San Juan Solstice 50 Mile Run

Tucked in the quiet southwest corner of the state, the San Juans are home to hundreds of stunning peaks above 13,000ft, hundreds of square miles of National Forest and Wilderness and a rich history of gold and silver mining dating back to the late 1800′s. Whether you enjoy running through a dense forest of aspen or prefer climbing to the high country to view wild flowers, the San Juans can provide endless days of new scenery. Located within the Uncompahgre National Forest, the historic mining towns of Telluride, Ouray, Lake City and Silverton provide easy access to our daily runs as well as a comfortable place to spend our nights. With popular races such as the Hardrock 100mi, San Juan Solstice 50mi and the Imogene Pass Run, it’s no wonder that the San Juans have become a destination for trail runners wanting to experience what the area has to offer. While challenging runs with steep trails, big vertical gains and high altitude pass crossings are everywhere there are also many easier, more moderate, trails for the average runner looking for a casual, less demanding, outing.

Every year thousands of runners travel to SW Colorado to experience the beauty and challenge of running in the San Juan Mountains. The San Juan Solstice 50 mile endurance run is a scenic but very rugged loop at high altitude in the San Juans. The run consists of five main sections: the climb up Alpine Gulch and down William’s Creek, the climb up to the old mining town of Carson, a long section along the Continental Divide, a descent to Slumgullion Pass, and a final hump up and over the Vicker’s Ranch plateau. The very demanding San Juan Solstice 50 is for experienced trail runners only.