Grand Mesa, CO, United States · Saturday, July 25, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

Grand Mesa 55 km Trail Race

Race completed

55 km Distance

900 m Climbing

4.1 Grit · Challenging

39.1131° N, 108.0128° W© OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 16 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Time limit 11 hours 12:00 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. About average for a 50K. Measured against 1007 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~44 Small. Long stretches with nobody in sight.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (24h 55km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, July

Daytime high 31°C

Night low 14°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 14 h 26 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for July — NASA POWER, grid elevation 2198 m. Not a forecast.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

⛰️ terrain

This is a rolling course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.

By UltraHub Expert

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 55 km of trail with 900 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes55 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition55 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration VestsFlask capacity for 55 km, without the bounce.
GPS WatchesBattery life first — a 55 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Adidas

Sense Ride 5

RunRepeat found the Salomon Sense Ride 5 to have immaculate lockdown and a smooth and stable ride, making it confident on moderate trails and steep downhills. I…

★★★★★ 4.5

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

All-in-one calorie and electrolyte drink mix. 200 calories per serving.

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

Industry-standard 12L race vest with front flask pockets and minimal bounce.

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

Garmin

Enduro 3

Ultra-endurance GPS watch with solar charging and 300+ hour battery in GPS mode.

$900 ★★★★★ 4.8

All gear guides →

Course Notes

This race takes place on the Grand Mesa (near Grand Junction, CO), known as the largest flat-topped mountain in the world. The terrain varies from rocky ridges, smooth single track, grassy meadows and pine/aspen forests with views galore!

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.