Colorado 24 Hour Run
About this race
A welcoming ultrarunning experience on what organizers call the most scenic flat one-mile dirt loop in Colorado. Choose from 6-hour, 12-hour or 24-hour timed formats (individual or relay) on a fully supported, USATF-certified loop at 4,826 ft — benefiting Colorado Youth Outdoors.
Choose your distance
24 Hour
What's included in your entry
- Gender-specific race t-shirt
- Finisher award (belt buckles for individual 100 mi+ finishers)
- Free race photos
- Full-service hot-food aid station
- Medical coverage and real-time results
The course
The course is a 1.0002-mile USATF-certified flat loop — 100% dirt road with essentially zero gain, at 4,826 ft on the Colorado Youth Outdoors Swift Ponds campus.
The loop passes ponds with raptors, cranes, geese, ducks and fish. Runners reverse direction every 6 hours, and a full-service aid pavilion at the start/finish is reached every 1-mile lap.
Race weekend timeline
Aid stations
A full-service start/finish pavilion reached every 1-mile lap: Gnarly sports drink, Hammer gels, water and ice; salty snacks, fruit, sweets, soda; hot soup/broth, coffee, tea, cocoa; hot sandwiches/quesadillas, bacon, and burgers with fixings. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and non-alcoholic options as standard.
Richardson Hall Lodge offers heated indoor respite ~0.2 mi off course with modern bathrooms.
Getting there & lodging
Directions
- Venue: Colorado Youth Outdoors — Swift Ponds, 4927 County Rd 36, Fort Collins, CO 80528. Main parking at the NW corner (~0.2 mi to start); overflow at the SW corner (~0.5 mi).
- Campus rules: 15 mph limit, one-way counter-clockwise vehicle flow. Lodging near Harmony Rd; camping at Boyd Lake State Park (15 min).
Good to know
- Only full laps count; ties broken by first to finish the last lap. Reverse direction every 6 hours after completing the current loop. Break anytime without notifying staff.
- Personal aid stations allowed in the designated lot (10×10 canopies max, no camping tents). No dogs; no littering or short-cutting.
- Fundraiser: Gnar Runners pledges $0.05 per lap to Colorado Youth Outdoors; 25% family-relay discount for one household. Transfer credit: 100% until Apr 30, 75% to Jul 31, 50% to Nov 6.
Awards
All finishers receive a finisher award. Competitive: 24/12/6-hour men's & women's 1st–3rd Overall plus Masters (40+), and relay 1st–3rd Overall. All individual finishers reaching 100 mi+ earn a custom belt buckle.
Discounts, deferrals & transfers
Plans change. Discounts, deferral windows, and bib-transfer rules are the same across every Gnar Runners race — see the details on our Discounts & Deferrals page.
Who puts this on
Directed by Nick Clark & Brad Bishop. Questions? Email racedirector@gnarrunners.com.