Lake Sonoma 50 // Race Recap & Recommendations

A Race to Remember

I’ve always loved being outdoors, exploring, and moving swiftly, a recipe that predestined me towards a personal trail running journey. I happened to be exposed to trail running in what I’m going to refer to as Wave 2 of competitive trail running in North America, which is unique because of a phenomenon that only this particular time in history could boast. 

There were a few athletes back in the early 2010s that romanticized the movement of trail running with beautiful filmmaking and story telling. This coincided with the kickstart of social media and live results tracking that absolutely brought the experience of trail running to a wider audience globally. Coming out of college, this was a perfect storm to spiral me headfirst into the world of trail running….and look where that led me. 

Aside from the Kilian Jornet effect, there were a few marquee events that blew up our sport as well. Elite level competition and the promise of a beautiful adventure was enough to lure in the masses. Of course, where I reside in Colorado, there was the iconic Leadville 100 and Hardrock. Out east, JFK 50 – the nation’s oldest ultramarathon – was widely known. Western States had certainly cemented its legacy by then too. 

A race that captured my imagination, probably more than any other, was Lake Sonoma 50, a race around a reservoir in Sonoma County, California. Steep sweeping hills, old growth forests, beautiful blue lake, and the greenest of foliage. It all seemed like a magical land and a mystical adventure as I followed snapshots of leaders who raced their way toward the hope of a coveted golden ticket into WS100. 

For whatever reason, I seemed to think that these photos and tiny clips of the race I had seen on screen would somehow not live up to my dramatic imagination. It’s kind of like the old saying: “You don’t want to meet your heroes.”

Turns out my mind was actually understating the beauty and depth of this place and race. Lake Sonoma, sponsored by Adidas Terrex and supported by Trail Sisters and Healdsburg Running Company straight up blew my mind.

Getting to the Race

Even though I had the good fortune of traveling with Adidas Terrex, getting to Lake Sonoma was pretty simple. It’s just shy of a two-hour drive from SFO airport across the great Golden Gate to get to the Sonoma Valley (aka Wine Country). The drive itself is gorgeous. I encountered views of Alcatraz Island, the bay area’s pride and joy Mt. Tamalpais, and lush hills filled with happy cows all the way to the charming small town of Healdsburg, California. 

There are oodles of options for stays ranging from camping near the start line at Lake Sonoma all the way to posh hotel stays. We stayed at the H2Hotel which was all I could ask for in terms of accomodations. If this adventure doubles as your vacation, then this would be a great option to splurge on, as it’s within walking distance of all visitor necessities/attractions in Healdsburg. 

This does include an easy jaunt over to Healdsburg Running Company (HRC). Not only did this small shop have a phenomenal selection of trail running shoes and gear – which I should mention does include the full lineup of Adidas Terrex offerings – they also provided a lot of the ground support to help Lake Sonoma happen. It’s easy to see that HRC has a strong community and pride around this race and town.  They’ve been there since the beginning. 

HRC hosted the bib pickup, elite athlete panel, and a pre-race dinner which set the tone for the Lake Sonoma main event itself. Aside from the 50 mile event, participants could also choose between a marathon (my chosen event) and women-only Trail Sisters Half Marathon.

Pre-Race Morning

A cool calm morning gave way to a golden glow as we drove to the start line. It was a simple 20-minute winding drive that went past vineyard after vineyard and then some more vineyards. Even as a mountain dweller, the dramatic hills along the way were beautifully intimidating. My known lack of trail marathon fitness had already taken the edge off competitively but the drive was so tranquil it would have done the same. 

The start line was equally sleepy upon arrival. I was there an hour early with all of the necessities like parking, bib pickup, space to prep, and bathrooms. The 50 mile runners took off from the same location an hour before. We’d all meet back here for some fun in the sun post race. More and more athletes rolled up with obvious excitement and nerves for the adventure to come. 

Again, this race has a unique tension that comes with top-notch elites on the start line of what feels like an old school race. To me, it’s a perfect blend of modern trail culture mixed with essence of trail running history. 

Since I was running the marathon, that meant a single loop around one of the main fingers of Lake Sonoma. Even though the 50 miler is the most noted event of the weekend, the course for the marathon is the most straightforward and full value. The 50 milers did much of the same course before flipping around and returning the same way they came. 

Three minutes. One minute. Three … two … one … go!

The First Half of the Race

The gun went off and so did the lead pack. Good. That’s what I wanted and needed, mentally. I didn’t want to put myself in contention early on. I knew my fitness wasn’t quite ready to go hard from the start, or at all really. Surviving the day feeling mostly good was the goal. Let’s be honest, the marathon (especially one with 5,200+ feet of gain and loss) could see right through my 90-minute long runs I had been doing throughout the winter. Also, the first two-ish miles contained the biggest climb of the day. It would be easy to get swallowed up and spit out halfway through the race. 

A short road section bridges singletrack trails where the real fun begins. Sweeping views of the lake, blooming foliage, and glorious cool morning air slapped a smile on my face. The grin stayed put for most of the race because this place was simply magical. I’m not sure how else to describe it. I’ve been to many places around the world, and here I was awestruck by a region that’s a short plane ride away. 

Lake Sonoma’s “Relentless” tagline is accurate marketing. “Death by a Thousand Hills” could work equally as good. It’s the perfect adjective for this race. And I didn’t really know what that meant until I experienced it. Besides the Warm Creek Spring Bridge that escorted you to the final mile of the race, there were no flats. Either up or down. They are the type of hills that are long enough to just get a taste of finding a groove until it changes on you completely. 

Thankfully, these trails are the California cruisers of lore. Sure, there were stream crossings and occasional rocky, rooty, or muddy segments. For the most part, though, the race took place on the buffed-out trails that the West Coast is known for.

Many a local commented on the treachery that was the 2024 edition because of the amount of moisture. Know that there’s potential for this to be a true mudslinger. That was far from the case this time around. Course records fell like fainting goats on a haunted hay ride. Conditions were optimal unless you happen to come from a cold climate. My house was 22℉ when I departed the day before. Temperatures rose to the low 70’s by noon. Did it feel good to be in that Cali spring-time sun? Heck, yeah! I simply wasn’t acclimated (nor am I ever) for hot and humid runs.  This is where the Nordic-inspired pastime of sauna throughout the winter will come in handy. 

Aid stations were plentifully stocked, consistent with goods, and well organized. Experienced and helpful volunteers were supportive and cheerful, as one would expect. Fully stocked aid stations were spread between four and five miles apart. Some had water-only aid even closer while the longest stretch between stations was seven miles for the day. It was a very manageable setup.

The Second Half of the Race

My lack of marathon shape caught up with me around miles 18-20. Everything before that had been glorious cruising through the trees and hills of Lake Sonoma. I started to feel the heat of both my competitive spirit and temps of the day. The sun was now high in the sky and I couldn’t hide behind the long cool shadows of the morning.

I had passed a couple of runners and a couple more were in sight. Then, like stepping on a garden rake, the final big climb at mile 21 caught me between the eyes. I was trying to be conservative enough throughout the day to try to run the majority of this. Nope. It was both steeper and longer than expected. And my quads started to remind me that they were unimpressed by my race day effort by cramping. My final miles were spent managing this issue. 

After cresting the climb somewhere in mile 22, the rest of the course is generally downhill with many undulations in between. If you have any legs to spare, you can certainly pick off runner after runner here. That wasn’t my case, I was just riding the line between relaxed running and getting quad lock. 

The marathon and Trail Sisters Half Marathon both run over the Warm Creek Springs Bridge before dropping down to party central via the same trail we started the day on. Music and the occasional bellow of the crowd were heard as I managed the last few switchbacks. Race director Gina Lucrezi (founder of Trail Sisters) met me at the finish with a high five and a custom bottle of red wine for finishers. Score!

(Editor’s note: Taylor finished in 9th place out of nearly 200 finishers with a time of 3:39:47)

The Post-Race Experience

I plopped in the shade to let my quads cool off. As I transitioned from racer to spectator, I realized my smile hadn’t worn off throughout the day. These types of events are about so much more than the views and singletrack. They are just as much about the community and the individual journeys that led us all here, to this place and time, to celebrate sport and life together. 

Lake Sonoma’s finish line area was just that – a celebration of it all. Bubbly (from local vineyards, of course) was poppin’, life-saving wood fired pizzas were slapped onto plates, Normatec boots were zipped on to victorious finisher’s legs in the Adidas Terrex Recovery Zone. After picking myself up, I chatted with Adidas Terrex athletes and staff, caught up with some friends I only see at these events, then snuck off to the shade with my pizza and beer to indulge and cheer on incoming runners. 

Perhaps my favorite addition was the flower station. The idea is that finishers or supporters had myriads of flowers to create a bouquet for participants. These types of unique touches add a lot. To my knowledge, Adidas Terrex is the only brand consistently providing this at races. My bouquet – shoutout to Belle from Pitchblend for the thoughtful gesture – now hangs upside down to dry in my home office as a memento from the weekend. 

At the end of the day, what I loved most about the Lake Sonoma 50 event was the beautiful composition that felt elite and hometown all at the same time. I’ve been to UTMB and toed the line at races where there were 15 starters. It’s a really hard endeavor to capture both sentiments in a single event, but I really believe the Lake Sonoma 50 did just that. The recipe of strong sponsorship support from Adidas Terrex, a dependable local running connection, utmost care for the running community, and beautiful trails created a highly desirable trail race.

Recovery never looked so fine as in Wine Country. Post-race, we took the vineyards for a little R&R – with wine and fine food of course.  

The Lake Sonoma 50 has a fairly optimal setup for any style of racing kit. I tend to go with the light and fast mentality which worked wonderfully for me. 

I brought with me a couple of options for footwear. If conditions were good, as they were, the obvious choice was the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra. Even though there’s a ton of hills, this is still quite a runnable course. The more aggressive posture, high energy underfoot combination, and subdued Continental rubber outsole was a perfect recipe for this course. 

 If rain and mud commanded the course, I would have aired on the side of the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed for a little more grip and a little  less rip.

In general, it’s good to go a half size down with both of these options for daily runs and shorter races. I typically wear a US Men’s 10.5 but the 10 was a nice choice for the marathon. If I ever come back for the 50, I would wear a 10.5 to give a little extra volume in the forefoot but still reap the benefits of that luscious and energetic Lightstrike Pro foam. 

Knowing that I wanted some specific fuel, I opted for the belt and handheld combo. I wasn’t the only one on course sporting the Raide LF 2FL belt. It fits a lot with literally zero bounce. I had my phone, a buff, a full 16oz. flask, and a handful of gels with a lot of room to spare. 

My favorite handheld option is the Ultimate Direction Clutch Wrap. It’s so lightweight and simple and allows for any size of soft flask. Honestly, it’s one of the most underrated pieces of gear out there. 

We talked about the shoes already, but Adidas Terrex has some great clothing options too. I wore the Xperior Shorts which had a 5” inseam. Besides the light recycled polyester fabric, the fit was on point, and the integrated waist belt was formulated better than any other pair of trail shorts I have worn. The Terrex Xperior Climacool+ Tee complemented the shorts nicely with a similar material that was breathable and lightweight for race day. 

Some sort of wool can always be found on my feet. It simply offers the best combination of comfort, moisture wicking, and heat management. Smartwool PhD Pro socks have a merino wool blend that consistently shows up for me.

Final Thoughts

When I think about my Lake Sonoma weekend, it was littered with simple but solid highlights that mean a lot to me as a trail runner and participant in this event. 

Quality is one of the adjectives that wraps this all up well. Every detail was thought over for the runner’s experience. I often come away from race weekends thinking about the logistics and potential tweaks to make an event better, but Lake Sonoma really doesn’t have anything for me to say otherwise. It was simply that good. 

My family is typically in tow to all my races. Some are great for that. Some events they probably should have stayed home. Lake Sonoma is a very family-friendly event with lots to do and simple logistics for everyone. From the nearby towns, Lake Sonoma State Park to enjoy, abundance of stay options, and other recreational activities in the area, I would not hesitate a moment to bring the whole fam. 

As said before, Lake Sonoma 50 and Adidas Terrex mesh the best of the best with  a down to earth vibe. I sincerely hope I have the chance to return to this race again. Kudos! 

Places to Go:

If you’re looking for a few recommendations in town, here are a few places that we went that I thoroughly enjoyed.

• Healdsburg Running Company
• Lo and Behold
• Spoonbar
• Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie
• Fluffy Cream Do-Nuts & Coffee Shop
• Davero Farms & Winery