RACE ROUTE

The 508 is generally considered “The toughest 48-Hours in Sport”. Participants start/finish in Borrego Springs, CA - a small town (population 3,500), located in the Anza Borrego Desert. The town is an “in-holding” in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, the largest State Park in California, the second largest in the USA. The route is comprised of 4 loops which total 507.7 miles with 37,860 feet of elevation gain. All loops start and finish at the host hotel - Borrego Springs Resort (BSR).

Following are the 4 loops:

Loop 1 – Coast Range Loop (204.6 miles; 15,400 feet elevation gain)
Loop 2 – Stage Coach Loop (137.7 miles; 7,197 feet elevation gain)
Loop 3 – Palomar Loop (113.3 miles; 10,716 feet elevation gain)
Loop 4 – Texas Dip Loop (52.1 miles; 4,568 feet)

Total Route Distance: 507.7 miles with 37,881 feet elevation gain

The primary benefits of a 4-loop route are 1) self-supporting riders have a lighter load to carry; 2) self-supporting riders have a central location where they can take a quick sleep break; 3) participants have more and better options when retiring from the event; 4) event officials can cover more ground efficiently; 5) more options to re-route in the event of force majeure (fire, flooding, etc.); and 6) affords faster response times for emergency vehicles and race staff in emergency situations. Also, in a 500-mile event, having progressively shorter loops helps sustain motivation - participants are closer to home base as miles in the saddle grow and fatigue sets in.

Full Route GPS Link

Summary Route Descriptions

The 508 route encompasses incredibly diverse terrain, including the Sonoran Desert and the Peninsular Ranges, part of the Pacific Coastal Range which stretches from Alaska to Mexico. Riders will pass through desert, coastal sage scrub, chaparral and conifer forests.

Loop 1 – Coast Range Loop

The Coast Range Loop is a “double century”. Riders start in the Anza Borrego Desert, head west into the peaks and valleys of the Peninsular Range – the southern extension of the Coast Range. Riders drop down to within a few miles of the Coast before heading back across the mountains to the desert.

Before leaving the desert, participants will ride a 10-mile “warm-up” – a portion of the primary loop used in the 6-12-24 World Time Trial Championships Riders will then climb up Montezuma Grade - 3,600 ft over 15 miles. This is followed by a 60-mile rolling descent through forest, avocado and citrus orchards, nurseries and ranches, into the San Luis Rey River bottom land. From mile 13.5 to mile 84.2 riders will follow the RAAM route in reverse. At mile 90.2 riders climb Sleeping Indian – according to Solo RAAM veteran Pete Penseyres, the steepest climb on RAAM - out of the San Luis Rey Valley up through Fallbrook into the Santa Rita Hills, before crossing the Elsinore Fault System at mile 112 and dropping down into Temecula.

Leaving Temecula, riders head south through Rainbow Valley, across the San Luis Rey. At mile 124 riders begin re-tracing their outbound route – and at mile 135 following the RAAM route - back through Valley Center and up past Lake Henshaw. At mile 170.9, riders turn right onto San Felipe Valley Rd. continuing on the RAAM route. At mile 175.7, the RAAM route turns left. Here riders leave the outbound 508 route – and the RAAM Route – and continue south on San Felipe Rd, over Teofulio Summit, descending into Shelter Valley and the Anza Borrego Desert. At mile 187.8, riders turn left onto SH 78, continue east to mile 194.5 where they turn left on Yaqui Pass Rd, continue up over Yaqui Pass at mile 196.4 and down into Borrego Springs.

Points of interest:

Riders cross the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail at mile 31.3 outbound and mile 187.8 returning. The PCNST is the longest designated hiking trail in the world – 2650 miles from Mexico to Canada. By comparison the Appalachian Trail is a mere 2197 miles.
The Butterfield Stage Coach-Overland Mail Route operated from 1858 to 1861, providing transportation and carrying mail between San Francisco and St. Louis. Riders follow the old Stage Route from mile 32.4 to mile 37.0 outbound and mile 170.8 to mile 187.8inbound on San Felipe Valley Rd.

Loop 1 GPS Link

Loop 2 – Stage Coach Route

The entire loop is within the Anza Borrego Desert, the extreme western extension of the Colorado Desert which is the western portion of the great Sonoran Desert. There are 2 modest climbs out and 3 modest climbs back. Riders may recognize having ridden a portion of Loop 1.

Riders depart BSR heading southeast where at mile 7.9 the highway crosses the 1.1-mile wide San Felipe Wash. The wash carries water from storms in the peaks and valleys of the Peninsular Ranges to the Salton Sea. During Spring blooming flowers in the Wash can be spectacular. At mile 9.4 riders turn left onto SH 78 and begin the first climb - 1800 ft of elevation gain over 23 miles. Along the way riders enter Shelter Valley, cross the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and pick up the historic Butterfield Stage and Overland Mail Route. At mile 32.6 riders begin a long, gradual descent – 1987 ft over 22.6 miles. Riders pass through Agua Caliente Springs at mile 46.8. At mile 55.6 riders begin the 2nd climb, a short but steep climb – 639 ft over 5.5 miles. From here riders gradually descend 945 ft over 11 miles. At mile 64.4 there is a US Border Patrol Station. Southbound riders do not have to stop. Riders will pass through Ocotillo, under I-8, to the turn-around point - Chevron gas station & convenience store at mile 72.8

After leaving the Chevron station, riders re-trace their route to Borrego Springs. Riders will pass through the US Border Patrol Station – mile 81.2 – on the way back. Riders and support crew members should have their IDs ready in the unlikely event an agent may request your ID. At mile 127.6 riders will turn left on Yaqui Pass Rd, head up over Yaqui Pass at mile 129.5 and down into Borrego Springs.

Points of interest:

Riders follow the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail from mile 24.7 to mile 25.9.
Riders follow the Butterfield Stage Coach-Overland Mail Route from mile 25.8 to mile 91.1.

Loop 2 GPS Link

Loop 3 – Palomar Loop

This loop quickly leaves the Anza Borrego Desert and enters the Peninsular Ranges. The loop features 3 climbs – the 1st begins moderate and finishes steep; the 2nd is steep and the 3rd is relatively easy. Riders may recognize having ridden portions of Loop 1 and Loop 2 (in both directions).

Riders head south, up over Yaqui Pass, down onto SH 78. Riders will head west on SH 78 to Banner Ranch and up Banner Grade. It’s pretty much a steady climb from Joining SH 78 at mile 9.7 to mile 27.4 – 2755 ft over 17.8 miles. Following the climb, the riders descend through Wynola to Santa Ysabel. Heading north on SH 79 out of Santa Ysabel, at mile 35.6 riders turn left onto Mesa Grande Rd and follow it to SH 76 where they turn left heading northwest past Lake Henshaw. At mile 50.2 riders turn right onto East Grade Rd, cross the San Luis Rey River and begin the 2nd climb up – 2583 ft over 11.3 miles – to mile 61.5 - the high point on the route. From here riders turn left onto South Grade Rd and begin a steep winding descent - 2670 ft over 6.3 miles - to SH 76.

At mile 68.2 riders turn left onto SH 76 and head east toward Borrego Springs. Riders are now on the RAAM route. At mile 72.1 riders begin a long, gradual climb – 1936 ft over 25.7 miles – past Lake Henshaw, the Mataguay Scout Camp, the historic Warner Ranch, through Ranchita, before topping out - 4223 ft at mile 97.8. Here begins a long descent the RAAM riders worldwide refer to as the “glass elevator”. The descent starts out innocent enough – a straight section across open terrain, followed by some sweeping curves into a canyon. As riders pick up speed, the turns become sharper, the road is soon hanging on the side of the mountains with spectacular views of the Anza Borrego Desert, with Borrego Springs at the base of the mountains and Salton Sea in the distance. At mile 107.5 the slope flattens out a bit and the turns become more gradual. At mile 108.6 riders turn right, heading east on Palm Canyon Drive into the heart of Borrego Springs and Christmas Circle. Locals call this 1.4 mile stretch of Palm Canyon Drive, “The Landing Strip”.

Points of interest:

Riders will cross or pass by several indigenous reservations, including Santa Ysabel, Mesa Grande, and La Jolla.
Riders cross the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail at mile 16.7 on the outbound portion of the loop and mile 92.3 on the inbound portion of the loop.
Riders cross the historic Butterfield Stage-Overland Mail Route at mile 17.1 on the outbound portion on the loop. They follow the Butterfield Stage-Overland Mail Route on an inbound portion of the loop - a 4.6-mile section of S22 – from mile 86.6 to mile 91.2.
The Yeti at Ranchita Store – mile 96.3 – is a well-known stopping point for local riders.

Loop 3 GPS Link

Loop 4 – Texas Dip Loop

The “finishing loop” is a simple clockwise loop. This loop features a short, relatively flat stretch of desert, followed by a long, steady climb - interrupted by a couple of short descents, a steep, fast descent and another short, flat stretch of desert. Riders will recognize having ridden portions of this route on Loops 1 and 2 (in reverse), and Loop 3.

Riders leave Borrego Springs headed south, up and over Yaqui Pass, down to SH 78 and west into Shelter Valley. At mile 16.8 they turn right and head up San Felipe Valley Rd, following the historic Butterfield Stage Coach-Overland Mail route. At mile 29 they turn right onto S22/Montezuma Valley Rd, following the RAAM route, through Ranchita, past the Yeti, 18.9 miles down the “Glass Elevator” to Christmas Circle and back to BSR.

Points of interest:

Riders cross the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail at mile 16.7 and again at mile 30.0.
Riders follow the historic Butterfield Stage-Overland Mail Route up San Felipe Rd (mile 16.8 to mile 29.0).
The Yeti at Ranchita Store – mile 34.1 – is a well-known stopping point for local riders.

Loop 4 GPS Link