Silverton Alpine Marathons (50k) Review

Create a WeeView

Abigail Lock

Silverton Alpine Marathons

Summary

A high altitude 50k tour of the San Juans via runnable jeep road grades. This event has it all: scenic, expansive views, well-stocked aid stations, and helpful volunteers. Will absolutely run again!

Posted Jul 12, 2023

Pros

Runnable grades
Well-stocked aid stations placed roughly every 4 miles
Finisher awards
High quality podium awards
Looped course

Cons

A small out & back on the back portion of the course begins the race (a bit repetitive)
Roads can be dusty due to shared use with OHVs
Marathon runners take off 30 mins after 50k runners, making the placements difficult to determine at times

This was my first ultra and I am so happy I chose this event! The course is beautiful, the race is well-organized, and everyone who volunteered was incredibly helpful and encouraging. Although I got a bit off course at the beginning (I followed the other top ladies too far on the first out & back past an unmanned aid station), the rest of my race experience was incredibly positive.

Important note: If you're considering this race, keep in mind that altitude is no joke and requires adjustment in preparations! I noticed a lot of folks with GI distress early on. The course tops out at 12,930ft on California Pass where the air is THIN.

Looped Course with Thoughtfully Placed Aid Stations

The looped course has a bit over 4k feet of vert with maximum grades of 18% on the climb and ~22% on the descent.

The 50k starts with a 2.5 mile out/back to Niagara Gulch, then runners turn around back toward Silverton before running a relatively flat section of gravel road out to Eureka. Around mile 13, the real climbing begins! Since there's really only one big descent beginning at mile 22.5, you can really push yourself--as long as you save enough for the rolling road section back to town!

Each aid station with the exception of Niagara Gulch (water only) was well-stocked with water, tailwind, and both sweet and salty snacks. Every volunteer was incredibly helpful and encouraging as runners came through.