Entry Fee

For all distances:

Early Entry $75 per runner before May 15 (pre-register with $25 non-refundable deposit)
Late Entry $100 per runner after May 15

Courses

The Half is a separate 12.5 mile loop; all other distances share the first 26.3-mile loop, then the Extra adds a 5.2-mile second loop, and the Ultra adds a 24.7-mile second loop.

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Half

12.5 miles distance with 1,464 foot elevation gain/loss

The finishing time allowance is 8 hours.

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Marathon

26.3 miles distance with 3,277 foot elevation gain/loss

The finishing time allowance is 13 hours.

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Extra

31.6 miles (50K) distance with 3,776 foot elevation gain/loss

The finishing time allowance is 14 hours.

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Ultra

51.0 miles distance with 5,865 foot elevation gain/loss

The finishing time allowance is 18 hours with one cutoff at 3:00pm (27 miles, 9 hours) in Camp. If you come in after the cutoff time, you must de-elevate to the Marathon or Extra.

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Elevator/De-Elevator

At Base Camp only, runners who signed up for longer distances may decide to drop down in distance or elevate in distance. This can be done by informing the time keeper. Specifically, if you begin the Marathon and would like to increase your distance, elevate to either the Extra or the Ultra! If you are entered in the Extra or Ultra but the elevation on the first loop kicks your butt, drop down to the Marathon or the Extra. We want everyone to enjoy their experience.

You MUST clear all changes in distance with the Time Keeper.

Trails

The trail will take you past beautiful granite faces and through ancient Shoshone and Bannock tribal hunting grounds. You'll run a portion of the historic California Trail and see the names of emigrants from the 1800s scrawled in axle grease on Camp Rock. The Ultra course includes a loop through Castle Rocks, a cluster of stunning rock formations that date back 2.5 million years. The trail travels through pinyon pine forest and high-desert sage brush but is primarily in direct sun with little shade. Be prepared!

Don't let the name City of Rocks fool you. Most of our trails are crushed granite dust or sand. You will encounter portions of trail with some rock but for the most part the footing is great. Our trails are a mixture of single-track, double-track jeep trails, cow paths, groomed trails, and packed dirt road. There is one mile of paved road but there are cow paths alongside it. Most of the land we use will have cattle on it and that means that there will be some closed gates. RUNNERS MUST RE-CLOSE THESE GATES after passing through. Not doing so puts the future of this event at risk.

The course uses public roads in sections. Light traffic can be expected. Follow the rules of the road; run with traffic or on cow paths alongside the road. Use caution at intersections.

There is significant elevation gain and loss on each course, from 1,500 to 6,000 feet. This is no walk in the park. Make sure you are fit for it!

Markings

The Half runs a dedicated loop that starts and ends in base camp. The other three distances will all run the marathon first loop, which starts and ends in base camp. The Extra and Ultra courses each add a second loop that also starts and ends in base camp.

We encourage the use of GPS, as it is the best way to not get lost. For everyone else, we will use a combination of signs and ribbons. The trails we use are grouped into segments. Intersections of 2 or more segments are labeled with a letter. There will be a sign at each of these intersections with its letter, and arrows indicating the direction and distance to the next lettered intersection. So, a loop is defined by a sequence of intersections, e.g. ABCMA. Between signs there will be additional arrows when necessary to keep you on the correct trail. Here's a video explaining it with examples.

Reflective markings will be placed on the sections that may be run in the dark. Sunrise is at 6:00am Sunset is at 9:05pm. Be prepared with a headlamp.

It's rare, but we have had course markings destroyed in the past so we advise you to study the course as well as download the GPX files to your phone or GPS device.

GPS tracks can be downloaded here:

• Half Full Course - (map)
• Loop 1 - Marathon, Extra, and Ultra (map)
• Extra Loop 2 - (map)
• Extra Full Course
• Ultra Loop 2 - (map)
• Ultra Full Course

If you use the Ride with GPS app, here's the track collection.

Start

All runners will be timed individually (essentially a chip race without chips). Runners in all distances will start at-will by announcing their number to the Time Keeper and waiting for acknowledgment to begin. Runners doing the Half must start between 8:30am and 9:00am; all other runners must start between 6:00am and 6:45am. Finishing times will be recorded by the Time Keeper as you cross the finish line and announce your number again.

Sections of the trail are shared with horse riders. Please treat your fellow athletes with courtesy and respect. Make sure to announce yourself to a horse and rider as you approach so as not to spook the horse.

Aid Stations

Basic aid station fare will be provided. No chairs or pop-up tents will be erected due to tampering/wind. There will be a mixture of items such as PB&J, granola/protein bars, chips, trail mix, fruit (like bananas, apples, or mandarins), and sweets (like cookies or candy). Water will be provided. This is a cupless race. Bring your own hydration system. Electrolyte powder, provided by Hammer Nutrition, will be available at each station as well. Bring your own if you are picky.

The Half will have 2 aid stations: Circle Creek Overlook at mile 3.7, and Box Top at mile 7.2 (3.5 miles later).

For longer distances, aid stations are spaced 5-9 miles apart:

Station	Mileage	Next	Crew Allowed	Drop Bags Allowed
Camp	0	8.9	Yes	N/A
Breadloaves	8.9	8.2	Yes	Yes
Twin Sisters	17.1	3.4	No	No
Box Top	20.5	5.8	No	No
Camp	26.3	6.2	Yes	Yes
Box Top	32.5	8.2	No	No
Castle Rock Pavilion	40.7	5.3	Yes (fee)	Yes
Castle Rock Pavilion	46.0	5.0	Yes (fee)	Yes
Camp	51.0		Yes	Yes

Drop Bags

There will be a designated bag drop area in Camp for bags that are staying or going out on course. Please clearly label bags with your name, bib number, and the aid station name. All bags must be left at the Camp Aid Station prior to the start of the race.

Crew

Some of our Aid Stations are in remote areas with no room to park vehicles. Therefore, we will only allow crew at Camp, Breadloaves, and Pavilion. The Pavilion Aid Station is at Castle Rocks Picnic Area in Castle Rocks State Park, which charges a $7 per vehicle entrance fee. Crewing outside of designated crew areas is not permitted. Any runner who accepts aid between aid stations is required to report the incident to the race director and will be switched to "finish only" (no placing).

Base Camp

Castleview RV Park, Lynn Rd, Almo, Idaho
Coordinates: 42.077332, -113.634047

NOTE: If you follow GPS when coming from Salt Lake City and points south, it may take you on miles of dirt roads. You'll get here, but it will be bumpy. We suggest you stay on I-84 West to exit 245, then resume following your GPS navigation.

Camping is included with your entry fee between May 31 and June 2. At other times the nightly rate of $10 must be paid at the self-service pay station.

• There are no RV hook-ups and no potable water. Port-a-potties will be provided.
• Due to fire danger, campfires and open flames are NOT permitted.
• Dogs must be leashed at all times.
• Quiet hours are 10pm to 4am. Generators must be turned off during these hours.
• Base camp is at 5,364 feet elevation. Weather and temperatures are highly unpredictable. Strong wind gusts are common so RV awnings and pop-up canopies should not be left unattended, and tents should be staked well.
• We will have a runner-only camping section. However, if you prefer not to camp with dozens of horses, there are other options for lodging in Almo and City of Rocks National Reserve.

Meals

Evening meals are available for purchase through our website as part of your pre-registration. Please order your meals by May 15th. Last minute meal orders cannot be guaranteed. Meals will be catered by The Lunchroom in Almo.

Friday: Spaghetti and meatballs with salad and a roll
Saturday: Potato bar (pulled pork, potato, cheese sauce, broccoli, and toppings) with salad and a roll

Dinners are served buffet style at 5:30pm. If you are competing without a crew, we will hold your potato until you finish. Just let us know ahead of time.

2023