DC Peaks 55k · Oct 2, 2027
DC Peaks 55k Race Guide
- Elevation gain
- 7,800’
- Descent
- ~6,950’
- Distance
- 35 miles
- High point
- 9,085’
- Time limit
- Leave Mueller Park by 5:00 PM
Explore it in 3D
The course
A big climb, a big descent, and the best finish in Davis County.
It starts at an LDS church in Centerville. Warm up on a ¼ mile of road and get ready for a big climb of over 4,000’ up Zig Zag to Bountiful Peak. From there you turn around and head back down, finishing the race exactly the same as the 50 miler.
Bomb down Zig Zag, head over towards Bountiful and enjoy the new trails. These are some of the most popular hiking trails in Mueller Park, and the race ends at Tunnel Springs Park in North Salt Lake. It’s a tough course with approximately 7,800’ of vertical gain.
Crew accessNo crewStart / finish
Pick an aid station on the map, in the list or on the elevation chart to fly to that section and see what it takes to get there. Crew access No crew
Map is for planning only — use the official GPX on race day. Section gain and descent are from the race team (≈ marks approximate numbers).
Oct 2, 2027
Event schedule
- ThuSep 30
Packet pickup & drop bags
2:00 – 6:00 PM
1Solar, 819 N Lagoon Dr, Farmington, UT
Out front of the building on the grass area. Also open Fri, Oct 1, 2:00 – 6:00 PM.
- SatOct 2
- SatOct 2
- SatOct 2
At a glance
Aid stations
| Station | Mile | Crew | Pacers | Drop bag | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start – Centerville | 0 | Yes | — | No | — |
| Bountiful Peak | 7.8 | No | No | No | — |
| Zig Zag | 15 | No | Start | No | — |
| Mueller Park | 19.9 | Yes | Start | Yes | 5:00 PM |
| Summerwood | 29.9 | No | No | No | — |
| Finish – Tunnel Springs Park | 35 | Yes | — | Pick up | — |
Station names with a link open the map pin.
Pacers welcome — multiple OK, one at a time. Pacers can start at Zig Zag (mile 15) and Mueller Park (mile 20).
Crew & pacers
Pacers
- Pacers may not start or stop at Bountiful Peak.
- Pacers don’t check in at aid stations. If your runner didn’t pick up the pacer bib at packet pickup, the pacer can get one at their starting aid station.
- Runners add their pacer’s info on the runner check-in. Pacers don’t fill it out.
Crews
- Crew assistance is allowed only at the start, Mueller Park and the finish.
- Zig Zag: no crew. Pacers can be dropped off at the bottom and walk up.
- Bountiful Peak has dirt road access, but keep it clear for runners and aid station staff. No crew there.
- One drop bag, at Mueller Park. Start-line clothes go to the finish as a separate service, not a drop bag.
Essential runner information
Course markings
Official course markings
We use blue DC Peaks flags and signs on the course. We do not use any ribbons.
Offline GPX navigation
Download the required GPX navigation file before race day: DC Peaks 55k GPX.
Important trail notice
The “trail police” have removed markings every year, which has caused us to go bald from stress! Do not rely solely on physical flags.
What to expect on course
At the aid stations
Hydration & supplies
- Water & ice
- Electrolyte drink
- Salt tablets
- First aid
- Sunscreen
Soda & energy drinks
- Coke
- Ginger ale
- Lemonade Rockstar
- Mountain Dew (select stations)
Quick snacks
- PB&J sandwiches
- Chips & crackers
- Cookies & donut holes
- Fruit & candy
- Boiled potatoes
- Pickles
Hot food
- Bountiful Peak: quesadillas
- Zig Zag: pizza & ramen noodles
Essential runner information
Safety & weather
Course safety & rescue
- Side-by-side vehicles are available on course to transport runners off the mountain in emergencies.
- Medical staff are stationed along the course to assist injured runners.
Emergency communications
- Race command is at the finish line with race director Jake Kilgore. The captain of the ham radio operators works there with him and coordinates with him in person.
- Aid stations reach race command by calling or texting over their Starlink, which works even where there’s no cell service. The ham radio operators at the stations are the backup.
- Sweepers stay in touch by phone; most of the course has cell service. The ham radio operators are the backup for the sweepers and for the Starlinks.
- Radio channels are set by the ham radio operators on race day, once they’re in position on the course.
- In an emergency, aid station volunteers call 911 first, then race command. The ham radio captain at the finish calls Search & Rescue and coordinates any rescue. An incident is closed when Search & Rescue or the ham radio captain confirms the runner is safe and tells the race directors. For anything that isn’t an emergency, volunteers can request help through our aid station app.
Tracking & navigation
- Runner check-in/out: strict logging at every aid station so we always know your location.
- Between aid stations, most of the course has cell service, and most of the high-country sweeping is done by ATV on service roads. If a sweeper is more than an hour past their expected time and we can’t reach them by phone, we send someone down the trail to find them.
- Mandatory GPX download: download the main and alternate route GPX files before race day. They’re essential for staying on the correct path in remote sections.
Course cleanup
- Sweepers follow the last runner on every section and pull every flag and sign. They check off their shift in our app, and aid station captains can’t leave until their sweeper arrives with all the course markings.
- Every aid station has its own garbage cans. At the lower stations the trash goes straight into a U-Haul we leave there, and everything comes back to DC Peaks headquarters, where we dispose of it.
Mountain weather
- Weather in the peaks shifts drastically without warning.
- Be prepared for all conditions: extreme heat, freezing cold, rain, snow, and severe wind.
- Check the mountain forecast continuously leading up to race day.
Essential runner information
Medical & emergency
Layton Hospital
201 Layton Pkwy, Layton, UT 84041
801-543-6000Lakeview Hospital
630 Medical Dr, Bountiful, UT 84010
801-299-2200Davis County Search & Rescue
800 West State Street, Farmington, UT
801-451-4100
Dedicated emergency support is available throughout the race.
DC Peaks 55k
Race rules & guidelines
The race rules, plus the deferral and cancellation policy, are on the Course Info page.