Run Rabbit Run Race: What You Need To Know

Run Rabbit Run is one of those races that can look manageable on paper until you start adding up the details. High altitude, long climbs, substantial descending, changing mountain weather, nighttime running, and more than 100 miles on your feet make this a serious mountain ultra.

Held each September in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Run Rabbit Run offers both 50-mile and 100-mile distances. Whether you are thinking about entering, already training, or trying to decide if this should be your first 100, understanding the course before race week can make a big difference.

Run Rabbit Run At A Glance

The race takes place in and around Steamboat Springs and the Routt National Forest, sending runners through high-country trails, jeep roads, sustained climbs, and long descents.

The 100-mile course is roughly 101.5 miles with more than 20,000 feet of climbing and descending. The 50-mile race delivers many of the same mountain challenges in a shorter format.

Race Detail	Run Rabbit Run 100	Run Rabbit Run 50
Location	Steamboat Springs, Colorado	Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Distance	About 101.5 miles	About 50 miles
Terrain	Mountain trails and jeep roads	Mountain trails and jeep roads
Main Challenge	Altitude, climbing, descending, overnight running	Altitude and sustained climbing
Qualification Required	No	No
Final Cutoff	Depends on division	15 hours

Race details can change, so always confirm current rules, course information, and cutoffs with the race organizers before race day.

Run Rabbit Run 100 Vs. Run Rabbit Run 50

Both races require mountain fitness, but the 100 is a fundamentally different problem.

The 50-mile race asks you to manage high altitude, sustained climbing, descending, fueling, and several hours in the mountains. It is still a demanding ultra and should not be treated as an ordinary trail race.

The 100 extends those challenges into the night. Your ability to keep eating, manage fatigue, make good decisions, maintain your feet and gear, and continue moving when you are tired becomes just as important as aerobic fitness.

If you are moving up to the distance for the first time, our guide to running 100 miles goes deeper into the training, pacing, fueling, sleep, and problem-solving skills that become increasingly important beyond the 50-mile mark.

Hares And Tortoises: How The 100 Works

One of Run Rabbit Run’s most distinctive features is its Hare and Tortoise format.

Tortoises start earlier and have more time to finish. Hares begin later and race under a tighter finishing window, with the competitive field and prize-money structure centered on that division.

There are also provisions for eligible older runners to begin earlier. Because start times, pacing rules, pacer access, and cutoffs can change, runners should study the current race manual rather than relying on details from a previous year.

What Is The Run Rabbit Run Course Like?

Run Rabbit Run rewards patience. There are long sections where effort matters far more than the pace displayed on your watch.

The terrain changes throughout the day and night, so runners need to prepare for more than simply climbing a large amount of vertical gain.

The Opening Climb Up Mount Werner

The race introduces climbing early, which creates an obvious temptation to follow runners who are moving faster than you.

Resist it.

The beginning of a 100 miler should feel controlled. Burning energy to hold someone else’s pace on an early climb can create problems many hours later when those seconds no longer matter.

High Country And Buffalo Pass

Higher sections of the course expose runners to the combined effects of elevation, fatigue, weather, and long periods of sustained movement.

Training on similar terrain is ideal, but the bigger goal is learning to regulate effort. If altitude or climbing makes your normal pace unrealistic, slow down without treating it as a failure.

Long Descents And Tired Quads

Climbing receives most of the attention before mountain ultras, but descending can cause just as much damage.

Your quadriceps repeatedly absorb force with every downhill step. If they are not prepared for that load, you can have plenty of aerobic energy left while your legs no longer want to run.

Specific downhill running training can help you build the strength, coordination, and confidence required for long mountain descents.

Altitude May Be The Challenge You Underestimate

Steamboat Springs is already high compared with most U.S. cities, and portions of the race take runners much higher into the mountains.

At elevation, your normal running pace may require considerably more effort. Breathing can feel harder, sleep can change, appetite may behave differently, and dehydration can become easier to overlook.

This is especially important for runners traveling from sea level.

If you cannot regularly train in the mountains, focus on effort rather than trying to manufacture an exact altitude simulation. Incline treadmill work, sustained uphill repetitions, stairs, power hiking, and long aerobic sessions can prepare many of the muscular and cardiovascular demands.

Our guide to altitude training for runners explains how to manage effort, recovery, and acclimatization when preparing for races high above sea level.

How To Train For Run Rabbit Run

A Run Rabbit Run training block should reflect the race itself.

That does not mean every weekend needs to become an enormous mountain adventure. It means gradually building the fitness and skills you will actually use in Steamboat Springs.

Build Durable Aerobic Volume

Your weekly mileage should be enough to develop endurance while still allowing you to recover and train consistently.

There is no single magic mileage target for Run Rabbit Run. Training history, available time, previous ultra experience, age, terrain access, and recovery all matter.

The goal is sustainable volume that prepares you to keep moving deep into the race rather than mileage accumulated simply because it looks impressive on a training log.

Train Climbing And Power Hiking

You will not run every climb in a mountain 100, and you probably should not try.

Practice efficient hiking on steep grades so switching from running to hiking feels like a deliberate race strategy rather than a sign that something has gone wrong.

Prepare For The Actual Course

Course-specific training becomes increasingly valuable as race day gets closer.

Our guide to race-specific training explains how to prepare for elevation, terrain, technical difficulty, pacing, fueling, and environmental demands rather than training only for the distance.

How To Pace Run Rabbit Run

The first rule is simple: do not race the opening hours like they are the final hours.

Your breathing should stay controlled, early climbing should feel sustainable, and walking steep grades can begin long before you are tired. Good ultra pacing often looks almost too conservative at first.

A runner who gains ten minutes by pushing too hard early can lose hours late in a 100-mile race.

Run by effort, especially at altitude. Terrain, oxygen availability, weather, and fatigue will change constantly, so your pace will naturally change too.

Fueling And Hydration Matter From The Start

Your race nutrition strategy should be familiar long before you arrive in Steamboat Springs.

Practice eating while climbing, descending, hiking, running easily, and moving late in long efforts. Foods that work beautifully during a two-hour run may become much less appealing after ten or fifteen hours.

Aim for a plan you can repeat consistently rather than waiting until hunger arrives. Use long training days to test carbohydrates, fluids, electrolytes, caffeine, and different food textures.

The broader principles in our guide to eating and drinking while running can help you build a strategy around your own tolerance instead of copying another runner’s nutrition plan.

Aid Stations, Drop Bags, Crew And Pacers

Good logistics can save time and decision-making energy late in the race.

Know which aid stations accept drop bags, where your crew can see you, and whether your race division permits pacers. The current race instructions should always be your final source because these details can change.

Useful drop-bag items often include:

• Fresh socks or layers
• Headlamp and backup lighting
• Familiar race nutrition
• Gloves or a hat
• Weather protection
• Basic foot-care supplies

Try to know what you want before reaching an aid station. Sitting down without a plan can turn a short stop into ten or fifteen minutes surprisingly quickly.

Human-First Coaching For A Race This Big

A race like Run Rabbit Run does not happen in isolation from the rest of your life. Building mountain fitness while managing a career, family, travel, stress, sleep, and recovery requires more than copying someone else’s 100-mile training plan.

Microcosm Coaching works with endurance athletes through individualized, human-first coaching that adapts training to both the race and the person preparing for it. The coaching team includes extensive trail and ultra experience, including athletes and coaches who understand the demands of long mountain races. For runners preparing specifically for 50Ks through 100-mile events, working with an ultra trail running coach can help turn course demands into a realistic training progression built around your actual life.

Can Run Rabbit Run Be Your First 100 Miler?

It can, but it is an ambitious first 100.

You do not need to be an elite runner, but experience spending long hours on trails will help. Ideally, you have practiced sustained climbing, downhill running, ultra fueling, night running, problem-solving, and staying patient when your pace slows.

Your first 100 does not need to go perfectly. In fact, it almost certainly will not.

The skill that matters is learning how to respond when something changes without allowing one bad hour to define the next ten.

What To Remember Before Race Day

Run Rabbit Run rewards preparation, but not just fitness.

Know the course. Understand the cutoffs. Practice your fueling. Train your downhill legs. Get comfortable hiking. Use your headlamp before race night. Decide how you want your crew and drop bags organized.

Most importantly, start patiently.

The race gives you more than enough time to work hard later.

FAQs

Where Is Run Rabbit Run Held?

Run Rabbit Run takes place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with the course traveling through surrounding mountain terrain and the Routt National Forest.

How Long Is The Run Rabbit Run 100?

The 100-mile course is approximately 101.5 miles, so runners should prepare for slightly more than the traditional 100-mile distance.

How Much Elevation Gain Does Run Rabbit Run Have?

The 100-mile course has approximately 20,000 feet of climbing and a similar amount of descending, although GPS devices may record slightly different totals.

Do You Need To Qualify For Run Rabbit Run?

Run Rabbit Run does not generally require runners to complete another qualifying race before entering, though current entry requirements should always be checked before registration.

What Is The Difference Between Hares And Tortoises?

Tortoises start earlier and receive a longer finishing window, while Hares begin later and compete under a tighter cutoff structure.

Can Run Rabbit Run Be Your First 100?

Yes, but it is a challenging first 100 because of the altitude, elevation gain, mountain terrain, descending, and overnight running. Strong race-specific preparation is important.

How Should You Train If You Live Somewhere Flat?

Use incline treadmills, stairs, hill repetitions, strength work, power hiking, and downhill-specific training where possible. You may not perfectly reproduce Colorado terrain, but you can still prepare for many of the race’s demands.

Are Pacers Allowed At Run Rabbit Run?

Pacer rules can differ by division and race year. Check the current runner instructions before planning your race strategy around a pacer.