🏔️ Dark Divide 100
September 5-7, 2025 • Randle, WA • Gifford-Pinchot National Forest
⚠️ Hardrock Qualifier — 75% rutted motorcycle singletrack, minimal course marking, extremely remote wilderness. The race website literally warns: "A DNF might take longer than a finish."
📍 Course Sections + Training
Steep Climb
Rutted Singletrack
Ridge Running
The race begins at 5 AM in darkness from Cispus Learning Center. You'll immediately start climbing Tongue Mountain — a relentless ~4,000ft ascent that sets the tone for the entire race. The trails here are heavily rutted from motorcycle use (12-18" wide trenches with 2-3ft walls). After summiting, you'll traverse Juniper Ridge with beautiful but exposed alpine running before dropping to Sunrise Peak.
Aid Stations: Juniper Ridge (Mi 11) → Sunrise (Mi 19) → Dark Creek (Mi 25)
💡 Strategy & Advice
- Start conservative. The adrenaline will tempt you to push Tongue Mountain — resist. You have 75+ miles after this.
- Poles from the start. Don't stash them for later. The rutted trails demand balance and the climb is steep enough to benefit immediately.
- Headlamp ready. You'll be in darkness for 1-2 hours. Keep it accessible, not buried in your pack.
- Watch navigation at intersections. Trail junctions on Juniper Ridge have confused multiple runners. Trust your GPS over intuition.
- Calorie bank early. Eat more than you think you need while your stomach is still cooperative.
🎯 Training Segments for This Section
2.27 mi • 2,163 ft gain • 16.6% average grade • Boulder
strava.com/segments/684755
Nearly identical profile to Tongue Mountain. Do repeats (3-4x) to simulate cumulative climb.
0.47 mi • 617 ft gain • 21% grade • Boulder
strava.com/segments/2749615
Short but brutal. Chain with Green Mountain for extended climbing simulation.
1.2 mi • 1,266 ft gain • 19.7% grade • Boulder
strava.com/segments/709312
Rocky with log steps. Perfect for building ankle strength for those rutted motorcycle trails.
CRUX SECTION
16mi No Aid
Remote
Technical
This is where races are won or lost. You'll enter the 70,000+ acre Dark Divide Roadless Area — one of the most remote and rugged sections of the Washington Cascades. The gap between aid stations stretches up to 16 miles with only a water filter point midway. If you have problems here, SAR extraction can take many hours. Multiple DNFs happen in this section every year due to dehydration, navigation errors, and mental breakdown from the isolation. One volunteer told a struggling runner: "You look the worst of anyone I've seen out here."
Aid Stations: Water filter point (~12mi in) → Snagtooth (minimal, ~Mi 42) → Wright Meadow (Mi 51)
💡 Strategy & Advice
- Carry 2+ liters minimum. And a water filter. This is non-negotiable. Top off at every water source.
- Pack extra calories. Enough for 10+ hours. Snagtooth aid is bare minimum (SAR sometimes has to bike supplies in).
- Mental preparation is everything. You will be alone for hours. Practice long solo runs with no music, no podcasts — just you and your thoughts.
- Expect 10-14 hours in this section. Don't panic when it takes forever. That's normal.
- Navigation vigilance. Course marking is minimal. Keep GPS active and check frequently. Runners have added 4+ miles from wrong turns.
- If you're struggling, keep moving. A rescue from here is worse than grinding to the next aid station.
🎯 Training Segments for This Section
10.7 mi • 2,703 ft gain • HC climb • Littleton
strava.com/segments/612959
Epic sustained climb. Do it self-supported with minimal aid. Perfect for long solo efforts.
6.1 mi • 4,189 ft gain • 10.8% grade • Manitou Springs
strava.com/segments/1376359
Long unsupported climb at altitude. Mimics the extended self-sufficiency required. Go car-to-car for the full experience.
0.82 mi • 1,893 ft gain • 34% avg grade • Manitou Springs
strava.com/segments/2963247
Ultimate power hiking trainer. Chain with Barr Trail descent for quad-destroying combo.
Rolling Terrain
Old-Growth Forest
Pacers Allowed
You've survived the wilderness crossing. Now you'll traverse rolling terrain along the Lewis River through ancient old-growth forest — trees wider than a person is tall. The climbs here are less severe but constant: endless 50-100ft rollers that accumulate fatigue on already tired legs. The beauty of this section can lift your spirits, but the repetitive terrain can also lull you into a zombie shuffle. Pacers are allowed starting at Wright Meadow (Mile 51.6) — use them!
Aid Stations: Wright Meadow (Mi 51.6, pacer start) → Lewis River AS → Summit Prairie (Mi 72, pacer swap)
💡 Strategy & Advice
- Get a pacer. After 51 miles of solitude, a familiar voice and accountability makes a massive difference. Don't be tough — be smart.
- Run the flats and downs. The rollers are runnable. Don't let fatigue convince you to walk everything.
- Reset mentally. You're past halfway and the worst is behind you. Wright Meadow is a great aid station — take 10-15 min to regroup, change socks, eat real food.
- Watch for navigation errors. Trail junctions in the forest can be confusing, especially fatigued. Your pacer can help stay sharp.
- Don't underestimate the rollers. They feel small but they add up. Keep eating, keep drinking.
🎯 Training Segments for This Section
2.27 mi per lap • 2,163 ft per lap • Boulder
strava.com/segments/684755
Do these on Day 2 of back-to-back weekends when your legs are already cooked. Practice staying engaged when everything feels the same.
5.7 mi • 1,486 ft gain • 4.9% grade • Littleton
strava.com/segments/627484
Gradual rollers through beautiful canyon. Good endurance builder for sustained moderate effort.
2.4 mi • 1,433 ft gain • 11.1% grade • Morrison
strava.com/segments/647571
Classic Front Range trail with constant climbing. Perfect for practicing efficient hiking/running transitions.
Alpine Ridges
Night Running
Sleep Deprivation
Final Push
The final 28 miles back to Cispus via alpine ridges. For most runners, this section includes a second night — meaning 30+ hours without sleep. Expect hallucinations, emotional swings, and the overwhelming desire to quit. There's a brutal climb shortly after Summit Prairie (Mile 72) that will test everything you have left. The good news: you know the finish is coming. The bad news: your body and mind will conspire to make every mile feel like ten.
Aid Stations: Summit Prairie (Mi 72, pacer swap) → Juniper Ridge (Mi 93.7, pacer swap) → Finish at Cispus
💡 Strategy & Advice
- Consider a short nap. 10-20 minutes at an aid station can be transformative. Jon Eisen took a 10-min nap around Mile 60 and it saved his race.
- Caffeine is your friend. Pills are more reliable than coffee. Time them strategically for the hardest sections.
- Fresh pacer at Mile 72 or 93.7. A high-energy pacer in the final stretch can drag you to the finish. Brief them to be relentlessly positive.
- Embrace the suck. Everyone feels terrible here. The difference between finishers and DNFs is simply who keeps moving.
- Break it into chunks. Don't think about 28 miles. Think about making it to the next aid station. Then the next.
- Hallucinations are normal. Trees will look like people. Rocks will look like animals. Just keep moving and don't engage with the weird stuff.
🎯 Training Segments for This Section
0.82 mi • 1,893 ft gain • 34% avg grade (68% max!) • Manitou Springs
strava.com/segments/2963247
The ultimate power hiking trainer. Do this at the END of a long day to simulate late-race climbing on dead legs.
1.2 mi per lap • 1,266 ft per lap • Boulder
strava.com/segments/709312
Short punchy efforts simulate late-race surges. Do as a night workout to practice headlamp running.
6.1 mi • 4,189 ft gain • 10.8% grade • Manitou Springs
strava.com/segments/1376359
Practice technical running when your quads are destroyed. Pair with Incline for a brutal combo.
7.8 mi • 2,077 ft gain • Cat 2 climb • Golden
strava.com/segments/5309585
Good for moderate training days. Mix of technical and runnable — useful for active recovery weeks.
🗓️ Monthly Simulation Weekend
Saturday: Boulder Skyline Traverse (18-20mi, 7K+ vert)
Start at South Mesa TH. Carry minimal aid. Practice self-sufficiency. Finish in darkness if possible.
Sunday: Green Mtn x3 + Sanitas on tired legs
The goal is suffering. Simulate how Segment 3-4 will feel after the Wilderness Crossing destroyed you.
~30 miles, 12-14K vert over 2 days. Do this monthly leading up to September.
📋 Race Day Essentials
8 hrs volunteer service — Required before race. Document it and submit before check-in!
Mandatory gear check — Pre-race meeting is required. Don't be late.
Water filter + 2L capacity — Non-negotiable for Wilderness Crossing
Trekking poles — Essential. Rutted trails demand balance.
Headlamp + backup batteries — 14+ hours of darkness across 48h
🏋️ Weekly Training Targets
- Volume: 60-80 miles per week
- Vertical: 12,000-15,000 ft elevation gain
- Back-to-backs: Every other weekend (big Saturday + long Sunday)
- Night runs: Monthly 3+ hour sessions with headlamp
- Solo long runs: 4+ hours alone, no music — train the mind