Desert Rats Trail Running Festival
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Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB
Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB is a multi-day trail running event held in Fruita, Colorado in April 2026. The festival features three days of racing across desert terrain, mesas, and areas that overlook the Colorado River.
The event offers four race distances with listed elevation changes:
- 100K - 100 km, 2050 m+ elevation
- 50K - 48 km, 1050 m+ elevation
- 21K - 21 km, 700 m+ elevation
- 10K - 9 km, 200 m+ elevation
Courses run on flowy singletrack and across red slickrock cliff buttes, with sections along cliff edges and climbs up into the mesas. The weekend includes a basecamp festival party and a free kid's race, along with other on-site activities for families.
Desert RATS serves as a dual qualifier. Runners who complete the 100K in 20 hours or less earn a Western States Endurance Run qualifier for 2027. Finishers of the 100K, 50K, and 21K receive a UTMB Index and Running Stones applicable to the 2027 UTMB World Series Finals lottery.
The IRONMAN Foundation supports local community organizations and trail stewardship programs connected to the event. Since 2003, more than $60 million has been provided through IRONMAN and its foundation to over 10,000 initiatives. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
