Moab Trail Marathon,
Half Marathon,
10K Adventure Run
and Kids K
Race Dates: November 8th & 9th, 2025.
Registration Opens March 1st, 2025.
2024 USATF Trail Half Marathon National Championships!
Host of the Collegiate Trail Running Championships 2024!
An unforgettable voyage through some of the world's most scenic and unique lands. Try it.
Registration • Saturday Half, Marathon & 10k: Full, Waitlist open • Collegiate, USATF, and Sunday Half: Open
Race-Day Information: Moab Trail Marathon, ½ Marathon, and 5K Adventure Run Please Read!
Welcome! You’ve signed up for an incredible journey! This course highlights the spectacular scenic Moab area, an area unlike any other. The course is challenging, but mostly runable. There is a variety of scenery and terrain—everything from canyon rims, canyon bottoms, slickrock, road, single and double track, no-track, ropes, creeks, ups, downs, flats—all in very scenic country.
Course Marking: orange flagging tape and white chalk/flour
STAY ALERT: You must use your brain and stay alert and on course. From one marking, you will almost always see another marking. If you run for more than 10 seconds and don’t see flagging or white chalk then turn around and backtrack your steps until you see the course markings. One of the biggest mistake’s racers make is to follow the person in front of you. Do not follow the person in front of you, follow the flags and chalk. One year we had one short section of flags removed the morning of the race. Please let race staff know asap if you suspect this so we can fix it! This should be a rare occurrence, but use your best judgment if you suspect this has happened and keep safely running until flags resume or you see a race marshal/aid station. Almost every intersection is staffed.
Hazard Sections: use your head to determine how safe it is for you. If you feel it’s best to walk, walk! Even scoot on your butt if you feel more comfortable. There are some sections with a lot of exposure and a slip and fall could mean death. Use your best judgment and be cautious and conservative—do not do anything risky!
The road is open to traffic, and traffic has the right of way. That means that you will have to look both ways when crossing the road and run along far to the left side of the road to allow vehicles to pass. Please take caution/stay alert on this short section of the course where you will run alongside the dirt road. There is only one road crossing in the Half (at mile #9.7) and Full Marathon (at mile #14). At any other road crossings, you will instead go through a culvert.
Stay on the trail or road or slickrock. Do not go to the side. Just to the side of the trail is a living vegetation called cryptobiotic crust. It is the top soil of the desert sand. It appears as a course black surface matt. One foot print can wipe off decades of crust growth.
Also be cautious of cactus with very fine needles—watch where you step, there is some cactus out there.
If wet, slow down on the slickrock—it’s not called slick-rock for nothing.
So, to reiterate: watch for cliffs, watch for traffic, watch for crypto and cactus.
We will have a sweep runner and if you go off trail and the sweeper goes by you it would not be good!
There are aid stations every 2 to 5 miles. Know how far it is to the next aid station and carry a container for water and food if you think you will need it! We cannot put aid stations just everywhere because it’s impossible to get vehicles with water to the rugged remote sections of the route. Keep this in mind and appreciate/use the aid stations that are there! Please eat and drink enough to stay coherent and aware. If you need electrolytes, they are available at the aid stations—they help with cramping and can save you out there. If you feel light-headed or dizzy, stop and eat and drink and wait until you feel good again because if you stumble around out there it could mean death or injury. Also note that you may need to actually stop, ask, and grab the water and food from the tables.
Injury: The course is rugged with limited access by vehicle. If you get injured, stay on the course and another racer will tell someone at the next aid station and we will dispatch our rescue team. We have First Responders at the finish line and two on course.
Cutoffs: We have to be strict with the cutoffs for your own safety and for the sanity of our volunteers. If you miss the cutoff do not argue and attempt to continue, just accept that you missed the cutoff and train hard for next year. Cutoff times are listed on the website.
Parking: Spectators and participants, please do not park along the side of the road! Please park in the designated lots and walk alongside the road or trail. Allow a few minutes extra to walk from your parking spot to the start line.
Results: Results will be posted at www.moabtrailmarathon.com. They will be posted on the homepage, top right ‘button’ labelled ‘Results’ one hour after the LAST finisher of the day. We will have awards and swag for top finishers (as indicated on website) and there will be an awards table set up where you can claim your prize and have your picture taken. The awards ceremony for USATF Marathon National Champions will be at 1:30pm. The ceremony is only for the USATF Marathon award winners. All other award winners can swing by the awards table at your convenience to claim your prize (once results are official). Please do pick up your award, as they will not be mailed.
Specific course notes:
*Marathoners and ½ marathoners will follow the same route for the first 9.7 miles.
*Make sure to start with your correct, designated ‘wave’. Penalty of 30 min for starting in a non-designated wave.
*½ marathoners may get wet in Kane Canyon, this section is about 1 mile (in and out of the creek) from mile 11.1 to mile 12.1.
*Marathoners: there is an out and back where you will need to ‘punch’ your bib at the orange kite, you won’t miss the kite. The ‘punch’ is in Hunter Canyon at about mile 11.5. The volunteers at the Canyon exit will check your hole-punch. No punch=run back and get it or continue ‘unofficially’.
*Warm-Up’s: Please wear your racing outfit to the start. If in the situation that it is extremely cold on race day, you may leave your warm ups on the ‘warm up’s tarp’ near the start area for pick up after you finish (pickup at same spot). Please label your items with your name and race number. DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES. Note that we are not liable for lost or stolen items and this area will not be secured.
*Item’s left behind at aid stations may be difficult to get back to you this year. We will attempt to have them at the ‘lost and found’ area on Sunday @ Kane Creek Parking Lot between 10am-noon or Monday at Milts, between 10-noon.
*Pacers or outside assistance are not allowed. No caching or pets on course.
*Ropes section: This section is part of the 5k and Marathon. It is a ‘hand-line’ and is there for confidence, not to hold you. Do not try to lean or hang from the rope; use it as a guide only. We will try to have marshals at the ropes to assist, but either way please take your time. Only one person per section of the rope at a time.
Please say Thank You to our volunteers. Some of them had to leave the night before in 4-wheel drive vehicles and camp out to be there for you! Also, thank you to the BLM, Kane Creek Campground, and SITLA for their cooperation and generosity in letting us use this beautiful land for the race! Now, get ready for a great race!
Good luck and have fun! Thanks for participating!