Cardiac, K2, Knickerbocker, and Overlook – four formidable hills that provided inspiration for the naming of the FOURmidable 50K trail race, held annually since 2012 in Auburn, CA. It is not that these hills have eyes (a reference to the masterpiece horror film), but these hills do have names that may spook a trail runner or two. On the other hand, there could be an inherent excitement to which the runners look forward as they conquer the ascents and descents on this ever-challenging course.
The FOURmidable 50K is one of the most competitive 50Ks in the nation. The race served as the USATF 50K Championship in both 2017 and 2019 and has attracted some of the country’s top trail runners over the years including Dani Moreno, Rachel Drake, Stephanie Howe, Addie Bracy, YiOu Wang, Max King, David Sinclair, Cole Watson, and Tim Tollefson. The 2023 race, scheduled for February 18, will be the first race of the year offering selection spots for Team USA, which will compete at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria, June 6-10, 2023. The top two men and women in the 50K will receive automatic spots on the 40K Short Trail Team competing at the World Championships.
Other Team USA selection races include Lake Sonoma 50 Mile (April 8), Sunapee Scramble (April 29-30), and the Breakneck Point Marathon (May 6). Learn more about Team USA qualifying opportunities for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championship here.
Paulo Medina, who has been the race director for the FOURmidable 50K since 2014, speaks on what it means for his event to serve as a selection race this year, “It is always a great pleasure to host this race and to host everyone, from the elite to the back of the pack runners. It is always fun to have really fast runners tackle our course. We take a lot of pride in hosting one of the most difficult 50K races in our area. For this reason, it is always fun to see what the elite runners can do to better themselves.”
Photo by Paulo Medina.
The Course
In addition to the four notorious climbs throughout the course, there is an equally formidable 6,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain. The course is largely a singletrack forest trail with less than one mile of road and consists of short, punchy climbs and descents through canyons and forests outside of Auburn, CA. The route takes participants on the iconic Western States trail. Many of our members might be familiar with one of the country’s most famous trail races, the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, which also follows this route. The course also takes runners over the American River and into the nearby mountain town of Cool, CA. Due to early spring precipitation and proximity to the river, it’s common for the route to be a “mud-fest” and for trails to be sloppy and slippery. Participants should definitely prepare to get dirty and brace themselves for falling in this race.
Medina describes some of the key challenges of his race and how it prepares elite athletes for racing internationally, “The way the course is run definitely keeps everyone on their toes. Specifically, as runners come towards the finish line, they find themselves dropping towards the river, then have to climb out to reach the finish line. We believe our race and our trails will bring the best of every runner, and the USA team spots will go to the most deserving individual.”
Prize money for the race will be based on donations during race registration by participants. The event organizing company, Single Track Running, will match 100% of the donations up to $3,000. The pool of money will be divided equally between men and men. In each gender category, fifty percent will go to first place, thirty percent to second place, and twenty percent to third place. Additionally, there will be a $500 bonus for breaking the course records. The men’s and women’s records are held respectively by Max King (3:32:36), set in 2017, and Stephanie Howe (4:10:16), set in 2018.
Runners to Watch
Runners to watch include Ashley Brasovan (2021 Speedgoat 50K champion and multiple-time Team USA Mountain and Trail athlete), YiOu Wang (2017 FOURmidable 50K champion), Jonathan Aziz (2022 Pikes Peak Marathon Champion), Seth Demoor (2020 Pikes Peak Marathon Champion), Morgan Elliot (Team USA athlete and 2019 Georgia Death Race champion), Nicolas Turco (6th place finisher at the 2020 Moab Trail Marathon), Emkay Sulivan (2022 Way Too Cool 50K Champion), Kimber Mattox (4th place finisher at the 2022 UTMB OCC), and Seth Ruhling (2021 Broken Arrow 50K Champion).
Medina shares his thoughts on working with USATF and being able to offer Team USA spots for his event, “We have grown the race from its early days of less than thirty runners to now being able to offer Team USA selection spots. Working with USATF has been a great source of information and knowledge to be able to host an event of this quality and magnitude. We have yet to find another race that serves french fries at the finish line… I think that in itself is worth the trip out to Auburn this February for our race, FOURMIDABLE.”
Photo by Paulo Medina.
In an effort to promote #cleansport, athletes who participate in the Team USA competitions are subject to drug testing performed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in accordance with the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing.
