Desert RATS Trail Running Festival Half Marathon & 10k

Home » Races » Colorado » Fruita » Desert RATS Trail Running Festival Half Marathon & 10k
Date

Apr 12, 2026

Starting Time

8:30 AM

Course

Trail

Fees

$59+

Location

Fruita

Participants

100-500

Terrain

Challenging

Environment

Desert

Temperature
High: 59°
/ Low: 42°
Overview

As part of the UTMB World Series Racing Events, the Desert RATS Trail Running Festival Half Marathon and 10k is a celebration of trail running for everyone and, for nearly two decades, has succeeded in bringing community together for an epic adventure.

Trail Runners, Scenic Views, Challenging Course. Located in Southwestern Colorado amongst the high desert, this trail running half marathon takes runners through desert landscapes providing spectacular cliffside views of the Colorado River and more.

Rugged desert terrain, this course was designed to be one of the most scenic half marathon courses in the entire United States and it certainly lives up to the hype.

Course Description

With over 1500 feet of elevation gain, this challenging trail running looping course begins by heading down a dirt road before taking a sharp turn up its first hill climb within the first mile. As runners reach the first aid station at Crossroads #1, prepare for twists and turns along a steep and rocky gully before the course flattens out. At the 10k mark, runners will reach what’s known as the Pizza Overlook. After the 10k mark, runners will run along a section of Mary’s Loop before hitting the Wrangler’s Loop Cutoff. After another steep climb, it’s a descent down towards the next aid station. It’s here where the trail becomes technical, however, before you know it, the finish line will have been reached. Although there are aid stations throughout the half marathon course, this event mandates runners to bring their own hydration packs with a water capacity of at least 16 oz. Remember, this event is a 3-day festival, so come prepared to party and socialize both before and after race day at basecamp, where it’s fun for the entire family.

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