Desert Rats Trail Running Festival

APR

9-12

2026

Run desert singletrack and slickrock mesas above the Colorado River at Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB in Fruita CO. This three day festival features races 9K to 100K, a basecamp party, kids race, and UTMB qualification chances.

9-12 Apr 2026

Fruita, Colorado

Website

100 kilometers 48 kilometers Half Marathon 9 kilometers

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Event

Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB is a three-day trail running festival held in Fruita, Colorado, in April. The weekend includes a basecamp festival party and a free kid's race in addition to race days. The event is described as taking place on desert trails with singletrack, mesas, and cliffs overlooking the Colorado River.

Races

100 KM - 2050 m+ elevation, Running Stones: 3
48 KM - 1050 m+ elevation, Running Stones: 2
21 KM - 700 m+ elevation, Running Stones: 1
9 KM - 200 m+ elevation

Course and qualification

Courses run through high desert terrain and red slickrock cliff buttes, including sections on singletrack, mesa climbs, and trails along cliffs that overlook the Colorado River. The event is a dual qualifier: finishing the 100K in 20 hours or less provides eligibility to bid for a place in the Western States Endurance Run (2026). Finishing the 100K, 50K (48 KM), or 21K provides a UTMB Index and Running Stones that can be applied to the UTMB World Series Finals lottery. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

100 km

100k

48 km

50k

Half Marathon

21k

9 km

10k