Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K 2026
Forecast published: 19°F feels-like at the coldest, 52°F at the warmest, no notable rain.
Here you'll find the elevation profile, an estimated finish time based on your UTMB Index and details of the 6 aid stations to plan your nutrition and hydration segment by segment.
What's your time based on your UTMB?
Times estimated by the RAVIT model, learned from real ultra-trail finish times. Enter your UTMB Index (utmb.world) to get a personalized estimate.
Cut-off times and crew - Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K · 2026
Data from the official race rules, checked for every edition. The race rules prevail. Positions are interpolated along the GPX track and are a guide, not official course marking.
What you'll find at each aid station
| Product | 5.5mi Joplin Ridge WATER ONLYkm 8.5 | 12mi Cathey Canyon FULL AIDkm 19.5 | 15.5mi Atkinson FULL AIDkm 25.2 | 19.5mi Alamo Peak Rd FULL AIDkm 31.0 | 25.5mi Karr-C FR 636 FULL AIDkm 40.8 | 30mi Trailhead WATER ONLYkm 49.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | available | available | available | available | available | available |
| Brand products | unavailable | available | available | available | available | unavailable |
Elevation profile
The course and its aid stations
Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K: times, aid-station stops and fuelling needs by UTMB® Index
Between a UTMB® Index of 500 and 800, the estimated finish time on this race runs from 8h11 to 4h58, and the aid-station stop budget from 0h18 to 0h06. The longer the race, the more stops weigh: this is time you should plan to spend standing still, not only running.
Source
| UTMB® Index | Estimated time | Of which stops | Night hours | Carbs | Fluid | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | 8h11 | 0h18 | 1 | 491 g | 5.7 L | 4,091 mg |
| 550 | 7h30 | 0h15 | 1 | 450 g | 5.3 L | 3,752 mg |
| 600 | 6h46 | 0h12 | 1 | 406 g | 4.7 L | 3,380 mg |
| 650 | 6h12 | 0h10 | 1 | 372 g | 4.3 L | 3,099 mg |
| 700 | 5h43 | 0h08 | 1 | 343 g | 4 L | 2,855 mg |
| 750 | 5h22 | 0h07 | 1 | 322 g | 3.8 L | 2,681 mg |
| 800 | 4h58 | 0h06 | 1 | 298 g | 3.5 L | 2,483 mg |
Figures based on 60 g of carbohydrate, 700 mL of fluid and 500 mg of sodium per hour, "average" preparation and mild conditions (15–25 °C). Above 25 °C, count on roughly 900 mL/h and 700 mg/h. Carbohydrate intake is trained: 60 g/h is a floor, 90 g/h assumes a glucose-fructose blend and a gut used to it.
Other trails worth preparing for
- Elk-King 50K48 km · 1,943 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Rogue Gorge 5081 km · 862 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Man against horse77 km · 1,910 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Pumpkin Holler 50K50 km · 551 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Tecumseh 50K50 km · 1,067 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Horseshoe Bend 50 Mile81 km · 1,108 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Wild Duluth 50K48 km · 1,511 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Lake Sonoma 5081 km · 2,922 m D+ · October 17, 2026
- Fort Collins - Marathon43 km · 1,162 m D+ · October 18, 2026
Sources and method
- Time projection — times by UTMB Index are taken from the actual splits of runners in each level band on previous editions of this race, aid station stops included. No formula is used as long as these results exist.
- Trail nutrition — hourly targets for carbohydrate, fluid and sodium follow the commonly accepted ultra-endurance guidance. La Clinique du Coureur — Fuelling in trail running
- Course, aid stations and cut-offs — taken from the event's official rules, which prevail in case of any discrepancy. Official site — Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K
Weather for Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K
Section-by-section forecasts for Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K, calculated at the estimated passing time: feels-like temperature, rain or snow, wind and thunderstorms. Three models — AROME (Météo-France), ICON (DWD) and ECMWF IFS — served from the finest to the farthest-reaching.
Forecasts for a 600 UTMB Index runner, at their estimated passage time. Start Sat, 10/17 06:00 AM: Clear night, 46°F. Coldest: 19°F feels-like at 12mi Cathey Canyon FULL AID (Sat, 10/17 08:32 AM); warmest: 52°F at Finish (Sat, 10/17 12:45 PM). No notable rain forecast on the course. Gusts up to 29 mph at Finish.
Forecast, not guaranteed: in the mountains a model describes a grid of several hundred meters, not the slope you're on.
Weather data: Météo-France (AROME), DWD (ICON), ECMWF (IFS) — CC BY 4.0, via Open-Meteo
Frequently asked questions
How many checkpoints?
Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K has 7 checkpoints: 4 aid stations, 2 water points, and 1 checkpoint with undocumented contents. Details are in the two tables above.
What's the longest segment without aid?
The one leading to 12mi Cathey Canyon FULL AID: 11.0 km and 665 m elevation gain. That's the one to load up for first.
How do I find the exact location of an aid station?
The Google Maps icon in the “Access” column opens the aid station's location: handy for planning your crew's routes.
What distance and elevation gain?
Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K is 52 km long with 2584 m of elevation gain.
How long to finish?
With a UTMB Index of 600 (average runner), the estimated time is around 6h46 for Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K.
What's the weather forecast?
Forecast published: 19°F feels-like at the coldest, 52°F at the warmest, no notable rain. RAVIT publishes the weather for Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K section by section: feels-like temperature, rain or snow, wind and storms, at the estimated passage time. Forecasts come from AROME (Météo-France), ICON (DWD) and ECMWF IFS, refreshed several times a day.
Want to stack the odds in your favor for Cactus to Cloud Sky Race 50K?
In 2 minutes, RAVIT generates your complete plan: segment-by-segment time, carbs, water and sodium at every aid station, printable roadbook.
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