Lookout Campground to Fish Springs and back. One hundred miles of Utah desert dirt road. Three thousand feet up. Wild horses. Crew required. Head west.
127 mi+12,581 ft-12,581 ft30 hours4,423 ft to 7,585 fttech 5/10Checkpoints per race bookFish Springs turnaroundwild horsesfirst 100 friendlyOctober
The cruxFish Springs turnaround at mile 58.2 by 10:00 pm (near mile 65)
Course DNA
The Course
Pony Express Trail 100 runs 100 mi through Faust, Utah. +12,581 ft gain and -12,581 ft loss. Surfaces skew 100% dirt road. Fish Springs turnaround at mile 58.2 by 10:00 pm. High point near 7,585 ft. Low near 4,423 ft. October temps run 35°F to 85°F. The course rewards patience early and punishes rushed descents after mile 50.
The Work
Train for 12,581 feet of climbing across 100 mi. Back-to-back long runs on similar surfaces. Practice power-hiking grades above 15 percent. 30 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 Faust, Utah: plan for 35°F to 85°F. Mandatory shell if rain is in forecast. Headlamp with spare batteries if 30 hours pushes past dark. Poles help on sustained climbs above mile 25. Vest capacity for 2 liters minimum. Shoes matched to 100% dirt road: 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. Fish Springs turnaround at mile 58.2 by 10:00 pm 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.