The Keeper of the Flame
Few runners have become as closely connected to the Angeles Crest 100 as Jorge Pacheco.
Born and raised in Southern California, Jorge made the San Gabriel Mountains his training ground. Mt. Wilson, Chantry Flats, Baden-Powell, and weekends camping and training at Chilao were not just places on the course. They were trails he knew well and returned to constantly.
Jorge completed his first AC100 in 2000, finishing 19th overall in 24:39:39 at age 32.
Since then, he has finished AC100 12 times and become one of the most accomplished runners in race history. He won AC100 four times, in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2010.
In 2026, Jorge will return to AC100 attempting his 13th finish.
And he is still running strong. Most recently, at age 58, Jorge finished fourth overall at the Leona Divide 50 Miler on April 18, 2026, running 8:55:44.
His running résumé goes well beyond Angeles Crest. He won the Badwater 135 in 2008 and paced Kilian Jornet at Western States. But for people around AC100, his race results are only part of the story.
Jorge has always shown up for the trails too.
He regularly participated in trail work and often did more than was required.
“I want to help with trail work. Those are the trails I train on,” he would say.
He also visited Ken Hamada at his ranch several times and stayed connected to the race and the people around it.
One trail work day between Shortcut and Newcomb Saddle says a lot about him.
Several volunteers ran out of water during a long day on Edison Road. Jorge gave away what little water he had left, then ran back to the cars to get more. He returned with water for everyone and stayed with the slowest volunteer until the group was safely back at the cars.
That kind of thing is why Jorge means more to AC100 than his finishing times.
Even in recent years, while dealing with injuries, he has continued to run and stay involved without making excuses.
He has also encouraged countless runners over the years to get out into the mountains and enjoy the work, even when training does not go as planned. One of his favorite reminders is that “there’s never a dull day in the mountains.”
Jorge has been part of AC100 for more than two decades as a champion, training partner, trail worker, volunteer, and friend of the race.
Now, in 2026, he is back to chase finish number 13.
For more than 25 years, Jorge has kept showing up for AC100, for the trails, and for the people around the race.
In that sense, he has become one of AC100’s true keepers of the flame.