Races
Behind the Rocks Ultra 50 Miler
Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area. Navajo sandstone domes. Remote desert solitude. The hardest fifty in the Triple Crown when the field is honest.
50 mi+3,686 ft-3,686 ft17 hours4,532 ft to 5,706 fttech 5/10Checkpoints per race bookTriple Crown finalefree base campwater carry sectionsApril
Distance50 mi
Gain+3,686 ft
Loss-3,686 ft
Altitude4,532 ft to 5,706 ft
Technicality5/10
Air40°F to 80°F
- Start4,541 ft
- High5,706 ft
- Low4,532 ft
- Finish4,541 ft
Field, 2026 · 12-year samplescraped
Starters51
Finish rate100%
Median11:54
Sub-2451
Geometryderived
Steepest drop594 ft-5.3% over 2.1 mi
Course records
Men6:46:48Chris Mocko
Women7:23:10Courtney Dauwalter
The cruxTechnical down climbs and remote rim running with sparse crew access (near mile 33)
Course DNA
The Course
Behind the Rocks Ultra 50 Miler runs 50 mi through Moab, Utah. +3,686 ft gain and -3,686 ft loss. Surfaces skew 50% doubletrack / 50% singletrack. Technical down climbs and remote rim running with sparse crew access. High point near 5,706 ft. Low near 4,532 ft. April temps run 40°F to 80°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 25.
The Work
Train for 3,686 feet of climbing across 50 mi. Back-to-back long runs on similar surfaces. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 17 hours total means limited margin: rehearse fueling every 45 to 60 minutes and downhill eccentric work weekly. Technicality 5/10. Build a block that simulates the crux near mile 33.
Kit
April in Moab, Utah: plan for 40°F to 80°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 17 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 13. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 50% doubletrack: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 25.
Race Day
Hold effort through mile 13. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 25. Technical down climbs and remote rim running with sparse crew access near mile 33 is where time is won or lost. Walk the steep pinches. Run the flats and gentle downhills. Crew at major aids: socks, calories, ice if hot. Transitions under 5 minutes when possible. Final third is 17 miles of fatigue management. Finish with reserve for the last descent.
Results
Behind the Rocks Ultra 50 Miler finish lines.
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Sources (3)
- Field stats (2026): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=125817
- Course record (M): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=38665
- Course record (F): https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=56961