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Desert Rats Trail Running Festival

Fruita, United States • 9-12 Apr 2026

Event

Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB is a three-day trail running festival held in Fruita, Colorado, in April. The weekend includes a basecamp festival party and a free kid's race in addition to race days. The event is described as taking place on desert trails with singletrack, mesas, and cliffs overlooking the Colorado River.

Races

  • 100 KM - 2050 m+ elevation, Running Stones: 3
  • 48 KM - 1050 m+ elevation, Running Stones: 2
  • 21 KM - 700 m+ elevation, Running Stones: 1
  • 9 KM - 200 m+ elevation

Course and qualification

Courses run through high desert terrain and red slickrock cliff buttes, including sections on singletrack, mesa climbs, and trails along cliffs that overlook the Colorado River. The event is a dual qualifier: finishing the 100K in 20 hours or less provides eligibility to bid for a place in the Western States Endurance Run (2026). Finishing the 100K, 50K (48 KM), or 21K provides a UTMB Index and Running Stones that can be applied to the UTMB World Series Finals lottery. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

United States Colorado Fruita

Race information

Website
UTMB 20K UTMB 50K UTMB 100K
100 km
100k
48 km
50k
Half Marathon
21k
9 km
10k
Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
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