Great course, great volunteers, great swag, and great post-race BBQ! The Quicksilver 100K & 50K will start at the Hacienda Entrance to Almaden Quicksilver Park. The 50K and 100k races are run on scenic, hilly single track trails and fire roads. You will run through peaceful oak forests, wide-open meadows, …
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Great course, great volunteers, great swag, and great post-race BBQ!
The Quicksilver 100K & 50K will start at the Hacienda Entrance to Almaden Quicksilver Park. The 50K and 100k races are run on scenic, hilly single track trails and fire roads. You will run through peaceful oak forests, wide-open meadows, and along ridges with spectacular views of the Santa Clara Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Although the course is very challenging, the friendly aid stations and beautiful scenery make Quicksilver an excellent choice for a first trail ultra-marathon.
The 100K:
13,000+ Feet of Elevation Gain
Western States 100 qualifying race
17-Hour Time Limit (16-Hour Time Limit for Western States qualification)
4 points towards qualifying for the UTMB
PA/USATF Ultra Grand Prix Event
The 50K:
6,000+ Feet of Elevation Gain
The 50k is not a PA/USATF Ultra Grand Prix Event
Although the course is very challenging, the friendly aid stations and beautiful scenery make Quicksilver an excellent choice for a first 50K trail race. And, perhaps the greatest reward of all will be the outstanding post-race barbecue awaiting your arrival. Hangout with your friends and family under our legendary massive oak tree while keeping your bellies full and happy.
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At least I qualified for WS100 lottery
I did this race about a month ago. I didn't get in the training I really wanted, but was coming off some nice races. But, of course, 4 days before … MORE
I did this race about a month ago. I didn’t get in the training I really wanted, but was coming off some nice races. But, of course, 4 days before the race I was on business travel and was hit with the worst head cold. I ended up spending the Wednesday before the race in bed for 20 hours. I tried a 5k jog Friday, but felt horrible. So against better judgement, I started the race Saturday. I never felt good the entire race. It was hot, hilly and hard. I went out a bit fast, probably staying with the 50km runners. I had dressed too warm and was pealing off layers before the 10km mark. The head cold was still with me – I felt tired and was not getting the O2 I wanted. After awhile my friend Chihping came up behind me and we ran together for awhile. But after awhile he left me and I ran by myself.
Before mile 20 I started throwing up. I began to wonder if starting a hot hilly 50 mile trail run while sick and pushing through the heat and hills while throwing up was really all that smart:)
I struggled on and by the time I came to the 50km point, I asked the finish line crew if I stopped would that be a 50km finish, or a DNF for the 50 mile. I was told it would be a DNF…so off I went (knock on wood I have never DNF’d a run). After awhile, this runner comes behind me and cracks a joke. We start joking back and forth – his name was Mario. I started running with him and we had a good conversation that was taking my mind off my pain/illness. About 2 miles later some guy comes behind us yelling “Move aside you youngsters and let this old man through.” Both Mario and I laughed and started talking to the runner. His name was Lon Monroe (he was a runner in the movie “Run For The Soul” stating, as he was cooling off in the river during the Western States, that it was “better than sex…well at this moment anyway”. The three of us ran together. While we each helped each other, there was no doubt I benefited the most from these two super nice runners.
I had wanted to go sub-9 hours, but finished in 10:07. Middle of the pack, but considering I almost switched to the 50km option 1/2 way through the race, I was happy to have completed the whole 50 miles. That also qualified me for the lottery for the 2008 Western States 100.