Sat, Sep 12, 2026

Pincushion Hill Climb

Friant, CA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2016

1 Mile

About the Pincushion Hill Climb

The course goes straight up Pincushion Mountain from a river trailhead near Millerton Lake. There is no winding approach or gradual warmup, just a sustained climb on trail from bottom to summit. A separate Mountain Goat division lets runners repeat the ascent, taking a longer descent route on the first trip down before returning as many times as they can manage.

The start is at the South Finegold picnic area at the end of Sky Harbor Road, so the trailhead doubles as the staging area. Prizes go to top finishers overall, by age group, and by division, and there is a post-race spread at the finish area.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

1 Miles · 2025 results

146finishers

13:51winner

24:31median

1:00:26cutoff

Top 3: Oscar Perez (13:51) · Jameson Henkle (14:53) · Sonny West (14:58)

The Pincushion Hill Climb has been held every year since at least 2016. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 1 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

1 Mile9/12/2026 08:00$48

1 Mile9/12/2026 08:00$43

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Common Questions About the Pincushion Hill Climb

Will I finish last at the Pincushion Hill Climb?

Almost certainly not. Half the 1 Miles field finished slower than 24:31, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:00:26, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Pincushion Hill Climb a good first 1 Miles?

It is a small race (146 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Pincushion Hill Climb?

The 1 Miles winner ran 13:51 while the median finisher took 24:31. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.