Canyon De Chelly Ultra

13 Oct 2023 (Fri)

directions_run

55km

Canyon De Chelly Ultra

schedule 24h ticket cancellation

local_activity Deals & Discounts

verified_user Refundable Booking

Join Canyon De Chelly Ultra

Beyond the Painted Desert, much of the far northeast of Arizona is barren and not particularly scenic, as the land forms wide, empty valleys interspersed by low, scrub-covered mesas. Three of these, named the First, Second and Third, lie at the center of Hopi Indian territory but most of the northeast is Navajo land, including Chinle which is the largest town in the area and the gateway to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. This comparatively little-known canyon is not as immediately spectacular as others in Arizona or Utah but it does have sheer sandstone walls rising up to 1,000 feet, several scenic overlooks and many well-preserved Anasazi ruins, and the area provides a fascinating insight into the present day life of the Navajo, who still inhabit and cultivate the valley floor.

The Canyon de Chelly 55K is the only Navajo owned and operated ultra-marathon on Navajo land. The race will take place entirely in Canyon de Chelly, one of the most significant spiritual locations to the Navajo people. It will start by signal from the birth of a new day, the rise of the sun over the canyon rim. Runners will experience the traditional values of Navajo distance running by running as a celebration of life, running as a form of prayer and learning to use the sport as a mentor to better ourselves, on canyon and trails that are normally off limits to all non-Navajos.

The race’s purpose is to support Navajo youths who want to pursue running. With the proceeds from the race, Saun Martin, race director, has purchased new uniforms for the junior high and high school cross-country and track athletes.

Course highlights

The race starts at the entrance to the canyon and runs 17 miles up Canyon De Chelly, passing ancient ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs to Spider Rock. We then run up Bat Canyon trail, which climbs 1,200 feet from the canyon floor to the Spider Rock overlook turnaround point. From there we turn around and head back home. On the return trip, you will see many views you passed on the way up but may have not noticed. The canyon takes on an entirely new perspective on the return. Although not much vertical gain, the canyon offers sand, single track, creek crossings and many more obstacles to add to your journey. The first and last 2.5 miles will be in sand and has the same effect as big vertical climbs.

Read More

Route map

directions_runStart address: Canyon De Chelly,us

flagFinish address: Canyon De Chelly,us

Canyon De Chelly Ultra Route Map

Reviews

Terrible star_border
Poor star_border
Ok star_border
Very good star_border
Excellent star_border

Be the first to write a review for this event

Canyon De Chelly Ultra

schedule 24h ticket cancellation

local_activity Deals & Discounts

verified_user Refundable Booking

The race information has been found on the official website of the event or through publicly available sources. Always refer to the official website the latest race information. Please let us know if any data is wrong or missing, by emailing us.