The Mammoth 200 Course Preview for 2026!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Play The Mammoth 200⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Video Game!

Learn about our Patreon Offers!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DistancetoEmptyPod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get some free DTE Swag by supporting out sponsors!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://janji.com/pages/distance-to-empty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to select 'podcast' > 'Distance to Empty' on the post purchase "How did you hear about Janji" page. Thank you!

Check out Mount to Coast here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mounttocoast.com/discount/Distance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kevin and Peter break down the 2026 Mammoth 200 course, just days before race weekend. Kevin ran the race last year and shares his memories of each section, while Peter, who hasn't run it, serves as emotional support co-host. They cover what's changed for 2026 and go through the course section by section, with difficulty ratings, crew tips, and where things get tough.

What's new in 2026

• Start time is 9 AM, an hour later than last year, and the race is a week later in the calendar
• The course is now billed at 218 miles (up from 214), and the cutoff has been extended to 109 hours
• GU Energy Labs replaces Never Second as the nutrition sponsor, and all aid stations are cupless
• Duck Pass (mile 17) is now water only
• The first crew-accessible stop is now CRC at mile 24, about 8 miles sooner than last year's Sherwin Creek
• The longest gap between aid stations is now 15.4 miles (CRC to Convict Lake)
• Crowley Lake has moved to the ball field
• Green Church is now Watterson Summit
• Lee Vining has moved to Gus Hess Community Park, with an outdoor sleep station
• Runners now pass under Highway 395 at the Rush Creek Overpass instead of crossing with a crossing guard
• Walker Lake is now a full aid station
• There's a new water drop at the bottom of the Parker Bench descent
• June Lake Junction replaces Obsidian Dome, and Upper Deadman (Glass Creek) replaces Inyo Craters
• The indoor Main Lodge aid station (mile 207) replaces Minaret Vista, followed by a steeper, shorter climb to the summit

The course by the numbers

• 218 miles, roughly 31,000 feet of gain and loss
• High point of 11,053 feet, with an average elevation around 8,000 feet
• A loop around a caldera roughly 760,000 years old

Section-by-section highlights

• Village to CRC: the Dragon's Back descent is the most technical part of the course
• CRC to Crowley Lake: a hot valley-floor gravel road, then the Convict Lake loop at sunset
• Crowley Lake to Watterson Summit: sandy, punchy double track and the Lion's Den tunnel
• Watterson to Sawmill to Taylor Canyon: some of the hardest miles on the course, with pumice, exposure, and a non-crew aid station
• Taylor Canyon to Crater Mountain: fast, runnable double track through Jeffrey pine forest
• Crater Mountain to Lee Vining: moonscape views, a long descent, and one easy-to-miss turn
• Lee Vining to Upper Deadman: Parker Bench, an overgrown descent, and a steep climb out of June Lake
• The final push: Main Lodge, the summit, and a 3,000-foot descent to the village

Kevin and Peter also share crew logistics, including a reminder to double-check driving directions to Watterson Summit and Crooked Meadows, since Google Maps often gets them wrong. They wrap up with advice for the weekend: be ready for anything the Sierra weather throws at you, and keep troubleshooting.

Important: Always verify details against the current official race and course manual, since changes often happen after recording.

Also mentioned

• The Canal Corridor Hundred on October 10, where Kevin and Peter are running
• The free Oregon Trail-style Mammoth video game (link in show notes)
• The Meet the Mammoth series and last year's course preview with Hillary

Sponsors

• Janji: Order, choose "podcast" then "Distance to Empty" on the post-purchase survey, and send us a screenshot for free Distance to Empty swag.
• Mount to Coast: Use code DISTANCE for 10% off.

Support the show: Check out our Patreon for coaching options (first link in the show notes).