Not all of the WS course is accessible to the general public on race weekend. Many of the checkpoints are restricted to race officials only, due to limited space for parking and to the need to keep the narrow access roads clear for fire and rescue equipment. Members of the press are asked to request press credentials well in advance of the race.
You can, however, see a lot of the race (and related activities) first hand:
- Olympic Valley Start: On the Friday of race weekend, you can observe the check-in process and listen in on the runner briefings. You can also watch the Race start at 5:00 AM on Saturday morning, although it is still quite dark at that hour.
- Robinson Flat Checkpoint: The front runners start to arrive after about 9:00 AM, Saturday, and continue coming through until the 1:50 PM cutoff time. Note that Robinson can only be reached via the Foresthill Divide Road out of Foresthill. Allow about an hour for the trip as the road, although paved, is narrow and steep in places. Parking is very limited at Robinson: you will need to park about a mile short of Robinson Flat at Sailor Bar and take a shuttle bus to the aid station.
- Foresthill Checkpoint: The front runners start to arrive as early as 2:00 PM, depending on trail/weather conditions. There is plenty of parking available in town and lots of places to view the runners. They will enter the checkpoint area in front of the school just north of downtown and proceed along the main street before rejoining the trail at the south end of town. The latest time for runners to reach Foresthill is about midnight.
- Placer HS Stadium Finish: The first runner may arrive as early as 7:00 PM. 24-hour runners must arrive by 5:00 AM, Sunday morning; 30-hour runners by 11:00 AM. Runner progress information is available from volunteers with laptops near the finish line, and runners are identified by the announcer as they enter the stadium for their “home stretch.”
