Moab Trail Marathon

One of the best-known trail marathons in the country, this Moab race treats the terrain as the point. Runners move through Pritchett, Hunter, and Kane Creek canyon country with views toward Canyonlands, and the race weekend regularly hosts USATF trail championship events across its distances.

The route strings together narrow singletrack, rugged jeep roads, sandy washes, and long stretches of slickrock, with two major climbs and roughly 3,500 feet of gain. A scramble section near mile 17.5 and short assisted climbing moves late in the race make this a course to respect rather than race for time. Elite runners break four hours, and five to six hours is normal for the midpack.

Early November in Moab usually means a cold start in the 30s, dry air, and strong desert sun by midday. Shaded canyon bottoms and exposed slickrock can feel like different seasons, so layers that shed easily work well.