32nd annual Way Too Cool 50K to welcome 600-plus ultra runners Saturday

More than 600 athletes from around the world will race in NorCalUltras' 32nd annual Way Too Cool 50K Endurance Run Presented by Altra on Saturday in Cool. The prestigious race is renowned for its challenging trails, hills and spectacular scenery. Ultra runners and athletes travel for the opportunity to compete in the popular ultra-running endurance event. "As Way Too Cool returns again in 2022, endurance athletes are notably becoming more and more eager to register and participate each year, and the group of runners is continuing to grow," said NorCalUltras Race Director Julie Fingar. "The training required to cross the finish line of an ultra like WTC50K is incomparable. It's an intensive training schedule, but these are some of the best athletes in the world that are up to the test. We look forward to welcoming back many returning runners and meeting new ones in 2022." This year, 273 women and 415 men will cross the starting line near the fire station in Cool at 8 a.m. Saturday. Runners are expected to finish the race between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Fingar said runners are traveling from many states across the United States and Canada to participate. There will be 166 first-time ultra runners in the Way Too Cool 50K. The race also features Shirley Fee and Abdel Fustok, the most senior runners at age 81. The youngest registered runner is Colton Standbridge at 14. The race will include 26 runners from Auburn, including City Manager John Donlevy. Auburn resident Bill Finkbeiner will compete in his 32nd Way Too Cool 50K – competing every year since the race began, Fingar said. Each runner will receive a Way Too Cool finisher's medallion, goodie swag bag, CRAFT technical shirt and post-race food. From the Cool Fire Station, the race begins downhill on paved roads. Runners complete an eight-mile loop and return to the fire station finish area via the Altra Fan Zone. From miles 8 to 13, runners will pass by Pointed Rocks Meadow and head north on the Western States Trail. From miles 20.5 to 26, participants will run from Auburn Lake Trails to Goat Hill. The final challenge takes place within miles 26 and 31.1, where athletes will follow Wendell T. Robie Trail and return to the Cool Fire Station. "As runners traverse the trails, the breathtaking scenery and views from the Secret Trail are a great distraction from the physical and mental challenges the athletes will be enduring," Fingar said. The Way Too Cool 50K Endurance Run course is 98 percent single-track trails with no two-way traffic. The course includes spectator access at the start line, mile 8 and at the Cool Fire Station at 7200 St. Florian Ct., five aid stations, volunteers and professional race timing by Capital Road Race Management. At the finish line, runners will be awarded the Way Too Cool Finisher's Medallion and refueled with Baja Fresh burritos and a Way Too Cool 50K signature frog cupcake, handmade by Pushkin's Bakery. Ultra runners can also celebrate their finish at the WTC50K beer garden hosted by NorCalUltras. This year's race beneficiary is the California Conservation of Trails. Sponsors include Altra, GU Energy Labs, Garmin, CRAFT, Hyperice, UltrAspire, Fleet Feet Folsom/Roseville, Pushkin's Bakery, RYP Wear, Chris O'Connor Design, Bungalow Munch Granola, Divide Chamber of Commerce, Capital Road Race Management, Monsters of Massage, Quail Leasing, Advanced Surfaces Inc. For more information, visit wtc50k.com.