The Goblin Valley Ultra (50k) is about half road and half dirt, which in my opinion, makes for a nice transition from the world of road marathons into the world … MORE
The Goblin Valley Ultra (50k) is about half road and half dirt, which in my opinion, makes for a nice transition from the world of road marathons into the world of trail running ultras. You could easily wear your road shoes for this one if it’s your first ultra or first trail race.
This was a great year for the Goblin, temps were cool (but not cold), sunny (but not hot), and it had rained a few days prior to the race so the sandy sections were packed instead of loose. The course is fairly hilly, but not at all technical. The hills are spaced out as well, so you don’t kill yourself with constant climbing or descending. All in all, a nicely designed course.
The race starts just before sunrise, and takes you to beautiful scenic overlooks. There is a photographer on the course who knows just where to be for those really great back drops. The course finishes by running through the famous Goblins. If you have never been to Goblin Valley in Utah, I highly recommend it! It is unreal! It is a true natural playground! It is open to the public which means you can bring your family and they can play and explore while you run and then you can finish together!
Race production is smooth. You pick up your packet the morning of the race. You can park near the start/finish. All the information you need is on their website. I didn’t feel like there was anything lacking or misrepresented. Aid stations consisted of fruit, water, sports drink, pretzels, M&M’s, and Swedish Fish and tended to be about every 5 miles or so (I didn’t pay too much attention to the exact spacing). The shirts and finisher’s medals are nice.
There is also a marathon and a half marathon run on the same day. If you are looking for a unique Utah race for your 50 states, I would HIGHLY recommend this one. You won’t find another race like this any where else! The marathon starts an hour later than the 50k and is run on both dirt and road, but can easily be run in road shoes. I do recommend carrying your own hydration between aid stations, but even a small water bottle would be sufficient. The half marathon is completely on road except for the last half mile to mile through the goblins.
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Beautiful Desert Run
The Goblin Valley Ultra (50k) is about half road and half dirt, which in my opinion, makes for a nice transition from the world of road marathons into the world … MORE
The Goblin Valley Ultra (50k) is about half road and half dirt, which in my opinion, makes for a nice transition from the world of road marathons into the world of trail running ultras. You could easily wear your road shoes for this one if it’s your first ultra or first trail race.
This was a great year for the Goblin, temps were cool (but not cold), sunny (but not hot), and it had rained a few days prior to the race so the sandy sections were packed instead of loose. The course is fairly hilly, but not at all technical. The hills are spaced out as well, so you don’t kill yourself with constant climbing or descending. All in all, a nicely designed course.
The race starts just before sunrise, and takes you to beautiful scenic overlooks. There is a photographer on the course who knows just where to be for those really great back drops. The course finishes by running through the famous Goblins. If you have never been to Goblin Valley in Utah, I highly recommend it! It is unreal! It is a true natural playground! It is open to the public which means you can bring your family and they can play and explore while you run and then you can finish together!
Race production is smooth. You pick up your packet the morning of the race. You can park near the start/finish. All the information you need is on their website. I didn’t feel like there was anything lacking or misrepresented. Aid stations consisted of fruit, water, sports drink, pretzels, M&M’s, and Swedish Fish and tended to be about every 5 miles or so (I didn’t pay too much attention to the exact spacing). The shirts and finisher’s medals are nice.
There is also a marathon and a half marathon run on the same day. If you are looking for a unique Utah race for your 50 states, I would HIGHLY recommend this one. You won’t find another race like this any where else! The marathon starts an hour later than the 50k and is run on both dirt and road, but can easily be run in road shoes. I do recommend carrying your own hydration between aid stations, but even a small water bottle would be sufficient. The half marathon is completely on road except for the last half mile to mile through the goblins.
Toughest half I've ever run!
Goblin Valley is a beautiful and unique red rock state park in Southern Utah. The race starts and ends in the park and also covers some road outside the park … MORE
Goblin Valley is a beautiful and unique red rock state park in Southern Utah. The race starts and ends in the park and also covers some road outside the park with stunning scenery everywhere you look. The road portion of the race was moderately difficult with a few big hills. The most challenging aspect of the race was the final mile off road through the “hoodoos” that the park is famous for. This included steep ups and downs and route finding. The route finding would not be as difficult had runner’s brain not already kicked in. I found it difficult at the end of a challenging race to run around the hoodoos looking for the next pumpkin (the race is held in late October) or orange cone marking the route. That said, I have already signed up for this year’s Goblin Valley 50k. The pictures turned out fantastic (one of my only framed race photos) and the shirt and medal are some of my favorites. It’s a small, friendly race that did a great job catering to the runners. Plenty of porta-pots and a shade canopy and camp chairs at the finish line for runners to collapse into or relax while they wait for their friends to come in.