CAMINO REAL DOUBLE CENTURY
FEBRUARY 22, 2020
The best of Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. Kick off the new year!!
About 11,900′ of Climbing! 17 hour time limit
General Information and Ride Rules – Please Read!
Click here for 2020 timed results; and here for results including untimed finishers.
Click here for results from prior years.
2020 Entry Fees:
Until December 31st: $125.
January 1-February 8: $140.
Late entry: February 9-19: Make an online reservation and pay $160 at the door.
Very last minute entry: Thursday before event to Friday 5pm: $200.
Please read our registration and cancellation policies. Entry includes post-ride meal at the Knowlwood Restaurant next door to the finish line. The menu is primarily burgers and fries and other hot sandwiches.
* If you’re planning to ride this event and know you can bring along someone to help out, you may email us in advance of signing up and we’ll give you a coupon code to use during registration for an instant 20% off. By helping at the event, the volunteer you bring earns an entry to a future single day event for only $25. If the volunteer is a non-rider then YOU can have the entry. So you get two nice deals: An instant discount for promising to bring a volunteer, and a $25 entry fee for your next event.
Use the SignUp bottom to register online and pay by credit card (which includes a small service fee). Click here to view the registered rider list. To pay by check, download and mail in this form. Your mail-in form and check or volunteer voucher must be received no later than February 9th. Please read our new cancellation policy before registering.
Start/Finish Location:
La Quinta Inn, 14972 Sand Canyon Ave, Irvine, CA 92618; 949-551-0909. You must let them know you’re with Planet Ultra to receive our special rate of $89 per night (plus tax) – for a quieter room on the non-train side of the hotel. Special rate expires February 7th. Includes deluxe breakfast (Sunday only – as you’ll be riding before breakfast begins Saturday), free high-speed internet, in-room coffee maker, mini fridge and microwave.
Parking:
If you’re not staying at the La Quinta, please park on the left side of the hotel (as you’re facing the lobby doors). We’ve received complaints every year from the owners of Knowlwood Restaurant about our using their parking lot. As you know, Knowlwood provides our post-event dinner. If we’re not courteous this year, they’ll not be willing to work with us again.
Check-In:
Friday 7:30-9pm, and Saturday 5:15-6am. If you’re planning to start at 5:30am, please check in Friday night. We’ll be at the early start about 15 minutes early for roll call and to give pre-ride announcements; but there won’t be a lot of time to check riders in.
Start Times:
5:30am: Riders who need more than 14-17 hours. If you start at 5:30am, please remember that the checkpoint opening and closing times are based on the 6:30am start and are calculated using an average speed of 11-20 mph.
6:30am: Riders expecting to finish in 11-14 hours
NEW! Riders needing more than 16.5 hours may opt for the Tourist division during registration and start as early as 4am. Please familiarize yourself with the Tourist rules.
Time Limit:
The course has rolling closures from aid station to aid station.
Aid station closing times are listed on the route sheet. Once an aid station closes, so does support end along the course prior to that aid station.
Finish line closes at 10:30pm.
Total time allowed to complete the course with an official time: 17 hours based on the 5:30am start unless you choose Tourist rather than Timed.
Tourist riders who finish before before midnight will get Grand Slam and California Triple Crown finisher credit, so long as the total elapsed time does not exceed 20 hours.
Twilight, Sunrise, and Sunset:
Twilight begins at 6:09am; Twilight ends at 18:03. Sunrise is 6:34; Sunset is 17:38.
Lights and Gear Drop:
If you leave your lights at the start, your bag will be waiting for you at San Onofre. If there’s any chance that you’ll be out past sunset, you MUST have both a headlight and a taillight attached to your bicycle, and you MUST wear a reflective ankle band on both legs. If you start in the dark, plan on carrying your lights all day. We do encourage you to carry your lights yourself. That way if you need them, you’re guaranteed to have them. Rest assured that it is a MYTH that an extra pound on your bike will slow you down in any significant way for this type of riding.
Lunch Bag Drop:
Because we know some folks have special dietary needs (or are very particular about what they want), you may bring two lunch-sized brown paper bag (like the ones you took to school in 2nd grade; and absolutely no larger) filled with your special foods. Drop the bag off at the start, and we will deliver one to the San Onofre stop (which you visit two times) and one to the lunch stop. These bags will be discarded when the aid stations close. So please make sure you pick up your bag, or don’t care that you won’t get it back.
Routing and Navigation:
Planet Ultra route sheets include lots of information to help riders navigate the course. For example, we tell you if a turn is at a stop sign (SS), traffic light (TL) or T-intersection (T-int).
Beginning 2020, we will no longer mark the course. Many of the towns/cities/counties specifically forbid it. More importantly, this route is super urban with a lot of traffic and rarely a safe location to pull over and put down arrows. This is the type of route where a GPS with turn-by-turn capabilities will come in handy. Your entry fee includes access to RideWithGPS downloads for your Garmin (or other GPS devise) or your smart phone.
Please understand and take responsibility for navigation.
Route Sheets and GPS Files: Route sheets are available in excel format to registered riders if requested via email no later than 2 days before the event.
You may also download a map and GPS file from RideWithGPS.com. Please note that advance route sheets and gps files are provided as a courtesy and you use them at your own risk. Planet Ultra does not guarantee accuracy. Please further note the following very important caveats:
- The ROUTE SHEET is gospel. Whenever the route sheet and the GPS unit disagree, the route sheet is correct.
- A GPS can (and will) route a rider over a cliff. There’s really no substitute for the human brain, so please use yours.
- Never depend solely on a GPS. Bring your route sheet, and know how to follow it.
- GPS batteries on many “bicycle” GPS units may not last for a century. Make sure you’ve arranged for additional power.
- Click here for the double century map including elevation profiles and GPS downloads.
Route Description:
Caveat: This is a very urban route with lots of traffic lights, stop signs and sometimes heavy vehicle traffic. The locals love it — but if you’re from out of town and are expecting quiet roads and lots of amazing scenery, you might be disappointed. Just being honest.
The Camino route is shaped like a dog bone, with loops on each end of an out-and-back course. Beginning at the La Quinta Inn, you’ll head to the coast via the rolling hills of Irvine and Turtle Rock and get your first view of the Pacific Ocean as you blast down Newport Coast and hang a left on PCH. After riding through a bit of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach on PCH, you’ll hang a left and head back inland, meandering up Laguna Canyon Road. Hang a right on El Toro, and make your way through Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel, then blast down Crown Valley to the Coast and Dana Point. From Dana Point you’ll be on the coast through San Clemente, and along the bike path through San Onofre, all the way to Oceanside. From there, you’ll head inland, heading towards Bonsall and lunch at the All Seasons Campground. The climbing starts again after lunch, with a beautiful loop out towards Fallbrook. You’ll wind up back in Bonsall, and repeat the course back to the coast, and north through Dana Point again. The final leg is has the lion’s share of the climbing, up from San Clement to Antonio Parkway, through Trabuco Canyon, across Santiago Canyon and then the mostly downhill finish on Jamboree to Portola and back to Sand Canyon.
Please note: This is a particularly urban route- but in the best and safest parts of Orange and San Diego Counties. Because it’s urban, it’s impossible to provide checkpoint locations evenly spaced at perfect distances. That said, there are countless mini-marts and gas stations along the course where you may get water and snacks, if necessary. If you’re running low, and find yourself a good distance from the next checkpoint, please stop at one of the many conveniences along the route and refuel/re-hydrate. 195 miles with about 11,900′ of climbing. (Riders opting to go through Pendleton will climb a bit more, and end up with an additional 3.4 miles).
Personal SAG Vehicles:
Not allowed! If you bring one, you’ll be disqualified from the event without a warning. The definition of a personal SAG is any vehicle (motor or otherwise), anywhere on the route, operated by someone other than Planet Ultra staff, that is providing any type of aid, assistance, or motivation, or taking photographs, or simply out cheering. Please understand that our permits simply don’t allow dozens of extra vehicles on the roads or at the checkpoint locations. Imagine the traffic from all those cars! If you’re bringing someone with you who wants to be out on the course, please have them contact us and join our volunteer staff.
Volunteers: We always need volunteers! Click here for info about available positions.
Course Records:
Men – 9:54, Sean Cuddihy (2015)
Women – 11:1, Lori Hoechlin (2016)