Colorado · 30K Option · Trail Marathon
West Elk Challenge
West Elk Challenge is a 30K Option and Trail Marathon event held in Crawford, Colorado. It was last held on October 3, 2026 and is usually run in October; the next date hasn't been announced yet.
- Usually held
- October
- Location
- Crawford, CO
Race details
- Last held
- October 3, 2026
- Usually held in
- October
- Location
- Crawford, Colorado
- Distances
- 30K Option, Trail Marathon
- Course
- Trail Marathon: over 4,000 ft gain to Inter-Ocean Pass (9,762 ft) (official)
- Registration
- raceroster.com
Registration, course & weather
- Registration status
- Registration status as last checked September 28, 2026: open
- Entry fee
- Listed fee for the longest distance, $162.48 (from raceroster.com, checked September 28, 2026)
- Start time
- 8:00 AM MDT
- Course profile — Trail Marathon
- Point-to-point course; Mostly trail, some road
- Course profile — 30K
- Point-to-point course; Mostly trail, some road
About the West Elk Challenge
The West Elk Challenge is a point-to-point trail marathon (with a 30K option) through Colorado's North Fork Valley, climbing over 4,000 ft to the 9,762 ft summit of Inter-Ocean Pass before descending into the town of Paonia during peak fall colors.
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Guides from the RaceRove blog
- 8 min read How to Choose Your First Marathon A practical checklist for choosing a first marathon based on course, weather, cutoff, travel, field size and support.
- 7 min read How to Find a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon Near You A practical way to find running races near you: pick a distance, decide how far you'll travel, read the listing properly and confirm the details before you register.
- 9 min read How to Run a Race in All 50 States How to plan a 50-state running challenge: set your own rules, group states into trips, build a calendar around the seasons, budget for it and keep track of every finish.
- Blog All guides Planning advice for finding, choosing and travelling to races.
West Elk Challenge: common questions
- When is the West Elk Challenge?
- The next date hasn't been announced in the listing yet. The race is usually held in October. Check the organiser's website for the official date.
- Where is the West Elk Challenge held?
- In Crawford, Colorado.
- What distances does the West Elk Challenge offer?
- 30K Option and Trail Marathon.
- How do I register for the West Elk Challenge?
- Registration is handled by the organiser at raceroster.com. Entry fees, caps and deadlines are set there.
- Is registration open for the West Elk Challenge?
- Registration status as last checked September 28, 2026: open. Listed fee for the longest distance, $162.48 (from raceroster.com, checked September 28, 2026).
- What time does the West Elk Challenge start?
- 8:00 AM MDT.
Plan this race in RaceRove
Save it to your plan, compare it with other races, check typical race-day weather and track your 50-state progress in the interactive app.