FAQ

Race day check-in will be available at 5:30 AM at the race festival.

Race festival area is located at the East Walker Ranch Open Space, 16723 Placerita Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91321 

NOTE: Only VIP parking is available at East Walker Ranch, general event parking will be located at Sable Ranch. There is absolutely NO PARKING on Placerita Canyon Road, cars will be ticketed and/or towed at your expense.

See details in "Where do I park?" FAQ below or the Directions & Parking page.

We recommend arriving 90 minutes before your scheduled start wave time. This allows time for parking, shuttle bus to the event location, check-in, gear drop, bathroom break, and getting ready for the race.

Yes, every participant is required to turn in a completed and signed a release waiver and show your photo ID at the check-in to receive your bib and to participate in the race. You may download and print the waiver ahead of time and bring it with you to help expedite your check-in.

PICKING UP FOR A FRIEND?

If you are picking up for a friend they must complete and sign the waiver in advance and give it to you along with a picture of their photo ID.

 Download Waiver

GENERAL PARKING

General event parking is located Sable Ranch. From this parking lot, participants will ride shuttle buses from the general parking at Sable Ranch to the event location at East Walker Ranch. Shuttle buses will be going back and forth during the event.

Location: Sable Ranch - 25933 Sand Canyon Rd. Santa Clarita, CA 91387

On-site parking fee: $10 (Cash only)

VIP PARKING

A limited number of VIP parking spots will be available at the event staging area located at the East Walker Ranch Open Space. VIP parking MUST be purchased with registration in advance and is on a first-come-first-served basis, once sold out it will be gone. VIP Parking is not valid for RV's, buses, or other commercial or oversized vehicles.

Location: East Walker Ranch Open Space - 16723 Placerita Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91321

VIP parking fee: $40 when registering in advance

PARKING TIPS

• Pay attention to event parking monitors
• Do NOT park on Placerita Canyon Road, cars will be towed
• Do NOT block any driveways, cars will be towed
• Lock your car and do not leave any valuables visible (Gear drop is available at the start)
• Go to the designated bus pick up to catch the shuttle bus
• No public parking at East Walker Ranch on race day

View Directions & Parking Page

Yes, carpooling with friends is the best! Parking space is limited, to help ensure there is enough parking, we encourage participants to carpool to the race. If you are doing the race with friends or family then hook up and ride in one car together. If you are part of a large team then consider setting up a team canopy in the Wolf Den (team village). Besides, nothing beats carpooling with good friends and family!

The obstacle course race features multiple start waves to ensure there are no bottlenecks during the race when coming into the obstacles. We want to make sure that every participant is able to come into each obstacle and dive right in without having to wait for others to get through first.

When registering you can choose which start wave you wish to participate in at the race. Tell your friends and family right away so they can participate together in the same wave before it SELLS OUT!

Competitive waves will be at 7:00 AM for men and 7:30 AM for women. General start waves will be every 15 minutes with the first wave starting at 8:00 AM and the last wave at 1:30 PM.

Please arrive 2-hours before your start wave to allow for parking, bus, check-in, bathroom break, and getting ready.

Grit OCR reserves the right to adjust your start time, despite your "preferred" start time, based on team size and space availability.

*Note that final race day start times may vary.

There are 2-distances of racing, the Claw race is longer and harder, and the Fang race is shorter and a little easier.

CLAW RACE

For our Claw, we are extending our signature course to 8.5-miles with more technical trail running and obstacle challenges to give you the ultimate Grit OCR challenge that is guaranteed to test your strength and endurance to the next level!

View Claw Course

FANG RACE

Not everyone is ready for the Claw challenge, so for our Fang, we trim the course to 5.5-miles, run the course in reverse, and reduce a few obstacles to make the race a little bit shorter and easier, but don't worry, you will still need to train to get through all our signature obstacles and trails!

View Fang Course

Register to run either distance that provides the best challenge for you.

CLAW & FANG TAG

When you register for both races and complete each race you'll earn the coveted Grit OCR Claw & Fang Do The Hard Sh*t tag to showcase your accomplishment of doing back-to-back races.

On both Claw and Fang, there will be Competitive and General entry formats.

COMPETITIVE ENTRY

Designed for competitive athletes who race in the spirit of pure sportsmanship, following all the rules and completing every obstacle or penalty so they compete fairly against their fellow competitors and see who is the best. Competitive waves are split into men’s and women’s waves, chip timed, obstacles and penalties are monitored and logged, there are no skipping obstacles or challenges, and participants must complete every obstacle or do the penalty. Any skipping of obstacles, penalties, or sections of the course will be disqualified. You're only cheating yourself if you do not complete the race fairly. All participants will receive a finisher medal, top 3 male and female finishers will receive a trophy and prize goodie bag.

NOTE: Competitive is limited to 70 participants per wave, they do SELL OUT!

Register for Competitive Entry.

GENERAL ENTRY

Designed for everyone, open to all over 14-years old to participate. Great for participants that enjoy challenging themselves, weekend warriors, first-time racers, and teams participating as a group, everyone is welcome. General entry participates in the same racecourse and obstacles as the elite competitive race, but going at your pace and abilities. Push yourself as far as you can go, if you are not able to complete an obstacle then you can skip it. General entry is chip timed for overall results and age group ranking. All participants will receive a finisher medal.

Register for General Entry.

Ready to take it to the next level? Challenge yourself by wearing a weighted ruck (backpack or special vest with weights) throughout the entire race. This is for General entry only. Recommended 30lb for men, 20lb for women. Grab your ruck and earn the coveted Grit OCR Ruck Division patch after finishing.

View Ruck Division page.

OCR stands for Obstacle Course Racing, a sport in which a race participants must overcome various physical challenges on the course that is in the form of obstacles. The Grit OCR event is a trail running race combined with challenging obstacles throughout the course that are designed to physically and mentally test your strength, agility, endurance, with the outcome of you becoming a stronger and healthier person. Register for Grit OCR today take on the challenge!

• ENTRY INCLUDES:
• Run Grit OCR Course
• Collectible finisher medal
• Official finisher shirt
• Official finisher certificate
• Official patches*
• Volunteer support
• Course aid-station support
• Finish line water & food
• 1-Finisher beer (21 & over)
• FREE race photos
• An awesome race experience!

*Patches include Legacy Club for returning participants, Ruck Division if racing with a weighted ruck, and Claw & Fang finisher tag if raced and finished both distances.

Below you will find a list of mandatory and recommended items for participating the race.

MANDATORY ITEMS

• Completed and signed waiver
• Photo ID

RECOMMENDED ITEMS

• Trail running shoes
• Lightweight fitness apparel
• Sunscreen and lip balm
• Mask/Buff
• Hydration pack or water bottle
• Personal medicine/salt capsules
• Garmin/GPS tracking
• Camera/Cellphone
• Cash
• Arrive 2-hours early
• Mind of a champion!

POST-RACE ITEMS

• Water
• Recovery drink, we highly recommend coconut water!
• Refueling food or snacks
• Cash

Yes. The minimum age requirement is 14-years old. As this is a challenging obstacle course race that requires heavy lifting and climbing walls combined with trail running, young runners must be in good physical shape and regular fitness training to participate.

Younger runners can participate in the race with approval from the Race Director. Younger runners that wish to run the race need to be accompanied by an adult and must request approval from the Race Director. Please contact the Race Director.

Yes. There will be a gear drop available at the event staging area so you can drop off your bag before the race and quickly access it after finishing the race. Gear drop is $3 cash only.

Yes. The entire course will be clearly marked using a combination of colored flags, flagging tape, directional arrows, and signs at key turning points. However, you should still be familiar with the course and it is your responsibility to pay attention to the course markings to ensure you don't veer off course and get lost. Each year the course maps get a final update about 1-month before race day to include any final adjustments.

Yes. You can accomplish anything you want as long as you set your mind to do it and train for it. The race is planned for participants of all abilities. If you are new to obstacles and trail running or this is your first obstacle course race we suggest starting with the easier Fang race, then training as much as possible to prepare for an awesome race.

Trail running in general is can be more challenging as it consists of dirt pathways, uneven surfaces, hills to climb up and down, all of which require additional attention and focus while running. This race has some challenging hills to climb and a variety of obstacles that will challenge your physical strength and endurance. It is those risks and challenges that is part of the adventure that makes obstacle course racing so much fun!

Yes. There will be portable toilets by the event staging area. However, there will not be bathrooms available on the course. As this is mostly a trail course you can hop off the course to relieve yourself if needed. Aid stations on the course will have toilet paper available upon request.

Yes. There will be stations with water, electrolytes, gels, and basic first aid if needed. At the finish line there, will be water and food.

Proper hydration is essential when participating in any endurance sporting event. One of the greatest dangers for runners is completing the race in a dehydrated state. We encourage runners to hydrate extra the day before the race, the morning of the race, and plan on being hydrated throughout the event.

Yes. We welcome friends and family to come to the festival and support the racers. They can hang out and enjoy the beer garden, food services, and vendors.

If coming with a large team or group consider reserving a spot in the Wolf Den team village.

There are no fees to attend as a spectator other than parking fees.

Grit OCR will be chip timed with a MyLaps timing system using a multisport ankle chip tag. Bib and timing chip will be provided when checking into the race. Participants must wear their bib and chip to ensure they are being tracked accurately. Final results will be posted on this website about a day after the race is finished. After receiving your packet at check-in, follow these steps to prepare your chip:

1. Wrap around the ankle.
2. Leave space between chip & ankle.
3. Peel off and stick.
4. Run race!

DO'S & DON'T:

• Always keep the chip visible; do not remove or cover for race
• Do not excessively bend or twist the chip
• Do not attach beside or under a zipper: metal has a negative impact on the chip
• Do not wear on your back or side, or around your arm
• Do not cover the chip when crossing the finish line
• Always remember that the mat must 'see' the number when you cross the finish line
• Do not separate the chip from the start number

FREE BEER TICKET:
After the race, cut off the chip and turn in for a 1-FREE beer in the beer garden (must be 21-years old).

April and May usually offer some of the best weather to run a race in Santa Clarita. The average high temperature is 75º with the average low at 52º. Plan for a cool morning start with rising temperatures throughout the race. We recommend checking the weather forecast a week before the race so you can plan appropriately.

• Average temperature on race day: High 75º / Low 52º
• Sunrise: 6:01 am
• Sunset: 7:41 pm

As this is an endurance event you want to ensure you are fit for running a 10K trail race with hills and obstacle challenges. Our awesome leader Antonio Alletto has provided a great list of exercises with video examples to help guide you in the right direction focusing in 3-core areas: GRIP, CORE, and QUADS.

View Training Tips

For your safety and the safety of all participants, we do not recommend wearing headphones while participating in a race. However, if you do, we ask that you keep the volume down at a safe level so you can hear other runners and instructions from event personnel. It is important for you to be aware of other participants coming up behind you as well as being able to hear potential wildlife animals or even rattlesnakes. The important thing is paying attention to everyone’s safety and maintaining basic race etiquette.

No. The event insurance policy does not allow dogs. We love dogs, but there are those who may not be comfortable around them and there are also dogs that are uncomfortable around hundreds of other people.  We have no doubt that your dog is well behaved, but we simply have no way to be sure about all the other dogs and thus we have a “no dogs on course” policy.

No. Unless there is severe weather or a natural disaster on the days before or on the race day, the Grit OCR event will be held whether it’s sunny, raining, snowing or anything in between. The weather only adds to the adventure to make for an awesome race experience!

Yet, there are still potential risks that are beyond our control that could force a race to be canceled or postponed. We hope that will never happen, however, we do have an event cancellation policy if that need ever arises.

No. This is an all trail obstacle course. Unauthorized bicycles, motorized vehicles, wheelchairs, and strollers not permitted on the race course.

As this obstacle course race takes place on trails in nature there is always the risk of coming across wildlife including snakes, tarantulas, coyotes, deer, and even a rare mountain lion or bear.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A SNAKE

If you see a snake, do not panic! Back away slowly and carefully look for a way around. Also be sure to shout out "snake" and point out the location so other participants are aware and can carefully get around it. Snakes will generally leave you alone if they are not provoked. Simply left alone, snakes will continue on with their life, they do not actively seek out confrontations with any of their natural enemies, humans included. The number one reason people are bitten by venomous snakes throughout this country is because of the attempt to catch, kill, or tease them when we find them.

If you are traveling from out of town there are several hotels within about 30 minutes of driving to the start line. Below are nearby lodging options.

Hyatt Regency Valencia
24500 Town Center Dr, Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 799-1234
Use code: 193686 for the event group discount when booking.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Santa Clarita
27513 Wayne Mills Pl, Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 284-2101

Hilton Garden Inn Valencia Six Flags
27710 The Old Rd, Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 254-8800

La Quinta Inn & Suites Santa Clarita
25201 The Old Rd, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
(661) 286-1111

Also, check this Google search or on Airbnb for additional options.

Yes. Start wave change requests are available if there is space available in the desired start wave, the cut-off for all changes is 5-days prior to the race date. Submit a change request from the contact page.

Request Change

Unfortunately, due to the advanced planning and logistics entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. As per the terms agreed upon registering, once we receive and accept your entry, you will not receive a refund if you cannot participate. Sorry, no exceptions.

You do have the following options available:

1. Defer your entry to the following year ($40 processing fee).
2. Transfer your entry to another runner ($30 processing fee).
3. Forego your entry and receive a 50% credit towards any of our other races in California within the next year.

Requests MUST be submitted before the race date. Requests on or after the race date will not be honored. Entries that have been deferred once can not be deferred a second time.

You may not give or sell your number to anyone else without submitting an official transfer request.

Please submit your request from the contact page.

No, it is not. While the parks and lands where races take place are typically open to the public. Those entering into the start/finish area or intentionally jumping into the race just after the start, using the marked course, racing against other participants, etc. are essentially freeloading off of the race and the other runners, regardless of whether they take aid station supplies, medals or other race supplies.

Permits, insurance and race materials for the event are obtained with set numbers of participants planned and accounted for. Costs for events are also planned, taking into account those numbers and sharing the race costs among all entrants.

When people “hijack” a race they jeopardize the race’s ability to come back, create a potential for problems for other runners trying to determine their place in the race and for support personnel to identify participants and (if necessary) provide emergency support. Like shoplifting, being a race bandit does not cost the person taking anything, but the cost ultimately goes to the people who follow the rules and pay to run the race.