In a town known as the “Endurance Capital of the World,” where legends are made on dusty canyon trails and the world’s best ultrarunners chase glory at the finish line of the Western States Endurance Run, turning 40 requires something a little different. For Matthew Buckmaster, it meant a birthday party that went straight up, again and again and again.
At 1:45 a.m., Buckmaster began climbing Cardiac Hill in the Auburn State Recreation Area. The plan was simple in concept and brutal in execution: 40 laps of one of the steepest, most notorious training climbs in Northern California.
The canyon had other ideas.
By sunrise, rain was falling and by midday, storms rolled through in waves, thunder cracking across the American River canyon, lightning striking nearby ridgelines and hail hammering the trail. Temperatures dropped into the low 40s and water gushed down the hill until the trail itself became a stream.
“Cardiac was basically a waterfall,” said Buckmaster.
Lap after lap, the effort became less of a workout and more a test of survival. Mud sucked at each step and the descents turned treacherous.
Logistics unraveled as well. A planned aid station at the base became inaccessible, forcing support to shift to Oregon Hill, adding roughly 0.7 miles to every lap. What began as a vertical challenge quietly morphed into a full ultramarathon, through three separate storm systems and nearly 22 hours on foot.
By the time Buckmaster returned for the final time, close to 11:20 p.m., he had completed 30 laps, covering 55.33 miles and 22,916 feet of elevation gain, all on a single, unforgiving stretch of trail.
In Auburn, California, a place that measures effort in suffering, and respect is earned on the climbs, numbers like these carry weight. Cardiac Hill is more than a trail; it’s a proving ground for those preparing for the world stage. But even here, days like this are rare. Buckmaster set out for 40 laps and left with 30. But on a day when the canyon turned hostile, he didn’t stop.