Niwot's Challenge

Event overview

Niwot’s Challenge is an invitation-only endurance event held along the South Platte River in Sedalia, Colorado. The 13th annual edition is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2026. The field is limited to 40 participants. Organizers describe the event as non-competitive and rooted in off-trail navigation and self-reliance rather than a traditional race.

Course and format

The course is unpublished and emphasizes off-trail navigation, occasional dirt roads, and faint trails. Participants must visit designated Sacred Waypoints and retrieve unique codes to complete the route as designed. Aid is minimal to very limited; some formats specify no aid. No GPS navigation is allowed on course; phones are permitted for emergency use only. Official maps and logistics are sent to accepted participants in the weeks before the event.

Distances and targets

• Burn - ~24 miles; +10,000' / -10,000'; 16-hour time limit.
• Chief's - ~50 miles; +20,400' / -20,400'; 30-hour time limit.
• Deity - ~100 miles; +40,800' / -40,800'; 60-hour time limit.

A $1,000 prize is offered for the first person to achieve Deity status.

Entry, selection, and requirements

Applications are considered January 19-21, 2026; selection follows a stated priority order and reserves organizers the right to refuse entry without explanation. Entry fee is listed as free with optional donation. Participants are expected to have significant wilderness navigation or ultrarunning experience and to carry mandatory safety gear, including a course map, whistle, emergency blanket or bivy, headlamp, at least 2 L of fluids, a light jacket, and sufficient food. An online group hub on Groups.io is used for official updates. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.