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Mammoth Trailfest presented by Craft
200 miles, 26K, 10K, Vertical K, Kid’s 1K, Beer Mile, Triple Crown (DBA / 50K / 26K)
Mammoth Lake, California
Photos by Justin Hall (@justin_yall) for Believe in the Run
TAYLOR: “Oh, dude! Mammoth. Definitely Mammoth.”
“Trailfest, for sure!”
“You gotta get to Mammoth.”
These were the typical responses I heard when I inquired about the best trail events right now. I’m not sure if it was just the Cali kids pumping with pride, but the stoke was genuine.
I took their advice and traveled to Mammoth Trailfest for a weekend of racing and community and partying and living life with other dirt dogs. Now that I’ve been there, done that, I want to be there and do that again. And again. So yes, I get the stoke.
Tim Tollefson, Race Director
Race scenery is immaculate
Though only several years old, Mammoth Trailfest is one of the most seasoned and fun race atmospheres I have experienced.
The mastermind behind it all is Tim Tollefson; if you’re a trail runner, no further introductions are needed. If you’re not acquainted with the man, just know that Tim is the unofficial mayor of Mammoth. Everyone in town has the utmost respect for him and what he, co-race director Hillary Yang, and their team have built here. In a small town like this, there really is no higher compliment, He is one of the kindest, most experienced, and best looking trail folk around (voted on by the community). He wears many hats, from elite athlete to race director.
As far as the location, Mammoth Lakes sits high in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. The town is quaint but has its obvious charm of looming peaks, large pines, and trails that enter every edge of town.
Now that the table is set, let’s dig into the main course of Mammoth meat.
The name says it all. This multi-day event is truly a festival of trail running. Sure, the races take center stage each day, but there’s an a la carte menu of opportunities to indulge in otherwise, and that’s what really makes this event special.
Mammoth Village had vendors highlighted by Craft (Trailfest’s presenting sponsor), with their massive Swedish tent filled with some of the highest quality clothing and new shoes offerings on display. Throughout the weekend there were demo runs with the Craft Nordlite Pro and Xplor Pro, free haircuts, live viewing of all events on a big screen, trivia night, a DJ pumping tracks, happy hours, late night parties, and more. The vibes could not, would not stop all weekend long.
We tried to hit as many of these opportunities as we could. There’s plenty to keep yourself occupied, even if you’re just here to spectate.
While it would be easy to put on a whole series of races that sprawl in every direction from Mammoth Lakes, most of the races are focused on the crown jewel of the town, Mammoth Mountain. It was the fixture of which all races went up, down, and all around.
For many reasons, I really like this move by Mammoth Trailfest. The main positive is that runners get the broad spectrum of what the Sierras have to offer. Of course, up high on Mammoth Mountain you get the true alpine run. As you cruise to and from town, most trails are that California carpet of lore. These trails are literally smoother than the typical gravel road I run on daily.
Here are short descriptions of the Trail Races available:
The Dragon’s Back Ascent is exactly as it sounds. Runners go straight up the mountain along the Dragon’s Back Trail. It is aptly named as spines of rocks cut through the ridge and orient you upwards toward the peak. This is a high-intensity race that requires some solid aerobic fitness and leg strength to push yourself straight up the mountain. Don’t let this description scare you, because every athlete hiked along the way. After all, this is mountain trail running– the power hike is just part out it.
As you ascend, beautiful views of mountain lakes, endless forest, and distant peaks surround you… as long as you don’t get a rainy day like we did. If you’re looking for a race to test your aerobic system or want an organized way to hike/run up a mountain, this one would be perfect.
I had the privilege of taking on the DBA. Since the start line is about 3 miles from town, I decided to throw on the road-to-trail Craft Xplor 2 and run the paved path that connects town and the Tamarac Lodge. There are also singletrack options to get you there too.
The warmup was perfect for such a dreary and dramatic day. Once Tim started the race, we all hucked ourselves up the mountain. Because of the inclement weather, I brought along a jacket, phone, and space blanket as recommended.
I have run a VK (Vertical Kilometer) before and have plenty of experience in the mountains, but this style of race will always snatch the breath from your lungs. Aside from chugging straight up the 15-30% grade, this race starts at nearly 9,000 feet and ends at over 11,000. Just plan on hurting for a little bit.
Once at the top, our drop bags were waiting for us with dry clothes, coffee, donuts– all welcome on this particularly cold day. We hung around a bit to cheer on runners before hopping in the gondola to go down the mountain to the village.
This is the first race that kicks off from Mammoth Village, starting as dusk settles on the town. Tim and the crew did a phenomenal job at making this race feel just as big as the others, incorporating colored smoke, glow sticks, and party vibes the whole way.
After the starting gun went off, runners headed into the forest with a painted sky before returning in the dark. Runners are required to take a headlamp– if you haven’t run in the dark, this is a great way to test that out.
The Tenkay is the most moderate race of the weekend. It stays below treeline and runs some of the smoothest trails known to man. It is very beginner friendly from that standpoint. At the same time, there were many elite level racers who joined in on the high-octane fun!
This is the Mammoth Trailfest’s longest race of the weekend (the Mammoth 200 is the following week). It’s a stout course but still offers some of the best California vibes a race can offer. What that really means is absolute cruiser singletrack that bookends the race, the same burly ascent up Dragon’s Back, plus some top-notch alpine running back down to town. And it’s all one loop.
This might just be the most full-value 50K in the country. It was also the biggest 50K by participants in the US this year.
This one is for the kids! It’s a mad dash of fun through the village, onto some light trails, and right back under the same finish arch that all racers from the weekend get to finish under.
I love that the Mammoth Trailfest crew include this on the 50K day because we all know that crewing or waiting for a race can take a toll on the fam. This way, they have something to look forward to while a family member is out there crushing their own goals.
Woolly– the Mammoth Trailfest mascot– and Tim both wait with high fives for every single runner upon their finish.
Kids crushing it at the Wooly’s 1K
Wooly mascot goes hard
This race is, essentially, a shorter and faster version of the 50k. It is the premier race of the weekend that garners the most saturated level of competition and the biggest field too.
Notice, I didn’t say it is easier. You better bet that this race comes out blazin’ with some California carpet, books its way up Dragon’s Back, crests Mammoth Mountain, and bombs back down to the village.
Again, I have to say, there are not many races that can boast this diversity of trails in one course. Whether you’re vying for the prize purse or looking to tick off your first mountain trail race, there’s a lot of fun to be had in the 26k.
If you’re really a sucker for punishment, take on the three major races of the weekend. The Triple Crown starts with the DBA, follows it up with the 50k, then finishes the weekend with the 26k. That’s three trips up Mammoth Mountain, 51 miles, and 13,400 ft of gain. It’s a weird way to spend your weekend, but it’s a freaking awesome way too.
This year was the inaugural year of the Mammoth 200. Headed up by Hillary Yang and pioneered by Sally Mcrae, this race is a 214-mile adventure through the Eastern Sierras. Like the other races of Trailfest, The Mammoth has a huge variety of trails.
While the other courses have the most gentle beginning and end, the Mammoth opens and closes with a summit of– you guessed it– Mammoth Mountain. This course and distance is not for the faint of heart.
Even though this is not an official Trailfest event, the beer mile is something to stay for. After the last finisher has come through the arch and vendor village has deflated, this race brings the village to life one last time. A combination of spectators, racers, and staff all came together to finish off the wild weekend.
Vibes and comradery were just as high as any of the races before it. The only real difference is that at least a third of this field gave back their nutrition by the end of the race. A rinse of shoes should be mandatory post race.
I’m not going to lie, getting to and from Mammoth Lakes isn’t the easiest thing to do. It is tucked way up in the Sierras, but it’s worth the potential logistics to make it there for a trail running jamboree.
There were many Californians that drove. Most were between 3-6 hours drive from Mammoth. Within that circumference are major cities like Reno, Sacramento, and San Francisco.
If you need to fly, all of those cities are great options to get to and rent a car.
If you’re wanting to fly even closer, you can fly into San Francisco, hop another plane to Bishop, and then drive or shuttle the remaining hour from there. If you’re staying for the duration of Trailfest, we would recommend this option.
From hotels to hostels, there are plenty of options for lodging in this tourist town. Since this is a ski town and Trailfest takes place at the end of summer, there are a myriad of options that wouldn’t need to be booked immediately.
With that being said, we were fortunate enough to stay right in Mammoth Village where the event is held. It made all logistics around the race weekend so dang easy. If proximity is your goal, you may want to check into the Village at Mammoth lodging ASAP.
Because Mammoth is surrounded by US National Forest, there are plenty of dispersed and first-come-first-served camping options. I personally love these choices when I travel, but I am a dirtbag at heart. It’s a nice way to step away from the craziness of the weekend. Camping also ensures limited options for a shower post race. We know that it will likely be done in a stream anyways.
Ultra runner David Laney
Free high fives at the finish line
When the weekend ended, the post-race blues hit hard. It’s a rare event that can speak to the core and future of trail running. There really is something for every runner– whether you’re a pro looking for your next battle, a seasoned runner looking for a unique race, or someone brand new to the sport.
I’ve been to some of the best events in the industry, from UTMB (thousands of runners) to the Thumb’s Up Challenge Vertical Challenge (25 runner cap). Mammoth Trailfest is a special one among the masses. These are the types of events that will continue to grow our sport, yet stay true to what trail running has always been about. Even though it has all the facets of a small town event, because of the support Traiflfest has garnered from community and brands like Craft, it is also truly world-class.
I’ll be back, Mammoth!
Obviously, Justin and I had a pretty good time
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Taylor Bodin is a trail and ultra runner living in Estes Park, Colo., with his wife and daughters. As the head of the Dirt Division at Believe in the Run, trail running is pretty much the only hobby he can manage right now and loves it. Every so often, he will pop off a race or FKT attempt because competition is pure and the original motivator for him getting into running anyway.
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