Double Peak Challenge: North County's Toughest 10K Climbs 1,176 Feet to the Summit

Overview

The Double Peak Challenge is not a flat, fast, PR-chasing 10K. It is a climb. Runners leave San Elijo Park and grind 1,176 feet up hillside trails to the summit of Double Peak, at 1,558 feet, then come back down. That's the whole appeal — this is the race people in North County sign up for precisely because it's hard, and the summit view is the payoff.

Now in its 11th year, it's run by the City of San Marcos Parks & Recreation, with proceeds supporting Friends of San Marcos Parks and Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos. There's a shorter 5K fun run for people who want the atmosphere without the full climb, and a free Kids Trail Trot, which makes it a genuine family morning rather than a pure endurance event.

What You Need to Know

When: Saturday, September 26, 2026 — 10K at 7:30 a.m., 5K at 8 a.m., Kids Trail Trot at 9:30 a.m., awards at 10 a.m.

Where: San Elijo Hills Park, 1105 Elfin Forest Road, San Marcos, CA 92078

Distances: Timed 10K, 5K fun run, and a free Kids Trail Trot

Cost: 10K $70 and 5K $40 through September 11; after that, $80 and $50. Kids Trail Trot is free. (Fee-inclusive totals run roughly $77 / $44 early, $88 / $54 after.)

Registration closes: Friday, September 25 at noon — there is no race-day signup

Check-in: From 6:15 a.m. race morning; race-day packet pickup opens 6:45 a.m.

Early packet pickup: Wednesday, September 23, 4–7 p.m. at North City, 250 N. City Drive, San Marcos, with free parking

Elevation: 1,176 feet of gain, topping out at 1,558 feet

Benefits: Friends of San Marcos Parks and Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos

Register: doublepeakchallenge.com

The Climb

The course sets out from San Elijo Park and works its way up the hillside trails toward the summit. There is no easing into it and no flat recovery section to hide in — 1,176 feet of gain over a 10K is a serious grade, and the honest way to describe this race is that it will humble people who are used to road times.

What you get for it is the view. Double Peak looks out across North County to the ocean on a clear morning, and cresting it on foot after forty-odd minutes of climbing is a genuinely different experience from driving up to the parking lot, which you can otherwise do any day of the week.

Train for the descent as much as the climb. Coming back down a steep trail at speed is where tired legs and loose footing cause problems, and it's the half most first-timers underestimate.

Choosing Your Race

The 10K is the main event and the only timed race. Entry includes a custom wooden finisher medal, a shirt, access to the race expo, and a complimentary beer for finishers 21 and over.

The 5K fun run is untimed and covers the same terrain in a shorter, friendlier form. It includes the wooden medal, a shirt, and expo access — but not the beer, which is a 10K perk. Worth knowing before you pick.

The Kids Trail Trot is a free sprint course for younger kids, starting at 9:30 a.m. once the adult races have cleared. A parent or guardian waiver is required.

All three finish into the same morning: a race expo, a beer garden pouring local breweries, professional race photography, and awards at 10 a.m.

Race Morning

Grab your packet on Wednesday if you can. Early pickup runs September 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. at North City on N. City Drive, with free parking. It saves you a chunk of race-morning stress.

Otherwise, arrive early. Check-in opens at 6:15 a.m. and race-day packet pickup at 6:45 a.m., which gives you a tight window before the 7:30 gun. San Elijo Hills is a residential hillside neighborhood, so give yourself margin for parking.

Register by Friday the 25th at noon. This race does not take race-day entries. Miss the cutoff and you're spectating.

Good to Know

The price jumps on September 11. The 10K goes from $70 to $80 and the 5K from $40 to $50. If you're already leaning toward it, registering now is straightforward money saved.

Dress for inland, not coastal. San Marcos runs warmer than the coast, and you'll start in the cool and finish in the sun. A throwaway layer at the start is the right call.

Bring more water than you think. There are aid stations on course, but a sustained climb in late September asks more of you than a flat 10K at the same distance.

Trail shoes earn their keep here. This is hillside trail, not pavement. Grip matters, particularly on the way down.

Stay for the expo and beer garden. The finish-line scene is a real part of what you're paying for, and the awards aren't until 10 a.m.

Bring the family. With a free kids' race, a beer garden, and a park to spread out in, this works as a morning out rather than a drop-off-and-go race.