Thirty-nine miles and 8,800 feet of climbing on the first and last thirds of the hundred, run the day before it. Michigan Ditch, the climb to the North Diamond Summit, the Montgomery ridge, then across to Bockman and back to Gould by way of Ranger Lakes. Fifteen hours, and runners who want both can enter the Dirty Double and come back the next morning for the 100km.
The race's own summary of what is underfoot is “Trail, dirt road, rough trail, high alpine, rocks”. The 60km takes the hardest early third of the hundred: 11.4 miles and 3,400 feet of climbing before the first aid station, then the climb over the North Diamond Summit at 11,850 feet and the Montgomery ridge, most of it between 10,000 and 12,000 feet.
A high mountain race out of the Gould Community Center in Colorado's State Forest State Park, run between the Never Summer Mountains on the northern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Medicine Bow Mountains north of Cameron Pass. There are two distances on two days: 39.2 miles on the Friday and 65.7 miles on the Saturday, and runners who want both can enter the Dirty Double and run them back to back. Long stretches sit above timberline between 10,000 and 12,000 feet, taking in two alpine peaks and four alpine lakes, and the ground runs from jeep and logging roads to bomber alpine trail to boulder fields and shin-deep mud. A 100km finish inside 24 hours qualifies for the Western States 100 lottery.
Gnar Runners first ran Never Summer in 2015, and 2026 was the twelfth running. The course has been tweaked several times, most significantly in 2020 and 2021, and has been essentially back on the original line since then. In 2024 the first cut-off was moved off the Diamond Aid Station and up to the North Diamond Summit so every runner would get more guaranteed time on course.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew access | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | Start / Finish – Gould Community Center | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 11.40 |
| 11.40 | Michigan Ditch | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 8.10 |
| 19.50 | Diamond | ? | ● | ● | ? | ● | 3.40 |
| 22.90 |
North Diamond Summit
None · cell service
|
2:15pm | · | ? | ? | ? | 2.60 |
| 25.50 | Montgomery | ? | · | · | ? | ● | 5.40 |
| 30.90 | Bockman | 5:30pm | ● | ● | ? | ● | 6.20 |
| 37.10 | Ranger Lakes | ? | · | · | ? | ? | 2.10 |
| 39.20 | Finish – Gould Community Center | ? | ● | ● | ? | ? | ? |
Diamond Aid is located 3/4 of a mile east of the Seven Utes Trailhead (40.502198, -105.931914), the crew-access parking area. From the Gould Community Center, head East on Highway 14 for 4 miles to the turnoff on the right for the new Seven Utes Trailhead. Crews must park here and walk the 3/4 of a mile east to the aid station location.
Parking. Park at the Seven Utes Trailhead and walk 3/4 of a mile east to the aid station. No parking is allowed anywhere on Highway 14. Please do not arrive at the aid station before 7am.
gnarrunners.comFrom the start/finish, it's just over 5mi west to the main park entrance. Make a right into the park and follow County Road 41 four miles to the Bockman Road intersection, make a right, and go 3/4mi to the aid station. 60K runners come along the road in a westerly direction and turn into the aid.
Parking. Parking is allowed along the south (right) side of the road only, and before (west of) the trail crossing and aid station. Do not drive into the Bockman Campground.
gnarrunners.com16 people have been out there with a camera or a microphone.
+ 8 more.
These are other people's work and we link straight to them. Watching costs nothing and needs no account. More of them: every race we hold, on film.
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We read every one of these and we write back. Every fact here carries the source it came from, and the way a wrong one gets fixed is a person checking it against what you tell us.
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