Niwot's Challenge
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Niwot's Challenge - 14th Annual
Niwot's Challenge is an invitation-only, non-competitive endurance trial held along the South Platte River in Sedalia, Colorado on May 1, 2027. The field is limited to 40 participants and entry is by application during a announced window; selection follows a stated order of priority and a waitlist is used if necessary. The event is presented as a navigational and self-reliance exercise rather than a traditional race.
The course is unpublished and requires significant off-trail navigation, occasional dirt-road travel, and short stretches of faint trail. Participants must locate Sacred Waypoints and retrieve unique codes to validate completion. Aid is minimal and autonomy is expected; no GPS is allowed on course and phones are for emergency use only. Accepted participants receive digital dispatches before the event containing the official map, crew and aid details, and additional rules.
There are named loop options with approximate distances, elevation change, and time limits:
- Burn Loop: ~24 miles, +10,000′ / -10,000′, 16 hour limit
- Chief's Loop: ~50 miles, +20,400′ / -20,400′, 30 hour limit
- Deity Course: ~100 miles total, +40,800′ / -40,800′, 60 hour limit
Participation requires printing and signing a waiver, printing maps, and carrying mandatory gear including a course map, whistle, emergency blanket or bivy, headlamp, at least 2 L of liquids, a light jacket, 12 hours of calories, and navigation tools. The entry fee is listed as free with donations encouraged. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
