Big Cottonwood Canyon Classic
Brighton, United States • 3 Oct 2026
Big Cottonwood Canyon Classic
The Big Cottonwood Canyon Classic is a trail running event in Brighton, UT, with a 5K and a half marathon course that use trails and service roads around Brighton Ski Resort and the Twin Lakes and Lake Mary area.
Distances
- 5K: Starts near the Crest ski lift, crosses to Milly Chalet, traverses Mount Milly and returns via Lake Mary and Brighton's Lake Mary/Catharine's Pass Trail.
- Half marathon: About 12 miles with roughly 3500 feet of climb, routing through Twin Lakes, Honeycomb Return Road, Silver Fork Canyon trail, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Lazy Prince, and Grizzley Gultch.
Course notes include a revised half marathon route that bypasses a section of Honeycomb and takes runners over into Little Cottonwood Canyon. There is one aide station at the base of the Twin Lakes dam; the course passes this station twice (around mile 1 and near mile 6.5). The station provides water and electrolyte drinks, and on the second pass additional items such as chips, cookies, soda, fruit, bananas, and peanut butter and jelly.
Organizers offer structured training plans in 1, 2, or 3 month options that include daily workouts with mileage and elevation goals, tracking sheets, recovery weeks, race simulations, and a taper. Race entries include a race shirt, a finisher magnet, and entry into a raffle. Prizes are awarded to the top five men and top five women in both the half marathon and the 5K. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.