The course begins at Ruby Rider Ranch and follows a dirt road toward Wire Mesa, passing along the edge of Smithsonian Butte Wilderness before transitioning to singletrack around Wire Mesa. The course continues into the Grafton area through rolling desert terrain and additional singletrack. From Grafton, the course follows Gooseberry Mesa Road to Mondo Z, then heads out onto Gooseberry Mesa. Trails trace the rim above the Virgin River and desert floor, crossing a mix of slickrock and singletrack before returning across the mesa. The course drops off the mesa via the Mondo Z Cut, passing the cliffs made famous by Red Bull Rampage before descending through ATV roads and washes into the Virgin Desert. Runners continue along desert singletrack above the Virgin River canyon and toward the Highway 9 corridor. After crossing Highway 9, runners climb steadily to Smith Mesa, the course's longest sustained ascent. At the top, the terrain transitions to singletrack and ATV roads before dropping onto the Flying Monkey Trail. The course then travels through Dalton Wash, where water crossings are possible, before heading out toward the Guacamole area across extended sections of slickrock. After returning through Dalton Wash, the route turns south and works back toward Highway 9. The final segment crosses Highway 9 again, follows ATV roads, and climbs back up the Mondo Z Cut before returning to Ruby Rider Ranch via dirt road.
The Flying Monkey Trail narrows into rocky, technical singletrack and can be particularly challenging in the dark. One section features a large drop with a fixed rope to assist with the descent. If you are not fully comfortable on technical descents, it is important to take your time here. The climb to Smith Mesa is the course's longest sustained ascent, and Dalton Wash can hold water crossings. Long stretches of the day are run on slickrock and exposed desert trail.
The Zion Ultras run across high-desert mesas outside Zion National Park, linking long stretches of singletrack, slickrock and exposed desert trail. The courses are demanding and the terrain ever-changing: long sustained climbs, narrow rim sections, and stretches with technical footing. Everything starts and finishes from basecamp at Smithsonian Butte, at Ruby Rider Ranch in Apple Valley, Utah, with five distances sharing the same start line: 100 Mile, 100K, 60K, 30K and a trail half marathon. The 100 Mile is the race most runners know as the Zion 100.
Matt Gunn founded Ultra Adventures in 2012 with the Zion 100, and spent years building a series of races that opened up the Grand Circle to runners from around the world. Ultra Adventures is now run by Aravaipa Running, which directs the Zion Ultras alongside the Bryce Canyon Ultras, the Antelope Canyon ultras and the Tushars.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew access | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | Start | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 8.00 |
| 8.00 | Wire Mesa | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 7.30 |
| 15.30 | Wire Mesa II | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 7.70 |
| 23.00 | Mondo Z | ? | · | ? | ? | ● | 7.80 |
| 30.80 | Gooseberry | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 3.80 |
| 34.60 | Mondo Z II | ? | · | ? | ? | ● | 8.30 |
| 42.90 | Virgin Desert | ? | ● | ? | ● | ● | 8.60 |
| 51.50 | Virgin Dam | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 4.40 |
| 55.90 | Water Monster | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 3.80 |
| 59.70 | Smith Mesa | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 6.80 |
| 66.50 | Flying Monkey Water Monster | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 2.60 |
| 69.10 | Virgin BMX | ? | ● | ? | ● | ● | 5.80 |
| 74.90 | Guacamole | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 6.10 |
| 81.00 | Guacamole II | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 6.50 |
| 87.50 | Virgin BMX II | ? | ● | ? | ● | ● | 4.20 |
| 91.70 | Mondo Z III | ? | · | ? | ? | ● | 5.20 |
| 96.90 | Finish | 6:00pm | ● | ? | ? | ● | ? |
Driving directions to the Virgin Desert Aid Station: bit.ly/372rGOg
aravaiparunning.comDriving directions to the Virgin BMX Aid Station: bit.ly/38bKpYi
aravaiparunning.comDriving directions to the Virgin BMX Aid Station: bit.ly/38bKpYi
aravaiparunning.com12 people have been out there with a camera or a microphone.
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