About the race
Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB has four unique distances, three days of racing and indescribable views of the desert. There is something for every runner. Enjoy views of the Colorado River as you race through flowy singletrack, climb up the mesa, and take in the vastness of the desert.
Discover the Races
Registrations open
Registrations open
Registrations open
Registrations open
A Race for Everyone
Join us for 3 days of racing and 4 different distances on the beautiful trails of Fruita, Colorado in 2025. For over two decades this race has brought the whole community together for an epic weekend adventure. Whether you're new to trail or an ultra veteran, you will not want to miss the celebration this April.
Dual Qualifier
Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB is a dual qualifier for the iconic UTMB® World Series Finals and the Western States Endurance Run. Runners who complete the 100K race in 20 hours our less will earn their qualifier to bid for a spot in the 2026 Western States Endurance Runs. In addition, all runners who finish the 100K, 50K, or 21K will earn their UTMB Index and Running Stones that can be applied to the UTMB World Series Finals lottery.
Endless Views
Located in the high desert of southwestern Colorado, the course sweeps through desert landscape and red slickrock cliff buttes. Run on the edge of cliffs overlooking the Colorado river and venture up into the mesas. From the 100K to the 10K, each course will bring runners breathtaking views.
Weekend Festival
With 3 days of racing, a basecamp festival party, a free kid's race, we've got a weekend packed with activities for the whole family. This is more than just a race it's truly a trail running festival with something for every runner.
UTMB Cares US
Through UTMB Cares US, we have set out to achieve something extraordinary by caring for the amazing environments that host our trail events. UTMB Cares US is a program of The IRONMAN Foundation. Since 2003, over $55 million has been provided through IRONMAN and IRONMAN Foundation charitable giveback programs to more than 10,000 local, regional, national, and global nonprofit initiatives. Including $50,000 in grant funding for clean-up and restoration efforts of the Western States Trail, enjoyed by The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB®️ runners, in partnership with Western States Endurance Run and The Tevis Cup. Together, we are on a quest to engage our community and care for our race surroundings through grant funding and volunteerism efforts.
Sign up for Desert Rats by UTMB Announcements
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DISCOVER YOUR STATISTICS AND FOLLOW YOUR QUEST
Create a 'My UTMB' account to access detailed statistics about your past races, consult your UTMB Index, compare your performance against fellow trail runners, check your amount of Running Stones, view your upcoming UTMB World Series Events, and much more.
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