Way Too Cool 50 Kilometer facts for kids

The Way Too Cool 50K is a super long running race called an ultramarathon. It happens every year in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The race starts and finishes in a small town named Cool.

This exciting race takes place in early March each year. The very first Way Too Cool 50K was held way back in 1990.

What is the Race Course Like?

Most of the Way Too Cool 50K race follows narrow paths called single-track trails and wider dirt roads known as fire roads. These paths wind through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The race course uses parts of the famous Western States Trail Ride route. This trail goes through both El Dorado County and Placer County.

The course is about 31 miles (50 km) long. That's like running more than a marathon! Along the way, runners climb and descend a lot. The total change in height is more than 4,800 feet (1,500 m). That's a lot of uphill and downhill running!

How to Join the Race

If you want to run the Way Too Cool 50K, you need to sign up early! Registration usually opens at the beginning of December. Because so many people want to join, runners are chosen by a lottery system. This means names are picked randomly, like drawing names from a hat.

It's a tough race, but most runners finish it! More than 95% of the people who start the Way Too Cool 50K actually complete the entire course.