Vertical Mile Half Marathon 2026!

This is not a race. It is a group run open to all members of the community. It celebrates the beauty of our Central Coast trails in addition to bringing runners together from different areas of the Monterey Bay area! This event began as a virtual race during the pandemic as created by Ryan Commons (Race The Commons). Now, it survives as a group event occuring each year as organized by various Running Clubs.

Although we firmly believe in anyone's ability to do hard things, we want to emphasize that this course is relatively tough. As advertised, runners will accumulate about a mile (5K ft+) of elevation gain as they traverse the 13 mile course. It is highly recommended that attendees have a greater than trivial level of trail running experience. It is also recommended that runners bring ample water as it can get hot in Garland and there is no notable water source available. Also, not all of this course is considered "runable" and power hiking is often needed. Treking poles are recommended, but not necessary. The toughness makes this event extra special. You can do this, just be prepared!

When you RSVP please take note of the pace groups. Currently we are organizing around 3 pace groups:

• Hares - 9:00-10:30 minute miles (this is considered fast for this course)
• Tortises - 10:30-12:00 minute miles
• Slugs - 12:00-15:00 minute miles

If you believe that you might be faster or slower than any of these groups, it is highly recommended you be able to self-navigate. Garland can be a bit of a maze and its very easy to get lost! A link to the course is here and can be downloaded off of Strava and put on GPS ready devices.

There is plenty of parking in the main lot here. Be sure to lock your valuables. There is also a restroom adjacent to the parking lot, but there are no other bathrooms on the course aside from the "faciliTREES". When you arrive, make your way over to the Bridge that crosses the Carmel River right out of the first parking lot (coordinates here if needed). You should see a big group there. We will start at 7:05am SHARP.

After the run grab some cold drinks and snacks and be socialize with some RAD folks!

We don't often get to do epic adventures like this or multi-club meet ups. Let's make this one a truly special adventure!

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Host or Publisher Running Riot Running Club Santa Cruz