The 50K is a single loop of the Kokopelli trails in the Mack Ridge area with a lap of Rustler's Loop early on, so runners come through the Rustler's aid station twice. It rolls between 4,500 and 5,400 feet, climbs to Pizza Overlook and follows the rim in and out of the canyons above the Colorado River, then takes the Troybuilt trail and a last mile of dirt road back to the finish. The race puts the climbing at over 3,400 feet.
The course mixes gently rolling dirt road, soft dirt trail on Rustler's Loop, singletrack, and rocky, technical ground along the rim. The climb out of Troybuilt is the steep, hot one of the day. Runners share dirt roads with OHV, UTV and 4x4 traffic in places. Trekking poles are allowed for every distance, and have to be carried from the start rather than picked up later.
Desert RATS runs on the Kokopelli trails above the Colorado River outside Fruita, in the high desert of western Colorado. Four distances start and finish at the Hawkeye Trailhead across three days in April, with a 100K and a 50K on the Saturday and a 21K and a 10K either side of them. The 100K goes out to the Western Rim and back, on 4WD road, singletrack and rocky, sandy ground. It is a UTMB World Series event, so finishing the 100K, 50K or 21K earns Running Stones for the UTMB World Series Finals lottery, and a qualifying finish in the 100K counts for the Western States lottery.
The first Desert RATS Trail Running Festival ran in April 2004, as a 50 mile race with 36 finishers. A 50K joined it in 2014 and the 50 mile was last run in 2016. The 2020 edition was cancelled. The 100K was first run in 2024. The field has grown steadily: the 50K had 175 finishers in 2019 and 422 in 2026. The 2026 running was the 23rd.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew access | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 |
Hawkeye TH - Start
4,689 ft
|
? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 6.20 |
| 6.20 |
Rustler's 1
4,544 ft
|
? | ● | · | · | ● | 3.60 |
| 9.80 |
Rustler's 2
4,544 ft
|
? | ● | · | · | ● | 3.90 |
| 13.70 |
Pizza Overlook
4,779 ft
|
? | · | · | · | ● | 3.90 |
| 17.60 |
Crossroads
4,722 ft
|
12:00pm | · | · | · | ● | 6.60 |
| 24.20 |
Troybuilt
4,625 ft
|
? | ● | · | · | ● | 6.50 |
| 30.70 |
Hawkeye TH - Finish
4,688 ft
|
5:00pm | ? | ? | ? | ● | ? |
Parking. There is no event parking at this aid station. Crew reach it on the shuttle from the start and finish line, then walk in from the shuttle drop-off.
Parking. There is no event parking at this aid station. Crew reach it on the shuttle from the start and finish line, then walk in from the shuttle drop-off.
Parking. There is no event parking at this aid station. Crew reach it on the shuttle from the start and finish line, then walk in from the shuttle drop-off.
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