Crystal Cove Trail Run
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About the race
The Crystal Cove Trail Run on December 12, 2026 is a trail running event organized by SoCalTrail at Crystal Cove State Park, El Moro, near Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, California. The event features multiple distances that run on coastal and inland trails with fire road climbs, ridgeline descents and single-track sections. The 15K course includes the Rock Garden, Elevator and the Wall and shares the same start and finish area as the shorter races.
Distances:
- 15K (El Moro) 9.35 miles, 1,647 feet of vertical, includes technical sections and features.
- 6K (Cut-Across) 4.1 miles, 696 feet of vertical.
- Kids 1K 0.52 miles, 22 feet of vertical, runs around the nature preserve.
The 15K has three aid stations stocked with water, Skratch Hydration and Crank e-Gels; the 6K has one aid station with the same supplies. All courses are marked with flour, ribbons and directional signs. On-site race day parking is available for a $15 fee (card only); overflow parking is provided at the Reef parking lot, a short one-mile warm-up north on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Event amenities include race shirts, hand-crafted finisher medals, free course photography, a vegan-friendly breakfast, a post-race beer garden for 21+, sports massage by Vision for Enrichment and same-day results. The 15K offers a $2,000 prize purse with podium payouts of $500, $300 and $200 for top finishers, and age-group awards are presented for both sexes and non-binary podium places. Volunteers earn race credits paid at $15 per hour and receive event swag and meals. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
