The 2025 Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Race took place in Wrightwood on Saturday, August 2, with over 200 runners competing this year.
This year, the course was an out-and-back trail through the San Gabriel Forest, starting and ending at the Wrightwood Community Building parking lot. Normally, the course ends in Altadena, but due to the destructive Eaton Fire that ignited earlier this year in January 2025, the course was reconfigured to finish back in Wrightwood.
The night before the race, the Wrightwood Village Foundation, led by local Bruce LeClaire, hosted an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner at the Wrightwood Community Building. This popular community run event took place at the Wrightwood Community Building and offered runners a hearty meal that included savory spaghetti, warm garlic bread, a fresh salad, and decadent tiramisu for dessert. Proceeds from the dinner were dedicated to supporting the Wrightwood Village Foundation, a local non-profit focused on enhancing and preserving the unique charm and resources of the Wrightwood community.
Before dawn broke on race day, around 200 runners gathered with anticipation at the Community Building parking lot. They faced the challenge of the 100-mile course, which tested their endurance and resilience. By the following day, 103 athletes had successfully crossed the finish line, with an impressive ten of them achieving the feat in under 24 hours.
“One of the things that’s really tough about this course is that we have heat, we have altitude, we unfortunately had some forest fires to the west of us, and so, combine that all with staying above 5,000 ft. for most of the race, I just want to congratulate everyone,” said Wrightwood local and AC100 racer Dominic Grossman, addressing the tired racers gathered at Vivian Null Park during Sunday’s closing ceremonies.
Although this year’s course was more challenging than in previous years, the camaraderie and community among fellow runners helped competitors keep going despite the grueling heat and poor air quality.
“There were 101 DNFs (Did Not Finish), not to take anything away from the finishers, but those DNFs show just how tough this course was. I have friends who DNF, I’ve DNF myself before as well. It’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of courage and determination to attempt something really hard. So, just because you fell short this year doesn’t mean you will next year,” Grossman said, encouraging runners to keep pushing and competing in the future.
During the heartfelt closing ceremony, plaques were awarded to all finishers as a testament to their accomplishment, while trophies were presented to the top performers in various categories. The overall race winner, Max Jolliffe, triumphantly finished at 2:23 a.m. on Sunday, August 3. Meanwhile, the top female competitor, Jian Springer, completed the race with an impressive time of 8:57 a.m. on the same day. For more details, including a complete list of the 2025 competitors and their finishing times, visit ac100.com/live.
