The team at Strambecco rates the Best Trail Running events Southwest 2025 based on various factors, including reputation, route quality, location, runner feedback, and the overall uniqueness of the event or race. Spanning California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, the Southwest terrain features of Strambecco’s best list includes mountains, canyons, mesas, buttes, high broad basins, plateaus, desert lands, and some plains characteristic of the Basin and Range Province. The entire southwestern region features semi-arid to arid terrain.
Our list of Best Trail Running Events Southwest 2025 is chock-full of outstanding trail events spanning the Ultra, Marathon, and Half-Marathon categories. The granddaddy of them all is the Western States 100 in June, an event requiring qualification. There are Western States Qualifier events all over the country and several on our Southwest list. Another prestigious event is the Wasatch Front 100 in July, a Grand Slam of Ultra Running event and a Rocky Mountain Slam event. There are several events on the list: UTMB Global Series events, an international series culminating in the famed UTMB Mt. Blanc (France) in August. Lastly, check out events on our list from the Leadville Race Series and Vacation Races, which offer premier destination events at amazing locations, including Zion and Bryce National Parks.
Strambecco does not list every event. We strive to identify and review events that are special and noteworthy. If you have suggestions on other events we should consider or review, please get in touch with us here or send us a note at editors@strambecco.com.
The Canyons Endurance Runs take place in Auburn, known as the “Endurance Capital of the World,” where mountain ultrarunning was born during the historic gold rush era. This UTMB World Series Americas…
The world’s oldest 100-mile trail race, Western States has been testing runners since 1974 on a demanding point-to-point course from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. The race covers 100 miles with over…
The Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs takes place on one of America’s most scenic high-altitude loop trails, offering 50K, 56-mile, and 100-mile distances that circumnavigate the stunning Lake Tahoe basin. Starting from…
The Tushars Mountain Runs delivers exactly what it promises: one of the most technically demanding and visually spectacular mountain races in North America. Starting at over 10,000 feet and reaching 12,174 feet…
Gemini Adventures brings two challenging trail runs through Carson National Forest in Red River, New Mexico. The Marathon covers 25 miles with 4,000 feet of elevation gain, while the Heavy Half tackles…
The Angeles Crest 100 has challenged trail runners since 1986 through the rugged San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California. What sets this ultramarathon apart is its unique conservation requirement: every participant must…
The Wasatch Front 100 stands as one of ultrarunning’s most formidable challenges, earning its reputation as “100 miles of heaven and hell.” This point-to-point course through Utah’s central Wasatch Mountains combines staggering…
The Mogollon Monster 100 traverses Arizona’s dramatic Mogollon Rim, a 200-mile geological formation that rises 2,000 feet from high Sonoran Desert into expansive Ponderosa Pine forest. Located about 90 minutes northeast of…
This high-altitude ultra runs around the northern half and western edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, delivering spectacular views above and below Bryce Canyon’s famous hoodoos. The course sits between 7,000-9,000 feet elevation,…
The Canyonlands Ultra showcases Moab’s spectacular red rock terrain across six distances ranging from 15K to 100K. Organized by Mad Moose Events as part of the Run Moab Series, this race combines…
The Moab Trail Marathon takes runners through some of the most spectacular canyon country on Earth, combining narrow single-track, rugged jeep trails, sandy washes, and signature Moab slickrock across terrain that changes…
The Dead Horse Ultra takes full advantage of Moab’s legendary Magnificent Seven trail system, delivering one of Utah’s most challenging and scenic trail running experiences. Set in November when desert temperatures are…
The McDowell Mountain Trail Run offers a challenging 15-mile journey through Arizona’s McDowell Mountain Regional Park, showcasing some of the Southwest’s most distinctive desert terrain. The course winds through cholla forests and…
Trail running enthusiasts will find the Colossal Vail 50/50 an exceptional desert ultrarunning experience in southern Arizona’s high desert. Organized by Fleet Feet Tucson and the Arizona Trail Association, this December event…
