About the Race The Flame
This race is built around a concept: if a wildfire hit Santa Cruz, how fast could you get out? The course starts on the UC Santa Cruz campus at the East Field and runs down Coolidge Drive, finishing near the Bay Tree Campus Bookstore at High Street. It is a point-to-point route, mostly downhill, through campus.
An emergency preparedness fair runs at the finish line, where local organizations set up to share information about wildfire readiness and household preparedness. Parking is available in a remote lot on Hagar Drive, and shuttles run back up from the finish to where you left your car or bike. Dogs are not allowed on campus.
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Race The Flame 2026 Results
Going by the 2026 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
2.5 Miles Results · 2026
77finishers
11:27winner
20:58median
41:45cutoff
Top 3: Lukas Gemperle (11:27) · Stefano Profumo (11:50) · Joseph Olson (12:46)
2.2 Miles Results · 2026
30finishers
26:09winner
40:40median
2:00:00cutoff
Top 3: ZORICA ANDELKOVIC (26:09) · MINH DANG (36:06) · ANNAPURNA PANDEY (36:22)
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 Oct 23, 2026.
