Para Trail Summit

We’re proud to share an important milestone for trail running in North America.

In 2026, Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB will serve as the North American Para Trail Summit, hosted in collaboration with Born to Adapt, a leader in adaptive trail running education and athlete support.

The Para Trail Summit is a dedicated program within 2026 Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB focused on supporting and elevating adaptive athletes, while also creating an entry point for trail runners interested in becoming guides. Programming throughout the weekend centers on building trust, communication, and strong athlete–guide partnerships on trail, helping both athletes and guides navigate trail environments with confidence and care.

In partnership with Born to Adapt, race weekend support will include a dedicated para coordinator, a prosthetics expert, multiple coaches supporting clinics – including movement skills and preparing for long runs, adaptive-focused aid station considerations, an on-stage guide training, and dedicated awards adaptive athletes in each race.

To help expand access across all distances, we’ve reserved a limited number of entries in the sold-out 100K and 50K races for adaptive athletes. If you’re interested, please reach out to our Athlete Services team here. We also have remaining availability in the 21K and 10K and would love to have you be part of the Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB weekend in any of our four distances.

This summit is about more than a single weekend: it’s about expanding access, education, and community for adaptive athletes within trail running and the UTMB World Series.

Schedule of Events

The race weekend Para Trail Summit Schedule will be announced soon!

FAQ

Q: What if a distance is sold out?

A: To help expand access across all distances, we’ve reserved a limited number of entries in the sold-out 100K and 50K races for adaptive athletes.

Q: How do I take part in the weekend's activities? A: Runners will first need to register through the UTMB World Series as an Adaptive Athlete.

You can find out more information about registration on the website here, and complete the Adaptive Athlete Registration Form here.
Once approved by the UTMB World Series Team (about 5-10 days), you will be notified that you can register for Desert RATS.
To register for a non-sold out distance, complete the online registration on our website and choose the Adaptive Athlete category during the registration process.
If you would like to register for a sold out distance, please email our Athlete Services team here (desertrats@service.byutmb.world ). When emailing, please use the subject line "Adaptive Athlete Registration" and include a screenshot of your UTMB World Series Adaptive Athlete approval. Our team will then reach out and send you a custom link to register.
Once you are registered, our team will reach out with additional information, including how to get connected with the Para Coordinator and how to get into the Para Trail Summit WhatsApp group, where you can stay up-to-date with all the race weekend activities.

Q: How does my guide get registered? And is there an extra cost for my guide?
A: Once a guide is confirmed, an entry link will be sent to the guide to register free of charge. During the registration process, the guide must:

Select “Guide” as the classification, and
Complete the field: “Please provide the name of the Adaptive Athlete you will be the Guide for.”
Please note: If the adaptive athlete must withdraw for any reason, the guide is not permitted to compete as an individual.

Q: How do I get to Fruita for race weekend? Is the area accessible?
A: If you’re flying, the closest airport is Grand Junction, CO (GJT). This airport is small and accessible for those with disabilities. There are a limited number of hotels in Fruita, so we recommend staying in Grand Junction – just a 15-minute drive away from Fruita.

Q: How do I get involved in the Para Trail Summit weekend programming?
A: You should receive an email from the Born to Adapt team once you’re registered for the race. This email explains more about the programming over race weekend, details of the clinic, and includes the Para Coordinator’s contact information. Once you’re connected with the Para Coordinator via the WhatsApp group, you can stay informed on all race weekend details.

Q: I am interested in guiding a para runner. How do I sign up?

A: You can complete the form below and the Born to Adapt team will be in touch.

Form