Race Starting Location:
4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, CA
The Griffith Park Trail Marathon is a Running race in Los Angeles, California consisting of a Marathon.
The Griffith Park Trail Marathon and 50k was created by Keira Henninger to give an opportunity for runners to accomplish running on trails longer than they ever imagined possible. You will cross paths with every historical landmark that Griffith Park has to offer, and experience the magic of what this special place has to see. This course will have ten well stocked and well manned aid stations, and no detail will be overlooked in the process to make this the best experience a runner could have on the trails. All runners will have 9.5 hours to complete this magical Trail Event.
It will start and finish in the same location as our sister race the aGriffith Park 10ka , and even touch on some amazing parts of our Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon course. This event will also offer a trail half marathon and 50k!
50k Course
MILE 1 - 1.4
The start line of this race is just a few feet below the old zoo in the huge beautiful grass area. Follow the trail markings from the start line up to the right side of the huge grass area, and then onto the single track trail to the right of the chain link fence. Follow this up to the upper old zoo trail. Go left at the half mile mark on the old zoo trail. Follow the old zoo trail for another 3/4 of a mile until it bends to the right. Go right, and uphill here. On your left look for my volunteers who will direct you onto the wooden steps and then down the beautiful atrium single track trail. Follow this for about a 1/4 mile until it dead ends onto the lower beacon trail. You will hit aid station #1: Lower Beacon Trail
MILES 1.4 - 4.0
From here go right up lower Beacon trail. Head up Lower Beacon Trail. At about a mile go right on Coolidge trail. At the 2.2 mile mark you will come to a 5 way intersection, and see my volunteer. He will direct you to make a sharp left. Follow this trail straight up to Joe Klass water station. You will not hit aid station #2 Joe Klass.
MILES 4.0 - 5.5
Go straight and up towards the right on the paved road which is Vista Del Valle Drive. Run up the road past all the construction. It will bend to the right, and then you will see a green shed on your left. Look for my volunteer here to direct you where to go which is left and DOWN (NOT UP) the lower trail which is the Riverside trail. Follow the Riverside trail for about a mile until it dead ends and drops you at Vermont street. Go RIGHT! The trail will hug the right side. Follow this for about a 1/4 mile all the way to the Bird Sanctuary. You are now at aid station #3: Bird Sanctuary
MILES 5.5 - 10
Run just past the bird sanctuary, and look for the little trail just past the chain link fence on your right. Go up this. Follow this all the way up for about a mile until you hit the top where it spits you out at mile 6.4, and you will now be just below Dante's view. This is a 5 way intersection, and where we call the Charlie Brown Christmas tree spot! Go left here, and run down the Holllywood trail to the observatory parking lot, high five my volunteer, and then retrace your steps back up to the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Stay straight here, and go up and to the RIGHT. My volunteers will direct you which way to go. You are now on MT Hollywood trail. Take this to Dante's view (water fountain) mile 8.5, and go left. Run up the hogback trail for just a short distance, and then make a slight left to merge onto the 3 mile trail. Follow this down just a half mile until it dead ends at MT Hollywood Drive, and go right. Follow the paved road for about another 1/2 mile, and then go right on the North Trail. Follow this up to the right, and then down the single track pipes until it meets up with the lower north trail. Go left here. Follow this straight past two intersections until it finally dead ends at Vista Del Valle Drive. It will curve to the left, and turn into MT Hollywood road. You will now hit the MT Hollywood road aid station.
MILES 10 - 12.5
MILES 12.5 - 15.5
Leaving the aid station head north east back down Vista Del Valle Drive to the upper north trail, and go right. At about a 1/4 mile stay straight at the 3 way intersection following back the same way you came. Run about a 1/2 mile, and go right at the pipes single track. Follow this back down to the lower north trail, and go left to run down to MT Hollywood road. Go left here. Follow this for about a 1/2 mile, and then go left onto the 3 mile trail. About a 1/2 mile up run straight through the 5 way intersection. When you arrive at Dante's view go right. Follow this down to the Charlie Brown tree, and take the middle single track all the way back down to the bird sanctuary. You are now at mile 15.5 aid station- bird sanctuary.
MILES 15.5 - 19
From the aid station go left, and then stay straight on the North Vermont trail for about 1/4 of a mile, and then make a left onto the Riverside trail. Follow this for about 1.5 miles until it dead ends at the green shack and Vista Del Valle road. Go right here. Follow the paved road back to the Joe Klass aid station.
MILES 19 - 24.2
From the aid station run down to 5 points, and make a hard right onto the Coolidge trail. follow this for about 3/4 of a mile, and then make a hard left onto Lower Beacon Trail. Follow this trail all the way down to Park Service road. You will see aid station #8 here, and this will be mile 19. Go left here, and then a quick left again to connect up with the atrium trail. Follow the wooden steps up to the upper old zoo trail. Go right here. Follow this trail and stay high and to the left! From here follow the old zoo trail to mineral wells trail, and then up to the compost center. You will now be at the mile 24.2 aid station.
MILES 24.2 - FINISH
Run past the aid station a 1/4 mile, and go left up Toyon trail. Take toyon trail until it dead ends at Amir's garden fire road, and go left. Follow this to Amir's, and turn around when you reach my volunteers. Retrace your steps back to the compost center aid which will be mile 28.4. Follow the mineral wells trail back to the old zoo trail for 1.5 miles, and then make a left to run down to the finish through the old zoo.
Marathon Course
This course is an out and back, and will touch the most epic and secret trails in Griffith Park. It's a large mix of beautiful single track, and double track fire roads. You will even get to go to the actual summit of the hollywood sign! You have 9 hours to finish this course. If you need 10 hours you may start with the 50k runners at 6am.
MILE 1 - 1.4
The start line of this race is just a few feet below the old zoo in the huge beautiful grass area. Follow the trail markings from the start line up to the right side of the huge grass area, and then onto the single track trail to the right of the chain link fence. Follow this up to the upper old zoo trail. Go left at the half mile mark on the old zoo trail. Follow the old zoo trail for another 3/4 of a mile until it bends to the right. Go right, and uphill here. On your left look for my volunteers who will direct you onto the wooden steps and then down the beautiful atrium single track trail. Follow this for about a 1/4 mile until it dead ends onto the lower beacon trail. You will hit aid station #1: Lower Beacon Trail
MILES 1.4 - 4.0
From here go right up lower Beacon trail. Head up Lower Beacon Trail. At about a mile go right on Coolidge trail. At the 2.2 mile mark you will come to a 5 way intersection, and see my volunteer. He will direct you to make a sharp left. Follow this trail straight up to Joe Klass water station. You will not hit aid station #2 Joe Klass.
MILES 4.0 - 5.5
Go straight and up towards the right on the paved road which is Vista Del Valle Drive. Run up the road past all the construction. It will bend to the right, and then you will see a green shed on your left. Look for my volunteer here to direct you where to go which is left and DOWN (NOT UP) the lower trail which is the Riverside trail. Follow the Riverside trail for about a mile until it dead ends and drops you at Vermont street. Go RIGHT! The trail will hug the right side. Follow this for about a 1/4 mile all the way to the Bird Sanctuary. You are now at aid station #3: Bird Sanctuary
MILES 5.5 - 8.5
Run just past the bird sanctuary, and look for the little trail just past the chain link fence on your right. Go up this. Follow this all the way up for about a mile until you hit the top where it spits you out at mile 6.4, and you will now be just below Dante's view. This is a 5 way intersection, and where we call the Charlie Brown Christmas tree spot! Go up and to the RIGHT. My volunteers will direct you which way to go. You are now on MT Hollywood trail. Take this to Dante's view (water fountain) mile 6.6, and go left. Run up the hogback trail for just a short distance, and then make a slight left to merge onto the 3 mile trail. Follow this down just a half mile until it dead ends at MT Hollywood Drive, and go right. Follow the paved road for about another 1/2 mile, and then go right on the North Trail. Follow this up to the right, and then down the single track pipes until it meets up with the lower north trail. Go left here. Follow this straight past two intersections until it finally dead ends at Vista Del Valle Drive. It will curve to the left, and turn into MT Hollywood road. You will now hit the MT Hollywood road aid station.
MILES 8.5 - 11
MILES 11 - 14
Leaving the aid station head north east back down Vista Del Valle Drive to the upper north trail, and go right. At about a 1/4 mile stay straight at the 3 way intersection following back the same way you came. Run about a 1/2 mile, and go right at the pipes single track. Follow this back down to the lower north trail, and go left to run down to MT Hollywood road. Go left here. Follow this for about a 1/2 mile, and then go left onto the 3 mile trail. About a 1/2 mile up run straight through the 5 way intersection. When you arrive at Dante's view go right. Follow this down to the Charlie Brown tree, and take the middle single track all the way back down to the bird sanctuary. You are now at mile 14 aid station.
MILES 14 - 16.5
From the aid station go left, and then stay straight on the North Vermont trail for about 1/4 of a mile, and then make a left onto the Riverside trail. Follow this for about 1.5 miles until it dead ends at the green shack and Vista Del Valle road. Go right here. Follow the paved road back to the Joe Klass aid station.
MILES 16.5 - 22.5
From the aid station run down to 5 points, and make a hard right onto the Coolidge trail. follow this for about 3/4 of a mile, and then make a hard left onto Lower Beacon Trail. Follow this trail all the way down to Park Service road. You will see aid station #8 here, and this will be mile 19. Go left here, and then a quick left again to connect up with the atrium trail. Follow the wooden steps up to the upper old zoo trail. Go right here. Follow this trail and stay high and to the left! From here follow the old zoo trail to mineral wells trail, and then up to the compost center. You will now be at mile 22.5.
MILES 22.5 - FINISH
Turn around here! Follow the mineral wells trail back to the old zoo trail for 2.5 miles, and then make a left to run down to the finish through the old zoo.
Half Marathon Course
This course is an out and back, and will take you to some of the most beautiful and iconic landmarks in Griffith Park. It's a mixture of epic single track, and double track fire roads. It has about a 1/2 mile of pavement total, but otherwise is trail.