Granite Bay, California · Trail
Official site ↗Rio Del Lago 100
A November 100 out of Beals Point on Folsom Lake, run on the trails of the American River 50 and Way Too Cool 50K, with about 13,458 feet of climb and a 30-hour limit.
Distances
- Distance
- 100 mi (161 km)
- Vert gain
- 13,458 ft (4,100 m)
- Cutoff
- 30 hr
WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-30:00)
| Distance | Vert gain | Cutoff | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 mi (161 km) | 13,458 ft (4,100 m) | 30 hr | WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-30:00) |
About
Rio Del Lago starts and finishes at Beals Point on Folsom Lake, about 40 minutes east of Sacramento, and runs every November. Norm and Helen Klein started it in 2000, and the November 7, 2026 race is the 25th running. The course strings together the trails of two of Northern California's best-known races, the American River 50 and the Way Too Cool 50K, so it goes out along Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake, climbs to the Auburn Dam Overlook, crosses No Hands Bridge on the Western States Trail, loops through Cool, and comes back the same way.
The climb is about 13,458 feet, and an official finish means under 30 hours, which earns the buckle and counts as a Western States qualifier. In 2025 Lindsey Dwyer won outright in 15:51:37, more than an hour ahead of the first man, Kyle Roberts.
Course
Out and back from Beals Point, Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. The first 21.7 miles loop south along the American River Parkway through Old Folsom and Lake Natoma and back to Beals Point, where crews see their runners for the first time. The course then heads north on the Pioneer Express Trail past Granite Beach, Horseshoe Bar and Rattlesnake Bar, climbs Cardiac Hill and Last Gasp to the Auburn Dam Overlook at mile 44, drops to No Hands Bridge on the Western States Trail, and follows the Way Too Cool course to the Cool Fire Station at mile 67.8 before retracing to the finish.
Every runner starts at 5:00 a.m. The race states about 13,458 feet of gain and the same descent. The pace chart lists eight aid-station cutoffs, from 11:30 a.m. at Beals Point (mile 21.7) to 7:05 a.m. on Sunday at Rattlesnake Bar (mile 86.9), and 11:00 a.m. at the finish. Trekking poles are allowed from the Overlook to the finish. The race is cupless.
How to register
Entry is first come, first served on Race Roster, with prices that step up through the year. For 2026 registration runs until November 2, and the 100 had 164 places left on September 21. Finishers under 30 hours get the buckle and a finisher's jacket; runners over 30 hours are listed separately as unofficial finishers. A 50K runs alongside on the first part of the course, but the race's own pace chart puts it at 31.00 miles, just under 50 km.