Vermejo Charcoal Burner
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Vermejo Charcoal Burner
The Vermejo Charcoal Burner is a multi-discipline sporting event held at Vermejo Park Ranch in Raton, New Mexico. The event takes place on a 558,000-acre property situated within the Southern Rockies. Participants travel across a landscape consisting of closed private roads, two-track ranch roads, rural dirt roads, and maintained gravel surfaces. The start and finish lines are located at the historic charcoal ovens, which are the only remaining structures of their kind in the state.
The event features both gravel cycling and running options:
- 99 Miles gravel ride
- 66 Miles gravel ride
- 41 Miles gravel ride
- 13.1 Miles gravel run (half marathon)
The courses are supported with strategically placed aid stations to assist participants throughout the day. For the cycling categories, aero bars are prohibited across all distances. In the 41 Miles short distance ride, Class 1 and Class 3 pedal-assist eBikes are permitted, though riders using them are not eligible for podium placements.
The long-distance gravel ride offers a payout for the top five overall men and women. Age-based podium categories are established for both the cycling and running events, typically divided into under 40 and 40 plus groups. Due to the remote location of the ranch, cellular coverage is limited, and local registration on the day of the event is restricted to cash or check payments. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
