Secret Beach 100k/50k Ultramarathon. The 100k this year (2024) had 10 runners.
I was very nervous signing up for this race. Number 1 there is very little information out there about this race. Number 2, races of this distance tend to have gpx navigation you can download and this race does not. Number 3, this race never has a big turnout, it's always very small. And lastly it appears most people dnf this race. I was told most years over 50 percent of people dnf.
First off the 100k starts at Gold Beach and you turnaround at Meyers aid station (50k). The 50k race starts at Meyers aid station and finishes in Gold Beach. I didn't know till after the race but the 50k I ran from Gold Beach to Meyers aid station is ALL UP HILL! Watch in my film, it's all up hill. I didn't notice in the race. The road and beach felt flat but it's not, it's all up hill. Making the 50k run back "easier".
The jungle section is very dense forest and the climbs are the steepest I've ever encountered period. The first 10 mile section has a fair amount of runnable section but the climbs will slow you down. When you get to the beach you have to use a rope to get down to the beach. It's not to bad but if your afraid of heights or falling this race is not for you. It'd about 20 feet of repeling to the beach.
The middle 10 mile section (mile 10 to 20) is the most runnable I personally found. It has the least amount of technical sections.
The last 10ish miles (mile 20 to 30) for me was the most frustrating. Set aside the fact this section is where people massively messed with the course markers. This section is filled with roots and has some long steep climbs. I found this section the least runnable of the course. Every time I'd run on this section I would trip on roots and almost fall. If it wasn't for my trekking poles I would've fallen about 30 times on this course.
Fyi: There is poison oak everywhere. My legs were covered in poison oak after this run. I think it's pretty unavoidable.
This course is BRUTAL! If your looking to get broken down mentally and physically you've found your race. I personally found this course to technical and the climbs annoyingly steep. I would humor the idea of doing this race again if they get a gpx navigation to download. I was told they've had trouble in the past with people moving markers so FYI.
All Terrain Adventures is who currently puts this race on. They are great at messaging you back if you have questions. They were very friendly. They marked the trail extremely well... until the people messed with them; all the more reason for gpx navigation. They did amazing course maintenance. With that being said it's a wild course and you will probably get poison oak.
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