PCTR Skyline to the Sea
Saratoga Gap, CA
- 50K, Marathon, Half Marathon
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
This is the original Skyline to the Sea Trail Run. The trail begins at Saratoga Gap, near Castle Rock State Park and descends from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the deep blue Pacific Ocean. Along the way you will encounter amazing views of the Monterey Bay, coastal and redwood forests, … MORE
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Technically tough, but beautiful course!
First of all I love PCTR, they have been great race organizers. I've done a lot of races with them, and one of my favorite races is one of the … MORE
First of all I love PCTR, they have been great race organizers. I’ve done a lot of races with them, and one of my favorite races is one of the races they put on. However, we all know that sometimes things just don’t go as smoothly as we all hope. I had missed this race in 2015, so as soon as registration opened, I made sure I signed up. The issues I had with this race was mostly confusion for the shuttle buses, and confusion about the cutoffs. We were told (on race day) that there would be 2 cutoffs, not one, as advertised. In my opinion the cutoffs were pretty strict. I had never before not finished a 50k under the time limit, so this was a first for me. I signed up for the 50k, and missed the first cutoff less than 5 minutes. The problem is, some people came in right after me and they were allowed to continue on, so there was no consistency at that particular AS. The second cutoff was just as bad from what I understand. Some people were not allowed to continue on and others were. It really should be consistent. As far as the Aid Stations themselves, they were really good. Actually, the were great. They had fresh watermelon at every station, as well as ice. It got pretty warm out there, so this was really nice. The volunteers were amazing. The scenery is so nice, and the course is technical, but beautiful. You really get to see a lot of different terrain during this race. There is a lot of volunteer support along the way too, which always helps give me a boost when I out there running. The shuttle back to our cars was really comfortable. (School buses are used to take you to the start in the morning).
I didn’t take all of the swag because I dropped down from the 50k to the marathon distance, but I really enjoyed the buff they gave out at the finish. They also give out really nice coasters, and they offer upgraded shirts and jackets. Definitely doing this race again. I will just work on trying to ensure that I am well ahead of the cutoffs.