Races

Canyonlands Ultra 100K

Moab, UtahOctober

Behind the Rocks trailhead. Two marathon loops and a ten miler. La Sal views. Sandy washes. Seven thousand eight hundred feet before Auburn dreams.

100K+5,024 ft-5,024 ft20 hours4,515 ft to 5,726 fttech 5/10Checkpoints per race bookTriple Crown kickoffBehind the Rocks trailheadcuplessOctober
Distance100K
Gain+5,024 ft
Loss-5,024 ft
Altitude4,515 ft to 5,726 ft
Technicality5/10
Air35°F to 75°F
Gradient profileCalTopo course map
  • Start5,335 ft
  • High5,726 ft
  • Low4,515 ft
  • Finish5,335 ft

Field, 2025 · 2-year samplescraped

Starters23
Finish rate100%
Median13:29
Sub-2423

Geometryderived

Steepest drop745 ft-6.5% over 2.2 mi

Course records

Men8:58:08Jonathan Kuplack2024 scraped
Women11:49:06Charlotte Cadow2024 scraped

The cruxTwo marathon loops plus a ten mile loop in desert heat (near mile 65)

Course DNA

The Course

Canyonlands Ultra 100K runs 100K through Moab, Utah. +5,024 ft gain and -5,024 ft loss. Surfaces skew 60% doubletrack / 40% singletrack. Two marathon loops plus a ten mile loop in desert heat. High point near 5,726 ft. Low near 4,515 ft. October temps run 35°F to 75°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 50.

The Work

Train for 5,024 feet of climbing across 100K. Back-to-back long runs on similar surfaces. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 20 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 65.

Kit

October in Moab, Utah: plan for 35°F to 75°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 20 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 25. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 60% doubletrack: lugs for mud, rock plate if the course turns technical after mile 50.

Race Day

Hold effort through mile 25. The field often splits on the first big climb after mile 50. Two marathon loops plus a ten mile loop in desert heat near mile 65 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 33 miles of fatigue management. Finish with reserve for the last descent.

Results

Canyonlands Ultra 100K finish lines.

Canyonlands Ultra 100K

100KMoab

Sources (2)

Canyonlands Ultra 100K