GranFondo San Diego: 100 Miles From the Waterfront, on Roads That Stay Open

Overview

GranFondo San Diego runs on Sunday, April 18, 2027, starting and finishing at Ruocco Park on the downtown waterfront.

Three distances — 35, 60 or 100 miles — all leaving from the same place, all heading east into the backcountry, all finishing with an Italian lunch and a beer garden.

It's a timed ride rather than a race, with one exception we'll come to.

The single most important thing to understand before you sign up:

There are no road closures.

The course is open to traffic for its entire length. The county permit describes it as an open road with everyday vehicle traffic, and riders are expected to obey traffic lights, stop signs and police direction. Violators can be ticketed or disqualified.

That's not a complaint about the event — it's how most gran fondos work, and the organizers are upfront about it. But it does mean this is a ride for people comfortable on open roads in traffic, not a closed-course sportive.

The Routes

| Route | Distance | Climbing | Aid stations |

|---|---|---|---|

| Granfondo | 100 miles | 6,600 ft | 4 |

| Mediofondo | 60 miles | 3,100 ft | 3 |

| Piccolofondo | 35 miles | 1,300 ft | 1 |

Every aid station has bathrooms.

The Granfondo takes the classic Great Western Loop out through East County, and it's a serious day — a hundred miles with 6,600 feet of climbing is a genuine undertaking.

The Mediofondo heads toward the backcountry by way of Otay Lakes. Sixty miles and 3,100 feet is a strong day out without being an expedition.

The Piccolofondo is mostly flat to rolling, and it's the recreational option — 35 miles and 1,300 feet, which is an achievable first event for anyone who rides semi-regularly.

All three routes cross railroad tracks. Routes may change for weather, construction or permitting.

The One Competitive Bit

For all the talk of this being a ride rather than a race, there's a timed climb.

The Japatul Road KOM/QOM sits at mile 36 of the 100-mile route, electronically timed, with age categories: U23, 23–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64 and 65+.

So if you want a result, that's where you get one — and it means you can treat the other 94 miles as a ride and empty the tank for twenty minutes in the middle. Ride close to the right side of the road through the timed section, since traffic is still coming.

Everyone gets a timing chip on the bike number regardless. Mount it on the front of the bike with wire ties — don't bend it or wrap it round the head tube. Results go up through Gemini Race Results.

E-bikes are permitted, but they're not eligible for the KOM/QOM.

Start Times

There's no mass start. Riders leave at their assigned time.

• Granfondo: 7:15 a.m.
• Mediofondo: 7:30 a.m.
• Piccolofondo: 7:45 a.m.

All from Ruocco Park, 585 Harbor Lane, San Diego, CA 92101.

One minor discrepancy: the registration platform lists the event start as 7:00 a.m. The event's own details page gives the three staggered times above. Go with the staggered times and arrive early regardless.

Prices

| | Standard | With jersey |

|---|---|---|

| Granfondo (100 mi) | $128.88 | $214.68 |

| Mediofondo (60 mi) | $107.43 | $193.23 |

| Piccolofondo (35 mi) | $64.53 | $150.33 |

| Virtual Granfondo | $108.50 | — |

All prices include processing fees. The jersey is an upgrade, not an inclusion.

Prices increase after December 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific for all in-person entries. The amount of the increase isn't published, so if you're going, register before Christmas.

Virtual registration closes April 14, 2027 at 8:00 a.m.

There's also a charity entry: raise $600 for the Life Sports Foundation and ride free; raise $1,000 and you get the ride plus a custom jersey. At $128.88 for the 100-mile entry, the $600 route is a real option if you have people who'd sponsor you.

No refunds on cancellations or transfers.

Cutoff Times

These matter on the long route, and they're published clearly:

| Checkpoint | Closes |

|---|---|

| RS1 Staples, El Cajon | 9:30 a.m. |

| RS2 Alpine Fire, Alpine | 11:30 a.m. |

| RS3 Jamul | 1:30 p.m. |

| RS4 Cottonwood Park, Chula Vista | 4:30 p.m. |

| Massage and food service ends | 4:00 p.m. |

| Course closes | 5:00 p.m. |

| Lunch and beer garden close | 5:00 p.m. |

Note the squeeze at the end: the course closes at 5:00 and so do lunch and the beer garden, but food service stops at 4:00. If you're riding the full hundred and finishing late, you may arrive to a beer garden and no lunch. Worth factoring in.

What You Get

• Custom finisher's medal and commemorative bib
• Aid stations with bathrooms — four, three or one depending on distance
• SAG support and on-course mechanics from Moment Bicycles and Velofix
• An Italian lunch at the finish — the Italian Pasta Fest
• Live band
• Beer garden, which benefits the Life Sports Foundation
• Bike valet
• Bike and Fitness Expo
• Bag drop at the start, collected behind the beer garden

Not included: the jersey. That's the upgrade in the price table.

Support and Required Kit

You have to carry your own basics. Required: a helmet — mandatory — plus tire-changing tools, a spare tube or tubular, a patch kit and a pump. Tubes, tools and pumps are available at aid stations, but you're expected to be self-sufficient between them.

Aero bars are allowed, but not in the first eight miles and not while drafting.

If something goes wrong:

• Emergencies: 911
• Ride Dispatch: 858-268-1250
• Minor needs: any rest stop, or flag down a SAG vehicle — they carry a yellow Granfondo sign
• Mechanics are at the Finish Line Expo on Saturday and Sunday morning, and on course during the ride

SAG is primarily for rides to the finish after a mechanical or health problem, not a taxi service between aid stations.

Packet Pickup

Two windows, both at Ruocco Park:

• Saturday, April 17, 2027, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. — at the expo
• Sunday, April 18, 5:00 – 7:00 a.m. — race morning

Bring photo ID and both signed waivers — there are two, a County waiver and the event waiver, both downloadable as PDFs from the event site. Picking up for someone else requires a copy of their ID and both of their signed waivers.

Saturday is the better option. A 7:15 a.m. start and a 5:00 a.m. pickup window is a thin margin.

One Thing on Their Site to Ignore

Their rider manual is a year out of date and it gives a different date.

It lists the event as "Sunday, April 19" with pickup "Saturday, April 18" — that's the 2026 edition. April 19, 2026 was indeed a Sunday, so the page looks internally correct; it just hasn't been updated. Its results link also points at 2026.

The current date, from the event details page, is Sunday, April 18, 2027, with pickup on Saturday, April 17. We've checked both: April 18, 2027 is a Sunday and April 17 is a Saturday.

A rider trusting the rider manual would show up on the wrong day. Use the details page.

The manual also lists Sunday pickup as 5:00 to 7:30 a.m. where the details page says 5:00 to 7:00. Assume the earlier close.

How to Go

• Ruocco Park, 585 Harbor Lane, San Diego, CA 92101
• Sunday, April 18, 2027
• Granfondo 7:15 a.m. · Mediofondo 7:30 a.m. · Piccolofondo 7:45 a.m.
• 100 mi / 6,600 ft · 60 mi / 3,100 ft · 35 mi / 1,300 ft
• $64.53 to $128.88, jersey upgrades $150.33 to $214.68
• Prices rise after December 25, 2026
• Packet pickup Saturday April 17, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., or race morning 5–7 a.m.
• Course closes 5:00 p.m.
• Ride Dispatch 858-268-1250
• Minimum age 15 per the registration platform

Good to Know

• Register before December 25 — prices go up and the increase isn't published.
• No road closures. Open traffic the whole way. This is the thing to understand.
• Helmet is mandatory, and so are tools, a spare tube, a patch kit and a pump.
• Pick your packet up Saturday. Race morning is 5 to 7 a.m. for a 7:15 start.
• Ignore the rider manual — it still shows the 2026 date.
• The only timed section is Japatul Road at mile 36 of the century.
• E-bikes are allowed but can't contest the KOM/QOM.
• Food service ends at 4 p.m. even though the course is open until 5.
• Charity entry is free if you raise $600 for the Life Sports Foundation.
• No refunds and no transfers.

Why It's Worth It

Because it's the only ride that starts on San Diego Bay and finishes in the backcountry, and then brings you back for pasta.

The geography is the pitch. You roll out from a waterfront park downtown, and within an hour you're climbing into East County on roads most San Diego cyclists know by reputation rather than experience. The Great Western Loop with 6,600 feet of climbing is a real century — not a flat charity spin — and finishing it gets you a medal, a plate of pasta, a beer garden and a live band on the harbour.

The three-distance structure is what makes it work as an event rather than a race. A household can ride this together and split up: one person on the hundred, one on the sixty, one on the thirty-five, all starting from the same park within thirty minutes of each other and all finishing at the same party. Very few rides let you do that.

And the Japatul climb is a smart piece of design. One timed segment at mile 36 means you get a result and a category placing without having to race a hundred miles. You can ride the day at your own pace and still go hard somewhere that counts.

The honest caveat: open roads. If you're not comfortable riding in traffic, on roads where cars are doing what cars normally do, this isn't the event to start with. The Piccolofondo is the gentler way in, but the traffic situation is the same.

The move: pick your distance, register before Christmas while it's cheap, collect your packet on the Saturday, and carry a pump.

Also riding: our guide to cycling in San Diego covers the routes worth training on between now and April.

For more on what's coming up, browse our San Diego events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is GranFondo San Diego? Sunday, April 18, 2027. The 100-mile route starts at 7:15 a.m., the 60-mile at 7:30 and the 35-mile at 7:45.

Where does it start? Ruocco Park, 585 Harbor Lane, San Diego, CA 92101, on the downtown waterfront. All three routes start and finish there.

What distances are offered? 100 miles with 6,600 feet of climbing, 60 miles with 3,100 feet, and 35 miles with 1,300 feet. There's also a virtual option for the century.

How much is registration? $128.88 for the 100-mile, $107.43 for the 60-mile, $64.53 for the 35-mile, all including fees. Adding a jersey takes those to $214.68, $193.23 and $150.33.

When do prices increase? After December 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. The amount of the increase isn't published.

Is it a race? No — it's a timed ride held under the rules of the road, with an open start. The only competitive element is the timed Japatul Road KOM/QOM climb at mile 36 of the century route.

Are the roads closed? No. The course is open to traffic throughout, and riders must obey traffic laws, lights, stop signs and police direction. Violators may be ticketed or disqualified.

Can I ride an e-bike? Yes, but e-bikes aren't eligible for the KOM/QOM.

What's the minimum age? 15, per the registration platform. The event's own pages list only the KOM/QOM age categories.

What are the cutoff times? El Cajon 9:30 a.m., Alpine 11:30 a.m., Jamul 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista 4:30 p.m. The course closes at 5:00 p.m.

What's included? A finisher's medal, commemorative bib, aid stations with bathrooms, SAG and mechanical support, an Italian lunch, a live band, a beer garden, bike valet, the expo and bag drop at the start. The jersey is a paid upgrade.

What do I have to bring? A helmet is mandatory. You also need tire-changing tools, a spare tube or tubular, a patch kit and a pump.

When is packet pickup? Saturday, April 17, 2027 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ruocco Park, or race morning from 5 to 7 a.m. Bring photo ID and both signed waivers.

Who does it benefit? The Life Sports Foundation. A charity entry is available: raise $600 to ride free, or $1,000 for the ride plus a custom jersey.

Can I get a refund? No. There are no refunds on cancellations or transfers.

Is there support if I break down? Yes — SAG vehicles marked with a yellow Granfondo sign, plus mechanics on course from Moment Bicycles and Velofix. Ride Dispatch is 858-268-1250.