Starting from Ruby Rider Ranch, runners follow a dirt road toward Wire Mesa, passing the edge of Smithsonian Butte Wilderness before moving onto singletrack. They loop around Wire Mesa and return along dirt roads toward Grafton, continuing through rolling desert singletrack. From there, the course turns onto Gooseberry Road and climbs toward Mondo Z before heading out onto Gooseberry Mesa. The trail follows rim paths above the desert and Virgin River, including a short out-and-back to Crazy Jug Point, then continues across slickrock and singletrack before returning across the mesa. The course descends off the mesa via the Mondo Z Cut, passing the cliffs made famous by Red Bull Rampage before transitioning to ATV roads and washes into the Virgin Desert. At this point, the 100K and 100-mile courses split. The 100K continues on desert singletrack toward the Virgin River Dam area and the Highway 9 corridor. The route then turns toward the town of Virgin, passing through paved roads, neighborhoods, and ATV tracks as it works back toward the river. The final section climbs back up the Mondo Z Cut before returning to Ruby Rider Ranch via dirt road.
The course climbs onto Gooseberry Mesa and takes rim paths above the Virgin River, including a short out-and-back to Crazy Jug Point, then descends the Mondo Z Cut. Long stretches are run on slickrock and exposed desert singletrack.
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 | ? | ● | ? | ● | ? | 1.70 |
| 44.60 | Virgin Dam | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 4.40 |
| 49.00 | Water Monster | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 6.00 |
| 55.00 | Mondo Z III | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 5.20 |
| 60.20 | Finish | 4:30am | ● | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Driving directions to the Virgin Desert Aid Station: bit.ly/372rGOg
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