CREW ACCESS TO HANCOCK (mile 49.3) REQUIRES A “HANCOCK+ PARKING PASS” - NO EXCEPTIONS
Parking is limited at Hancock, so crews need to wait to drive to Hancock until their runner has reached St. Elmo 2. Crews should leave promptly once their runner has left St. Elmo 2 since the road to Hancock can be slow due to other drivers. Crews will use their “Hancock"+ parking pass” to access this aid station. These passes are given to runners as part of their runner check in. You do not get these passes from the Start/Finish line…that’s only for Cottonwood access. Coordinate with your runner to get the “Hancock+ parking pass”.
Historic data shows that crews can easily beat their runner to Hancock. Between the St. Elmo 2 and Hancock Aid Stations, runners typically take the following times:
Overall Course Record (19:42) - 2.25 hours
Fast runners (sub 27 hours) - crews will have roughly 2.5 hours
Mid-pack runners (27-32 hours) - crews will have roughly 3.5
For back of the pack runners (33-37 hours) - will have roughly 4 hours
Crews will have ample time to travel from the Start/Finish to Hancock (mile 49.3). There is no need to rush, but you should begin the 60 minute drive from the Start/Finish to the Hancock parking area as soon as your runner has left St. Elmo 2. Once parked, expect a 10-15 minute walk to the aid station.
Drop offs are allowed, but parking is limited to vehicles with valid crew passes.
Hancock Aid Station coordinates are: 38.64017, -106.36242
The Hancock Aid Station cutoff is 1:30AM Saturday
THE PROCESS
STEP 1 - WAITING FOR YOUR RUNNER TO PASS THEIR CHECKPOINT (SIGN UP FOR TEXT ALERTS)
Wait until your runner has reached St. Elmo 2 to leave for Hancock. We recommend leaving promptly once they have left the aid station! Make sure you have your “Hancock+ parking pass” with you!
STEP 2 - DRIVE TO HANCOCK AND PARK
The drive to Hancock takes about 60 minutes. Follow the parking attendants’ instructions.
Parking is on the west (right) side of the road, please pull over as far as possible!
STEP 4 - CREW YOUR RUNNER
Take care of your runner!
STEP 5 - PREPARE FOR MONARCH, BLANKS, AND RASPBERRY 2 CREWING
If you are crewing at Monarch, Blanks and/or Raspberry 2, you can find additional details on this page. You will continue to use your “Hancock+ parking pass” to access and park at these aid stations.
Driving directions from Start/Finish to Hancock - 60 MINUTE DRIVE TIME
From the Start/Finish area, turn left/south and drive down the large switchback (aka Swear Hill). At the bottom T intersection, turn right onto CR162. Stay on 162 for 11 miles. Around 10.9 you will pass the Last Chance restroom on your left. It is a large gravel lot with a restroom. Slow down here and look for a small gravel road up and to your left. It is just about 0.1 miles after the restrooms. If you go into St. Elmo, you missed the turn. Here is a picture of the junction and the sign about 30 yards after the turn. If you see the brown USFS sign with mileage to Hancock and the Alpine Tunnel Trail, you are on the correct road
After turning onto CR295, continue for roughly 5.4 miles until you reach the parking zone. You will pass some odd driveways, but just stay on 295 until you reach the parking attendant. PLEASE NOTE, CR 295 is full of large potholes. You can, with careful driving, get to the aid station in a 2WD vehicle, but it’s slow going. Parallel park on the west side of the road.
PRO TIPS
We recommend waiting at the Start/Finish line , or very close by. We’ll have a food truck with lunch/dinner at the Start/Finish Line! We’re also hoping to have the livestream up on a projector so you can follow the race live.
Runners should pack 100% of their required gear in drop bags just to be safe. Crews can retrieve the drop bag once they arrive and get things prepped.
Crews should sign up for text alerts and remain in cell service while waiting for their runner to clear their checkpoint. Text alert instructions are available towards the bottom of this page.
Don’t go to Hancock without a parking pass. You will not be allowed to park and that could cause you to miss your runner.
