something else I can't remember, and refilling my electrolyte bottle. Meanwhile, I had put a few minutes on 6th. Miles 16-21: 8:19, 10:12, 8:26, 9:28, 8:49, 11:13. 

Every climb going forward felt real tough with the cumulative fatigue. Ran pretty smoothly until returning that steep climb. I awkwardly took off my pack here (while still hiking) to grab my chews out of the back. This climb probably would have been best alternating hiking and running, but I pretty much hiked the whole thing as it was so awkward to eat and run. The oreos were especially difficult to eat with how dry they were. Accordingly, looking at segments after, 4th place increased the gap on me. Finished the final OAB, nearly took a wrong turn, and then got back onto singletrack. Using my watch navigation was really helpful to break down the course and I knew I had two substantial climbs left. This next one came up really quick and was really tough compared to anything so far. Not only one of these most difficult climbs on the course period, but certainly so given 21 miles into the race. This was an 800' climb over slightly more than a mile. I ran for a bit which felt difficult but surprisingly in one section without switchbacks I could see two guys maybe 30 seconds ahead of me. The 4th placer had moved up, whereas the original 2nd placer was fading. I was really just hoping to hold onto 5th at this point. These guys were power hiking so I alternated power hiking and running. 3rd maintained his gap on me, but quickly dropped 4th as I quickly gained on him and passed him just towards the end of the climb. 

This next descent started on somewhat technical singletrack and I not only could see 3rd not too far ahead (maybe 200m or slightly less) but also 2nd place maybe 100m-200m ahead of him. I wasn't planning on making any big moves as I still had quite a bit of race left, but perhaps just maintaining might get me closer. Unfortunately, the descent turned into steep staircases and then a paved road which I guess I was not very efficient at as the other guys put some time on me here. I ran the paved road mile in about 7 minutes, which is probably 30s + slower than I should have. Miles 22-24: 10:29, 10:01, 8:09. 

I refilled my electrolyte drink once again, pretty quickly and continued on. It was clear 3rd had opened the gap. I ended up not stopping at any aid stations going forward. The next 2ish miles were pretty easy on flat ground with some road running then flat grass running. The next aid station was only 1 mile later and I just used it to throw out my gel. 25 and 26 miles were 8:07, 7:54. 

The next climb was pretty manageable: about 700' climb over 2 miles on a wide dirt road. But I was really fatigued at this point and any incline just felt like a big effort. Grinded out the climb then returned to the "stick" of the lollipop and singletrack down to the golden gate bridge. The last part of climbing was steep and kind of miserable. I may have been slightly gaining on 2nd and 3rd for the climb, but they were running the downhills much better than me and I was probably locked into 4th place. I finished out the downhill and back out on the bridge with 3 to go. Miles 27-29: 9:24, 10:22, 8:00. 

The rest of the race would be on the golden gate bridge and the last section back downtown to Presidio. I knew I could hold things together at this point, but the cumulative exhaustion at this point is simply brutal. Really every step to the finish was tough, especially running back on cement and pavement. The golden gate bridge part absolutely sucked because now at 11am, it was packed with pedestrians I had to weave around. The 2 miles on cement felt endless. It had also gotten a little warm and sunny after 20 miles. Ran the last downhill, over to the field, and carefully over the horrible grass (no sprint finish) to cross the line 4th in 4:27:57. Full results. Final 3 miles 8:15, 7:05, 7:08. 

Total stats from Strava: 32.27 miles, 8:18 pace, 4:25:07 moving time vs 4:27:57 elapsed. 

I left almost immediately as there was no post-race food. Tried Waymo, the driverless car system to go back which worked pretty well. Relaxed the rest of the day and left early in the morning with the long drive back and visit to Big Sur.

I was pretty happy with this performance. Challenging due to the elevation, but fairly runnable/fast compared to Quebec. Much better weather as well. It felt really hard, perhaps more so than Quebec. Quebec was significantly more challenging of a course with the technicality and steep climbs, but I may have just been running to finish there and as a result, not gone into the hurt locker as much. I would say this would be an excellent performance if I was able to move up a little at the end and get 3rd or 2nd, instead a pretty good overall but still need to holding things together better at the end. I did hold it together well, but my return miles on the bridge were about 30s/mile than the ones coming over, so room for improvement. 

This race had some similarity to the Headlands 27K I did in September. Headlands was just a few miles north of where we turned around and the original course had some overlap with it. Headlands was certainly harder on a mile-by-mile basis with about 4,200' over 18 miles and several of the ups and downs were much steeper and a few spots that were either more technical or twisty. Headlands was also almost entirely singletrack versus much more dirt road (and some paved/cement paths) here. Interestingly, Headlands was probably 85% forested and 15% open and this was pretty much the opposite as any forested section was pretty brief. I probably prefer running more in the woods, although the open section above the ocean here was quite scenic and there wasn't any view like that in Headlands. This area is really excellent for trail running and I'll definitely consider some more races here down the road. 

Overall, I thought the event was so/so. I think the biggest issue was the last minute course change which made the original nice lollipop into an ugly double OAB format. I understand these trails were closed, but it would be nice to get an email about it instead of randomly finding out when I checked the site. I originally thought it was kind of cool that the event started/ended in San Francisco proper, but this just adds a full 5 to 6 miles of running on pavement and cement, not ideal for a trail 50K. Throw in a few more miles of road later in the course and that's 7 to 8 of the 32 miles on pavement. I think Quebec had one mile of pavement. I didn't mind having much of the course on dirt roads/wide trails as I wasn't prepared for a really hard course but it's not quite as exciting as a mostly singletrack course. Overall, I'd say the 2nd OAB trail was epic with the ocean views whereas the rest was nice but nothing special. Definitely a better experience at Quebec overall. This might end up being one of the fastest ultra courses I do - while the elevation was a decent amount, weather was pretty good for long distance running and the vast majority of surfaces (mostly road or dirt road/wide trail) were pretty fast and non-technical. I was glad I did this and will probably return to San Francisco at some point for a headlands trail race, but probably not this one again. 

A few other notes: All issues (ankle, hamstring, blister, sickness) held up during the race. I think I had some breathing difficulty early on but that passes and none of the others bothered me. Ankle was the most important one. Although given there wasn't too much technical terrain, I can't say I'll for sure my ankles will hold up well, but of course this was a good sign. 

This was final trail race out in California and out west. It was a lot of fun doing a variety of trail races in California, Oregon, Arizona and Utah as the vast majority of them were completely different than New England trails. I don't think I'll race out West in 2025, but I'd definitely like to make 1-2 trips a year for a Western trail race going forward.