Crested Butte’s epic hiking and mountain biking trails make for idyllic trail runs. The athletic community here is strong, only surpassed by the camaraderie in welcoming all levels of participants and a desire to keep it casual and fun. Warning: The runs found here will quickly make you forget any mundane park laps taken in the city or suburbs and have you yearning for dramatic mountain views the next time you lace your shoes up.
Crested Butte Mountain Runners Fun Runs
Featuring fun, free runs throughout the Gunnison Valley. Runs range from short 3 miles, to epic 20+ miles or more, check out this page for full list of runs.
7/15 – Grin and Bear It Trail Run
Continuously run for three decades, The Grin & Bear It stands as Crested Butte’s oldest trail challenge. Historically presented as a sprint to Green Lake and back, this classic event has evolved to offer a 25k Loop competition, while still maintaining the traditional 15k Classic race. More info or to register: Click Here
7/29 – Living Journeys 10k and Half Marathon
Come run Mt Crested Butte to support community members fighting cancer and honor the friends and families we’ve lost! Both the Half Marathon and the 10k offer amazing views, beautiful wildflowers, and are great summer races for runners looking for fun, challenging mountain trail runs. Click Here
9/2 – Summer Grand Traverse Trail Run
The Grand Traverse Mountain Run is a point-to-point ultra marathon from Crested Butte to Aspen, Colorado. The course follows the route of the Grand Traverse Backcountry Ski race. In total, runners travel 40 miles across the Elk Mountains with over 6,000′ of elevation gain.For more information and to register: Click Here
9/17 – Camp 4 Coffee Cart to Cart
Both courses start and finish at Camp 4 Coffee in Crested Butte South. Choose either 10 mile or 19 mile courses. Both runs are predominantly on single track trail with some dirt road and a small length of paved road. The trails range from smooth dirt to rocky. The courses will be marked with directional arrows and ribbon. More info or to register: Click Here
Featured Run – 9/30
Join us for the 7th edition of Emma Coburn’s Elk Run 5k! Race in person in Crested Butte, Colorado to run in paradise at 9,000ft elevation or participate virtually anywhere in the world. Our aim is to provide an epic race day experience for everyone while raising money for a great local charity. In total, we have raised $265,000 for Living Journeys, a charity that supports local residents who are battling cancer. The 2023 Elk Run 5k will be run in honor of Emma’s mom, Annie, who passed away in January 2023 after a three year battle with Stage 4 colon cancer. We hope to make Annie proud!
10/14 – Sage Burner Trail Run
Sage Burner Trail Race is hosted in the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area of Gunnison, Colorado. Nearby Black Canyon National Park, the race is true to its name, as the hills are covered in sagebrush. The unique 360 degree views of the Maroon Bells, San Juan Mountains, and the Gunnison Basin, make for a great day out on the trails. The race offers some technical slickrock, some smooth singletrack, and doubletrack for speed. Come check out this fall trail event! Choose from 50k, 28k, or 13k courses. For more race details: Click Here
