A trail runner on a grassy ridge above a sea of clouds

Way Too Cool 50K

The Way Too Cool 50K is a 50 km trail race with 1,210 m of vertical gain held in Cool, California. It runs through the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn and the Western States Trail.

Prepare for Way Too Cool 50K

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

trail training plan

The Way Too Cool 50K takes place in the Sierra Nevada foothills around the small town of Cool, not far from Auburn. The course uses narrow singletrack, fire roads and sections of the Western States Trail, with creek crossings and the oak and chaparral vegetation typical of the California foothills. In early March the ground can be muddy and the water crossings full.

The race traditionally opens the West Coast ultra season, which explains both its turnout and the quality of its field. A single 50 km format makes it a classic entry point to ultra distances.

The formats

One format only.

Format	Distance	Vertical gain
50K	31 mi	1,210 m

When to start

At this distance, a build usually runs 12 to 24 weeks. The 2027 date is not published, so counting back from March puts the start around September 14, 2026.

These ranges are working conventions, not a research finding — no trial has compared plan lengths against each other. What matters more is that the plan was built for the weeks you actually have, rather than shrunk down from a longer one.

How to choose your start date

When to start

September 14, 2026

→ December 7, 2026

Worth reading before you enter

Races and distances Trail distances: what changes off the road Distance stops being the useful number. What decides a trail race is how long you are out, how much you climb, and how much the descents have wrecked your legs by the end. Read Training Eating and drinking: what’s proven, what isn’t This is where confident advice most often runs ahead of the evidence. Some of it is well tested. Some is opinion wearing a number. And one common habit can kill you. Read Races and distances When to start preparing your race Most plans fail before the first session, because the block started too late and everything had to be squeezed. Counting back from the date is the dullest and most useful thing you will do. Read

Questions

What is the date of Way Too Cool 50K in 2027?

The date of Saturday, March 6, 2027 is going around for Way Too Cool 50K, in Cool, but the organizer has not confirmed it. Check their website before you commit.

Is the Way Too Cool 50K a good first ultra?

Yes. At 50 km with 1,210 m of vertical gain on broadly runnable terrain, it is a classic step up to ultra distance. March conditions can still leave the trails muddy and slick.

Where is the Way Too Cool 50K held?

The race starts in the town of Cool, in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn, California. The 50 km course includes sections of the Western States Trail along the way.

Other races

This list keeps growing; it draws no line. A race that is missing is prepared for in exactly the same way.

Bellingham · United StatesTrail Chuckanut 50K Mar 20 The Chuckanut 50K is a 50 km trail race with 1,567 m of climbing, held in Bellingham, Washington State. F Mill Valley / Stinson Beach · United StatesTrail Dipsea Race June 9 km trail race from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, California. First run in 1905, it is the oldest trail Seward · United StatesTrail Mount Marathon Race Jul 4 The Mount Marathon Race is a 5 km mountain race held in Seward, Alaska, every July 4. Runners climb and t Your race is not here? Tell us about your race You can prepare for it all the same. Any race, anywhere, and even a goal without a race.

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