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The North Face Endurance Challenge Maps and Course Information

Championship - San Francisco, CA December 1 & 2 , 2012

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

GORE-TEX 50 Mile

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS Start to Aid #1 5 Mile (5.9 miles) Depart the main event site. Exit straight onto Bunker Road, crossing to the left shoulder. Bear left on fireroad after 1/3 mile into parking area, staying left. Enter trail on left and cross footbridge. Turn left on Rodeo Valley Trail. Bear right onto Bobcat Trail after mile at triangle intersection and begin a long ascent. Bear right onto Alta Trail at the top of the top of Bobcat. Turn right on to Rodeo Valley trail. Enjoy a 2-1/2 mile descent on a rocky fire road, down to the 5-Mile Aid Station. You will start the race in the pre-dawn and proceed through this first section, which is mainly road or fire road. Look back to see the other runners behind you snaking up Bobcat in the darkness. Enjoy the lights of the Golden Gate on Alta trail. 5 Mile to Aid #2 Tennessee Valley (3.0 miles) Exit aid station straight on Rodeo Valley Trail. Bear left at Bobcat Trail intersection (do not go right as you did earlier in the race.) Cross a footbridge and then right onto Miwok Trail. Wind up the hill and turn left at Old Springs Trail. Follow Old Springs down, first gradually, then more steeply along switchbacks. At the bottom of the hill, pass to the left through the Miwok Livery horse stable, then gallop into the Tennessee Valley Aid Station. For most runners, this portion of the race is still run in the dark. Tennessee Valley to Aid #3 Muir Beach (4 miles) Exit aid station to the left and proceed along a paved walking trail that turns into a fire road. Bear right onto Coastal Fire Road and proceed up a 400 foot ascent over the next half mile. Bears light left onto the Coastal Trail at the top of this hill. Stay right on Coastal Trail at bottom of the hill, where the trail turns to Pirates Cove. After 2 miles the trail meets up with the Coastal Fire Road and drops down steeply to Muir Beach. This is a beautiful trail with a sweeping view of the coast, a beautiful single track that winds along high cliffs above the Pacific. Muir Beach to Aid #4 -- Tennessee Valley (4.8 miles) Exit Aid Station across footbridge to Muir Beach Parking lot Make a right in parking lot to paved road Make a right on road leading to parking lot heading out toward Hwy 1

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

Before Hwy 1 make a right on Green Gulch Trail. Bear left on Coastal Trail and proceed up hill Turn left at top of hill onto Coyote Fire Road. Do NOT return on Coastal Trail towards Pirates Cove. Turn left on Coyote Ridge Trail. Coyote Ridge merges with Miwok Trail. Proceed along Miwok Trail to Aid Station.

Exit Muir Beach, going up a hill you have seen earlier in the race. Then, enjoy the amazing vistas as you grind up the Fire Road, onto Coyote Ridge, up to the top and finally descend Miwok to the Aid station. Tennessee Valley to Aid #5 Alta (2.9 miles) Follow Marincello to top of the hill, stay left. Turn left on Bobcat Trail. Turn right on Alta Trail. Just when you thought the climbing was over. This section will gradually ascend almost 700 feet over 2 miles of wide fire road. Alta to Aid #6 Fort Barry (2.8 miles) Follow Rodeo Valley Trail. Turn left at the junction to Coastal Trail. Cross footbridge. Turn right along perimeter of parking lot to Bunker Road. Turn left onto Simmonds Road Follow Simmonds Road around into finish area aid station at Fort Barry Fort Barry to Aid #7 5 Mile (5.9 miles) Depart the main event site. Exit straight onto Bunker Road, crossing to the left shoulder. Bear left on fireroad after 1/3 mile into parking area, staying left. Enter trail on left and cross footbridge. Turn left on Rodeo Valley Trail. Bear right onto Bobcat Trail after mile at triangle intersection and begin a long ascent. Bear right onto Alta Trail at the top of the top of Bobcat. Turn right on to Rodeo Valley trail. Enjoy a 2-1/2 mile descent on a rocky fire road, down to the 5-Mile Aid Station. You will start the race in the pre-dawn and proceed through this first section, which is mainly road or fire road. Look back to see the other runners behind you snaking up Bobcat in the darkness. Enjoy the lights of the Golden Gate on Alta trail.

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

5 Mile to Aid #8 Tennessee Valley (3.0 miles) Exit aid station straight on Rodeo Valley Trail. Bear left at Bobcat Trail intersection (do not go right as you did earlier in the race.) Cross a footbridge and then right onto Miwok Trail. Wind up the hill and turn left at Old Springs Trail. Follow Old Springs down, first gradually, then more steeply along switchbacks. At the bottom of the hill, pass to the left through the Miwok Livery horse stable, then gallop into the Tennessee Valley Aid Station. For most runners, this portion of the race is still run in the dark. Tennessee Valley to Aid #9 Muir Beach (4 miles) Exit aid station to the left and proceed along a paved walking trail that turns into a fire road. Bear right onto Coastal Fire Road and proceed up a 400 foot ascent over the next half mile. Bears light left onto the Coastal Trail at the top of this hill. Stay right on Coastal Trail at bottom of the hill, where the trail turns to Pirates Cove. After 2 miles the trail meets up with the Coastal Fire Road and drops down steeply to Muir Beach. This is a beautiful trail with a sweeping view of the coast, a beautiful single track that winds along high cliffs above the Pacific. Muir Beach to Aid #10 -- Tennessee Valley (4.8 miles) Exit Aid Station across footbridge to Muir Beach Parking lot Make a right in parking lot to paved road Make a right on road leading to parking lot heading out toward Hwy 1 Before Hwy 1 make a right on Green Gulch Trail. Bear left on Coastal Trail and proceed up hill Turn left at top of hill onto Coyote Fire Road. Do NOT return on Coastal Trail towards Pirates Cove. Turn left on Coyote Ridge Trail. Coyote Ridge merges with Miwok Trail. Proceed along Miwok Trail to Aid Station. Exit Muir Beach, going up a hill you have seen earlier in the race. Then, enjoy the amazing vistas as you grind up the Fire Road, onto Coyote Ridge, up to the top and finally descend Miwok to the Aid station. Tennessee Valley to Aid #11 Alta (2.9 miles) Follow Marincello to top of the hill, stay left. Turn left on Bobcat Trail. Turn right on Alta Trail. Just when you thought the climbing was over. This section will gradually ascend almost 700 feet over 2 miles of wide fire road.

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

Alta to Finish (2.8 miles) Follow Rodeo Valley Trail. Turn left at the junction to Coastal Trail. Cross footbridge. Turn right along perimeter of parking lot to Bunker Road. Turn left onto Simmonds Road Follow Simmonds Road around into finish area aid station at Fort Barry

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

PACE CHART
Championship Gore-Tex 50 Mile Pace Chart 0:07:35 Front Runner 5:00 AM 5:44 AM 6:07 AM 6:37 AM 7:14 AM 7:36 AM 7:57 AM 8:42 AM 9:04 AM 9:35 AM 10:11 AM 10:33 AM 10:54 AM 0:10:35 Middle Runner 5:04 AM 6:06 AM 6:38 AM 7:20 AM 8:11 AM 8:42 AM 9:11 AM 10:14 AM 10:45 AM 11:28 AM 12:18 PM 12:49 PM 1:19 PM 0:17:50 Last Runner 5:08 AM 6:53 AM 7:46 AM 8:58 AM 10:23 AM

Aid Station Start/Finish Aid #1 Aid #2 Aid #3 Aid #4 Aid #5 Aid #6 Aid #7 Aid #8 Aid #9 Aid #10 Aid #11 Finish

Name Start/Finish 5 Mile Tennessee Valley Muir Beach Tennessee Valley Alta Fort Barry 5 Mile Tennessee Valley Muir Beach Tennessee Valley Alta Finish

Mile 0 5.9 8.9 12.9 17.7 20.6 23.4 29.3 32.3 36.3 41.1 44 46.8

Next Aid 5.9 3 4 5.2 4.9 5.2 2.7 6 3.7 4.1 2.9 2.8 -

Crew No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No -

Pacer No No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes No -

0:00:00 0:44:45 1:07:30 1:37:49 2:14:13 2:36:13 2:57:27 3:42:11 4:04:56 4:35:17 5:11:41 5:33:40 5:54:54

0:00:00 1:02:27 1:34:11 2:16:31 3:07:20 3:38:01 4:07:39 5:10:06 5:41:50 6:24:10 7:14:59 7:45:40 8:15:18

0:00:00 1:45:13 2:38:43 3:50:03 5:15:39 6:07:22 6:57:18 8:42:31 9:36:01 10:47:21 12:12:57 13:04:40 13:54:36

11:15 AM
12:05 PM 1:50 PM

2:44 PM
3:55 PM 5:20 PM 6:12 PM

7:02 PM

Drop Bags Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes

Hard Cutoff #3: Finish Line Festival: 14 hours and 02 minutes from the start

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be aware that 7:02PM is considered a hard cutoff time. If a runner has made the second hard cutoff time at Tennessee Valley they will be expected to carry at least the slowest official finishing pace of 00:17:50 for the remainder of the course. If the runner fails to do so and is running too far behind schedule, the race staff reserve the right to pull any runner from the race at any time and at any point on the course. Any runner that crosses the finish line over 14 hours and 02 minutes from their start time and/or after the 7:02pm cutoff time will not recieve an official finishing time in the results. Wave start times are accomodated in the cutoff times.

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San Francisco, CA GORE-TEX 50 Mile

AID STATION MENU The following food and beverage items will be provided: Salty Snacks (Chips, Crackers, and/or Pretzels) Cookies and/or Brownies Assorted Candy Chicken Broth Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches Potatoes GU Chomps - GU gels will not be given out at aid stations due to strict park permitting. If you plan to bring your own gels, make sure to take all trash with you and do not leave ANYTHING out on the trails. nuun Electrolyte Tabs Soft Drinks Water Salt Assorted Fruit

WAVE STARTS The GORE-TEX 50 Mile will have three designated wave starts. The wave start schedule is below. Your wave start will be assigned at Packet Pickup or the morning of the race if you choose to pick up your bib on race day.

Wave Start time Approx. # of Runners Wave #1(Elite) 5:00 AM 100 Wave #2 5:03 AM 230 Wave #3 5:06 AM 230
HEADLAMPS For safety reasons, all GORE-TEX 50 Mile competitors are required to have operating headlamps at the start of the race and have in their possession until one (1) hour past sunrise, approximately 6:15 a.m. Failure to comply will result in disqualification. If you believe you will be running into the evening please plan for your crew to provide a headlamp for you later in the day. Runners will not be allowed to continue on the trails in the dark without a headlamp due to safety precautions.

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San Francisco, CA Participant Guides All Races

GEAR BAG DROP

On-Course: GORE-TEX 50 Mile, 50K and Marathon participants may pack a gear bag with extras to be dropped at a specified Aid Station. Only two designated Aid Stations will accommodate gear bags. Gear bags must be dropped off at packet pickup on Thursday or Friday or at the Gear Check tent race morning by 4:30 a.m. to allow time for crew to place at specified Aid Station. You will be provided a tag that will be clearly marked with your bib number and the station to which it is to be delivered and adhered to the bag. Bags without tags will be left at the Start/Finish Line and will be available for retrieval at the Finish Line Festival. Please limit the weight of your gear bag to 10lbs. Runners may only drop one bag per Aid Station. Race staff will deliver drop bags back to the Start/Finish after the Aid Stations are closed. Bags from Tennessee Valley will arrive no earlier than 5:30p.m. The North Face and the Endurance Challenge cannot be held responsible for lost bags. All gear Bags must be picked up at the Gear Check Area by 8:00 p.m. Saturday night. All Gear Bags remaining after 8:00 p.m. will be available for pickup on Sunday before 12:30 p.m. All bags remaining after 12:30 p.m. on Sunday will be disposed of. ** We recommend that you do not use a valuable or expensive bag for your drop bag. They can be damaged in poor weather. GEAR BAG DROP LOCATIONS - Tennessee Valley GORE-TEX 50 Mile: Mile 8.9, 17.7, 32.3, 41.1 50K: Mile 8.9, 17.7 26.2 Mile: Mile 4.1, 12.0, 20.8 - Fort Barry GORE-TEX 50 Mile: Mile 23.4 50K: Mile 23.4 RECOMMENDED GEAR BAG NEEDS Each athlete will have items that are specific to their own needs at the drop. The following list is a suggested starting point for what may benefit you along the way. Extra Race Clothing: shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, rain gear, gloves, hat, etc. Preferred Food Items: Energy bars, gels, sandwiches, snacks Preferred Drink Items: Additional powders, drinks, supplements First Aid: Antacids, ibuprofen/asprin, lip balm, blister protection, analgesics, towels, Visine, antibiotic ointment, bandages, etc.

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San Francisco, CA All Races

COURSE MARKING Ribbons: At The North Face Endurance Challenge, each distance will follow a unique color of marking ribbons. The color of the ribbon your course follows will match the color of your race bib. The colors associated with each course are as follows: Gore-Tex 50 Mile: ORANGE 50K: BLUE Marathon: PINK Marathon Relay: RED Half Marathon: YELLOW 10K: RED 5K: PURPLE Images 1 and 2 show an example of the ribbon used to mark the courses, and typical placement of ribbons. In this example, the runners in 50 Mile (orange), 50K (blue), Half Marathon (yellow) and 10K (red) races would be following the trails marked with these ribbons. If the course was only for 10K and Half Marathon, only red and yellow ribbon would be placed. Anytime runners do not see their race color among the ribbons hung on the trails, they should take it as an indication that they are no longer on their race course. They should return to the last place they saw ribbon matching their race. Image 1: Image 2:

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San Francisco, CA All Races

Signs: All Endurance Challenge racers follow white directional signage arrows on course (Image 3). The only exception to the following of white signs, is when courses split, which are designated by the corresponding color of the course that is splitting. Image 4 shows an example of what direction the Half Marathon runners, who are following yellow colored ribbons, should run at a trail intersection. The yellow colored sign indicates that runners following yellow ribbon are to proceed in the direction of the arrow on the yellow sign. In another example, if this was a split for the 50 Mile runners, the sign would be orange, since 50 Mile runners follow orange colored ribbon. Once Half Marathon runners were upon the unique part of their course beyond this junction, yellow ribbon will be seen hanging from trees and bushes (as shown in image 1). Alternatively, on the section of trail beyond the split that all runners other than Half Marathon follow, yellow ribbon will no longer be placed. For those Half Marathon runners that may have missed this split, they will know that they are no longer on course, since they will no longer see yellow ribbon. They will return back to the place they last saw yellow ribbon, and get back on the Half Marathon course as the split designated by the signs. Image 3:

Image 4:

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