2027 Zion Ultras & Trail Half Marathon

The Zion Ultras half marathon is a Friday-evening run through the red-rock desert of Southern Utah, just outside Zion National Park. The course is a trail affair, and the surrounding canyon country sets the tone: towering cliffs, dry air, and wide desert views rather than city streets.

This is a race with a real geographic pull. Recent editions have drawn runners from about 39 states, and the field has hovered around 800 finishers at its median, though the latest running was smaller at roughly 479. It's part of a larger festival of distances — 100 mile, 100K, 60K, and 30K — which gives the weekend a sense of shared purpose even though the half starts on its own Friday evening.

Expect warm, dry conditions: race-day averages run from the upper 50s to low 80s with almost no rain and a steady breeze. The half is a trail test rather than a road PR course, so come for the landscape and the atmosphere of a desert race with a national-park backdrop. The event is low on repeat loyalty — only about 3% of tracked runners return — but the draw is the setting itself, not the crowds.