Utah punches above its size in ultrarunning. The Wasatch Range sits over Salt Lake City; the canyon country south of the I-70 holds more single-track than any other US state. Two iconic ultras anchor the calendar — Wasatch and Moab 240 — with a deep bench of 50Ks and 50-milers in between.
The 100-miler
Wasatch Front 100
100 miles point-to-point through the Wasatch. 26,000 ft of climb. Read the Wasatch briefing →
The 200-miler
Moab 240
240 miles in the canyon country. The desert 200-miler. Read the Moab 240 briefing →
The 50-milers
Speedgoat 50K
Snowbird, UT. ~12,000 ft vert in 32 miles. The hardest 50K in America by vert/mile. July. The race that gave Hoka's flagship shoe its name.
Antelope Island 50
50 miles on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. March. Mostly runnable; saltwater views; bison crossings. Different energy than mountain races.
Buffalo Run
50 mile / 25K / 50K on Antelope Island. March. Cult-favorite spring race for Western States hopefuls.
The 50Ks worth knowing
Squaw Peak 50
50-mile and 50K distances in the Wasatch. June. ~14,000 ft vert (50M). Heavy local field.
Ragged Edge 50K
Park City. June. ~5,000 ft vert. Mid-elevation training race for Wasatch.
The Bear Chase 50K
Bear Lake area. October. Beautiful fall colors course.
The two Utah running cultures
Utah ultrarunning splits into two scenes. North Utah (Wasatch Front, Salt Lake, Park City) is mountain-centric — Wasatch 100, Speedgoat, Squaw Peak. South Utah (Moab, St. George) is canyon-and-desert — Moab 240, Bryce Canyon Ultras, the Zion Ultras. Most Utah runners pick a scene; few try to do both well.
Where to train
- Salt Lake City / Park City: Wasatch trail access, altitude (4,500–7,000 ft), strong club scene.
- Moab: red-rock single-track at the door. The most photogenic training base in the U.S.
- St. George: winter training haven. Snow Canyon, Sand Hollow, Zion within 30 miles.