TRAFFIC ALERT
IMPORTANT: Road work is scheduled on Hwy 330 leading up to Big Bear through Friday, June 7th at 5PM. The road is planned to be closed. You may need to use an alternate route. Be sure to check Caltrans. An alternate route is available using Hwy 38 from Redlands and Hwy 18 from Lucerne Valley. LINK TO COMMUTER ALERT NOTICE.
RACE ANNOUNCEMENT
THE DATE FOR THE 28th ANNUAL HOLCOMB VALLEY TRAIL RUN IS SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2024!
Registration will open on January 1, 2024 with special pricing until February 1. Sign up early to save!
Register by May 7 to guarantee your shirt size. Pricing will also increase on May 8. If you register onsite (if the event is not sold out), a shirt will not be guaranteed and there is also an extra fee of $10. It's best to sign up online by June 5th!
Join us on the famous Pacific Crest Trail and experience Big Bear Lake this Spring. Choose from three distances: 33 Miles, 14 Miles, or 7 Miles.
Volunteer
We would love to have you join us as a volunteer. Volunteers will earn race credits that can be applied toward registration of future Holcomb Valley Trail Runs. Please fill out this form to get more information on volunteering and THANK YOU!
Deferral and Refund Policy
There are no refunds or transfers. Please be aware of this policy before registering. If you need to defer, you can defer for 1 year by emailing us by April 1. After that, if you choose to volunteer this year, you may defer up until June 1.
Cancellation Policy
Should the event be cancelled due to an act of God, community disaster, fire, severe weather event, emergency, or any other issue of public safety, no refunds can or will be guaranteed. A refund percentage will be calculated to enable the organizers to cover part of the expenses incurred which cannot be recovered.
If you disagree with this policy or just don't even like it - simply don't register.
RACE INFORMATION
Registration & Packet Pickup: On-site registration and packet pickup is at Meadows Edge Picnic Area in Big Bear Lake, CA.
Friday, June 7, 2024 4:00-5:30pm
Saturday, June 8, 2024 5:30-8:30am.
There will be on-site registration only if we are not sold out. All onsite and same day registrations will be charged an additional $10. Shirts will not be guaranteed. It is HIGHLY recommended to sign up in advance online by June 5, 2024. Online registration closes midnight on Wednesday, June 5th!
If you need to withdraw and want to avoid a "DNS" in your results, you must cancel your registration on Ultrasignup (click Registration history) by June 5.
Start Times:
33 MILE: 7:00am
14 MILE: 8:00am
7 MILE: 9:00am
Start/Finish Location: Meadows Edge Picnic Area in Big Bear Lake, CA
Hard Cut-off Times:
33 MILE: 10-hour time limit. Runners must be through the Aid Station at Mile 21 (Doble Camp) by 1:00pm.
14 MILE: Runners must be through Mile 8.2 (Del Mar) by 11:15am and through Mile 11 (Polique 2) by 12:15pm.
7 MILE: The 7 mile distance can be a run or a hike. All runners and hikers in the 7-mile event must be through Mile 3.6 (Polique 2) by 12:15pm.
The finish line closes at 5pm for all distances.
The race organizers reserve the right to pull anyone off the course at any point if they are falling behind the pace required to reach any hard cutoff point by the designated time or the finish line by 5pm.
Aid Stations: There are 7 well-stocked aid stations along the 33 Mile course; 3 aid stations on the 14 Mile course; and 1 aid station on the 7 Mile course. Refreshments at the aid stations include sweet & salty snacks, hydration drink, and water.
Drop bags: For 33 Milers ONLY. Drop your bag off by 6:30am and it will be transported to the Aid Station at Van Dusen. You access this Aid Station twice - Mile 14.9 and Mile 27.5.
Drop Bags will not be returned to the Finish Area until late in the day. We suggest if you need to depart quickly after you finish, do not include items in your drop bag that you want back. You must provide your own bag. Drop bags must be at registration by 6:30 am.
THE COURSE
Each distance starts and finishes at the Meadows Edge Picnic Area next to Big Bear Lake. The courses are run along Big Bear's most scenic section of the Pacific Crest Trail mixed with portions along Forest Service roads in the Holcomb Valley.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COURSE MAPS
Elevation Gain/Loss
33 MILE: +4,150ft/-4,150ft
14 MILE: +1,950ft/-1,950ft
7 MILE: +1,100ft/-1,100ft
Additional Course Details: Please click the Course Map link above to see the aid station locations and many more details, such as the elevation profile and more precise mileage. Play around with the Caltopo map a little - there's a lot of cool data in there! Go here for a tutorial.
SPECTATORS
The Holcomb Valley has a rich history that began when gold was discovered for the very first time in Southern California in 1860. While you're running within view of the remnants of the historic Lucky Baldwin mine, your family and friends with a high clearance/AWD vehicle can meander the self-guided driving tour of the Gold Fever Trail. Did prospectors ever find the "mother lode"?
Spectators are welcome to visit Aid Stations along the course as long as they follow these simple rules:
1. Always follow speed limit of 25mph and slow down to 10mph when passing or nearby any pedestrians as runners will be sharing these roads. We don't want to kick up dust around our runners.
2. You must park completely off to one side of the road, with no portion of your vehicle in the roadway. A minimum of 20ft of road width must remain clear for emergency vehicles. Please use turnouts as much as possible even if it means walking further to the aid station.
3. Follow all directions of Aid Station staff. They may direct you where to park, where to wait, how you can access drop bags and aid station fuel/water/ice. This will likely be different at each aid station.
4. Do not attempt to visit the Aid Station at mile 24.3 unless you are on foot or bicycle.
**It is highly recommended you only use a high-clearance vehicle to access all stations except the Start/Finish and the station at Mile 21 near the Big Bear Transfer Station, which are easily accessible via asphalt roads. The event is not responsible for any vehicle issues that spectators encounter.
Driving directions will be posted soon!
Event History
Now in its 28th year, the Holcomb Valley Trail Run was established by Gary & Pam Kalina in 1997. Gary was an avid runner; he realized that some of the best trail running in Southern California was right here in Big Bear. And some of the best trail running in Big Bear was on the Pacific Crest Trail.
The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2800 mile trail that runs from the Mexican to the Canadian border. The section that runs through Big Bear, and that the race travels on, offers spectacular views of Big Bear Lake, the San Gorgonio Wilderness and Big Bear Mountain Ski Resorts.
The event is a fundraiser for the local volunteer search and rescue organization. Search & Rescue bring out over 20 volunteers to assist in the operation of the event, staffing aid stations, marking course, providing communication, safety, and of course, if needed, first aid. Their involvement is crucial to the success of the event. Gary and Pam decided after 15 years of event directing and coordination it was time to close that chapter in their life.
Beginning in 2012, Team Big Bear took over the Holcomb Valley Trail Run. Prior to that, Team Big Bear provided the electronic timing for the event. In 2023, Tom Spiegel and Team Big Bear are entrusting the continuation of this event to Susie Schmelzer & Harald Zundel with Team Kodiak.
Event's current local time: 4:26 AM PT
