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.
The Grand Traverse is the most time honored point-to-point ski race in North America. Over its 24 year legacy, this singular test of endurance across 40 miles of arduous alpine terrain has earned the race its status as a proving ground for endurance ski athletes.
With the inception of GT Mountain Run & Bike events in 2015, the Grand Traverse Triple Crown has rapidly matured into a preeminent multi-sport challenge; capturing the imaginations of mountain athletes across the nation.
Course description
Race start time is 6 AM on the 200 block of Elk Avenue in Downtown Crested Butte (adjacent to Post Office). Departing easterly down Elk Ave, competitors will encounter dirt within .5 miles of the start when they meet the McCormic Ranch subdivision road. Racers soon join single track at Tony’s Trail, where the course starts a gradual ascent leading to a R-turn connecting them with the Upper Trail (FS-435.1).
This section climbing the shoulder of Mt. Crested Butte poses a technical 200′ climb, followed by a 400′ decent to the trail’s junction with County Road 738 (L-Turn). The race will remain on this dirt surfaced road for 2.2 miles, resuming single-track at the junction with Trail 408 (R-Turn), also known as the “Canal Trail” (1st water crossing on course).
Mildly ascending for 2.3 miles racers will encounter their second wet stream crossing at Brush Creek, delivering them soon after to AID #1 (Full Aid – Mile 9.5). The course briefly continues on a narrowly sketched single-track through the “Death Pass” escarpment. Thereafter, runners merge on to the East Brush Creek jeep road (FS 738.2B).
Racers must be vigilant to NOT diverge onto FS 738 (L-Turn) along this route, DON’T go to Pearl Pass!
Forest Service road 738.2B eventually becomes TR 400, further ascending to one more wet crossing over East Brush Creek, leading racers shortly thereafter to AID #2 (Limited Aid – Mile 16.5) Departing AID #2 racers will switch back up roughly 1 mile to the top of Star Pass (12,336′ – Mile 17.5).
Beyond the summit a gradual single track descent connects to Taylor Pass Divide Road (FS 761.A). This primitive double track road skirts the eastern slopes of Taylor Peak, exponentially gaining altitude until attaining Taylor flats where the route continues a gentle ascent to the broad summit of Taylor Pass and AID #3 (Full Aid – Mile 23.5; 12:45 PM CUT-OFF).
Gradual climbing continues past AID #3, mixed with an intervening descent before once more climbing to the route’s second highest elevation point at 12,306′. From here the course begins it’s incremental drop in elevation, joining Richmond Hill Road, leading racers onto Aid #4 (Limited Aid – Mile 28.8). From this second-to-last aid station, racers will be subjected to a 7 mile rolling traverse over Richmond Ridge, delivering them to Aid #5 (Full Aid – Mile 35.5) at the top of Ajax Mountain!
To receive a qualified finish time, racers must depart Aid #5 by 5:00 PM
Entering the Aspen Mountain boundary, racers will embark upon a 3,200′ elevation loss over 5 miles. The descent will utilize the following single track within the Aspen Mountain trail network: East Rim > Power of 1 > Summer Road > Little Nell. Nearing the base of the mountain, Little Nell trail intersects with the Ajax Trail.
Look for flagging leading you to make a hard RIGHT TURN through a wood gate on to the City of Aspen – Ajax Trail. This trail will direct racers to the finish line at Ajax Park in < .25 miles.
IMPORTANT: All information is subject to change. For the safety of racers and volunteers, weather or other environmental conditions may require a change in the race start time or location, the official course, race rules – or may even lead to event cancellation. The registration fee is non-refundable.
The Grand Traverse operates under a Special Use Permit on the Gunnison and White River National Forest.
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