Palo Duro Trail Run
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About the race
The Palo Duro Trail Run is the 41st annual trail event held at Palo Duro Canyon State Park on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The event offers a looped course with three distance options:
- 50 miles
- 50K
- 25K
The course runs over varied surfaces including rolling singletrack, sand, and rock, and features short steep and technical ascents and descents. Temperatures in mid October can vary widely on race day, from freezing in the early canyon hours to very warm conditions later in the day. The looped format returns runners to the start/finish area multiple times, allowing contact with crew in the designated start/finish area at Mack Dick Pavilion.
Aid support includes four fully stocked stations with water, soda, pickle juice, Hyperlyte, and a mix of salty and sweet foods such as candy, chips, boiled salted potatoes, and PB&J sandwiches. The event is run as a cupless race, so participants must carry their own hydration system; aid stations will refill bladders and bottles but not provide disposable cups. Tents and canopies for crews are permitted only in a designated area at the start/finish.
Pacer rules apply to the 50 mile distance only: one pacer is allowed on the final lap, must remain on foot, and must register and pick up a pacer bib at packet pickup. All registered participants receive a long sleeve technical shirt; finishers in the 50K and 50 mile races receive a Palo Duro belt buckle and 25K finishers receive a Palo Duro hat. A hot post race meal is included with registration. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
