Run the beautiful Wire Mesa overlooking Zion. This course is a challenging but incredibly beautiful trail run overlooking the vibrant cliffs of Zion Canyon. Chase the sunrise over West Temple and the Watchman. This race has sold out for the last 7 years and we expect it to fill up! Don’t miss your chance to run this race on the unique course along Wire Mesa.
The race begins in Apple Valley, UT where participants will run on a dirt road and single track trail atop Wire Mesa, with intimate views of Zion Canyon.
Runners will start near the parking area and run about 1.25 miles towards Gooseberry Mesa on a wide dirt road. Runners will turn right onto another dirt road as it heads east, then south before rejoining the road they initially headed out on to wrap up the first lollipop loop (approx. 2.75 miles).
They will turn onto Smithsonian Butte Road and run downhill on this wide dirt road for another 3 miles. This is the first time runners will be treated to some spectacular views of west temple and the walls of Zion. After the 3 miles on the downhill dirt road, runners will turn up towards the Wire Mesa Trailhead. At this point, runners will hop onto the Wire Mesa Trail. The trail conditions are very runnable and not terribly technical, but it is 100% a trail run at this point. It is single track, a lot of hard packed dirt, some slick rock (sandstone), and some loose gravel.
There is not a lot of elevation gain on the Wire Mesa trail, but there is some rolling up and down. The trail has a great weave to it, the views are spectacular, and it is one of my absolute favorite trails to run in this area. The trail is about 8 miles. Runners will run the mesa counterclockwise and finish back at the trailhead. Practice good trail etiquette and be courteous.
All runners will have 4 hours to finish the race. That is an 18 minute mile – plenty of time for walkers!
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10/10 Recommend!
This was my second half marathon overall and first time running with Vacation Races and I had 0 complaints! On the trail I spent a decent portion of the time … MORE
This was my second half marathon overall and first time running with Vacation Races and I had 0 complaints! On the trail I spent a decent portion of the time watching my feet, but when I did look up the views were incredible! I honestly thought about walking the course after I finished to soak it in. The race production seemed seamless to me. The pacers, number and quality of aid stations were above what I expected and a round of applause for all the snacks provided at the finish line. Great quality in my opinion. I will be racing with them again!
Great views
Usually the Zion Half in February is a road race but this year it was a trail run. Fantastic views, great organization. I’ll be back next year! MORE
Usually the Zion Half in February is a road race but this year it was a trail run.
Fantastic views, great organization. I’ll be back next year!
Beautiful race!
This was a fun race. My first time running trails at this distance. Originally a road race, the location changed to mostly trail due to COVID permitting problems. They will … MORE
This was a fun race. My first time running trails at this distance. Originally a road race, the location changed to mostly trail due to COVID permitting problems. They will go back to the original course in 2022.
Views I Would Have Missed Without This!
It was a beautiful trail that offered gorgeous views of the Virgin River valley and surrounding area and would be a beautiful destination for a great day in the cedars. MORE
It was a beautiful trail that offered gorgeous views of the Virgin River valley and surrounding area and would be a beautiful destination for a great day in the cedars.
A real challenge
The shirt and medal design are beautiful. The race was fun and had the vibe of being with friends. This trail version was very challenging, but I survived. MORE
The shirt and medal design are beautiful. The race was fun and had the vibe of being with friends. This trail version was very challenging, but I survived.
Super Scenic Vacation Race
From the warming tent before the race to the supportive finish line, and everything in between, the Zion half marathon earns 5 stars. The course’s natural beauty of Zion Canyon … MORE
From the warming tent before the race to the supportive finish line, and everything in between, the Zion half marathon earns 5 stars. The course’s natural beauty of Zion Canyon is marked with soaring cliffs, a meandering river, totally awesome scenery and cheerful volunteers supplying nutrition and hydration as you run from Virgin to Springdale. The medal and race shirt are pretty cool too.
Lots of rain but still awesome event!!!
I volunteered at finish and didn’t end up running because of all the rain. My husband did the 50K. We are dying to get back and do both races over … MORE
I volunteered at finish and didn’t end up running because of all the rain. My husband did the 50K. We are dying to get back and do both races over again!!! Hopefully without rain!
Not Fast by VERY Scenic
This is a vacation race. Treat it as that (you're there for the experience and not a PR) and you're fine. There seems to be a continuous OVERALL uphill but … MORE
This is a vacation race. Treat it as that (you’re there for the experience and not a PR) and you’re fine. There seems to be a continuous OVERALL uphill but really only 2 “hills” but it does not play fast. You have great scenery virtually the entire time and finish at the entrance to the actual official park. It was a complete blast of an experience………….and do not eat at Juniper
Amazing, monster hills hurt but will be
Impressive aid stations, especially loved the gels, amazing view, monsters hills hurt, would be nice if they played more music to pump up, or cheer chants to motivate runners, loved … MORE
Impressive aid stations, especially loved the gels, amazing view, monsters hills hurt, would be nice if they played more music to pump up, or cheer chants to motivate runners, loved the free pictures it really sets this particular race ahead from different ones. Very organized. Shuttles could use some work wasn’t sure where to wait. It’d be nice if they had specific details on the location and leaving time.
What a Beauty
Again my favorite racing company put on a show. This is probably the pretties course you will ever run. The entire course has views of the mountains of Zion National … MORE
Again my favorite racing company put on a show. This is probably the pretties course you will ever run. The entire course has views of the mountains of Zion National Park. The town around has so much to offer. The course is difficult if you are not used to hills & higher elevation. The t shirt was nice & of course the medals are 10/10.
Amazing event, loved it!
Parking for package pick up a bit unexpected. Loved the vendors, pickup bib was easy and fast. Able to head to Zion trails after pickup.. staff and volunteers very, very … MORE
Parking for package pick up a bit unexpected. Loved the vendors, pickup bib was easy and fast. Able to head to Zion trails after pickup.. staff and volunteers very, very supportive. I’m a walker and proud of it! Loved having group cheer me on at the end as well as the Cordinator. So supportive, loved it! Highly recommend, amazing weekend!
Beautiful race!
Zion is a gorgeous place for a race, it had amazing scenery! Gradual uphill for the whole thing, but was actually not too bad. Just three small sections that were … MORE
Zion is a gorgeous place for a race, it had amazing scenery! Gradual uphill for the whole thing, but was actually not too bad. Just three small sections that were a little more intense. Some sections had your feet going sideways though due to the edge of the curb and that wasn’t great on the ankles but that didn’t last long. Overall well worth it!
Well organized!
Vacation Race did a great job on organizing this event! From shuttling runners and spectators to the race guide and e-mails send out beforehand, I had no questions since it … MORE
Vacation Race did a great job on organizing this event! From shuttling runners and spectators to the race guide and e-mails send out beforehand, I had no questions since it was all very detailed! In my opinion Zion is a great first race for anyone wanting to do their first half. The views were great but not as amazing as some of the other Vacation Races I’ve done (Glacier). I would highly recommend running Zion and exploring Zion National Park, because it is glorious inside! I also PR so that was a great bonus for me!
Very Accommodating Race, In Every Aspect
The location is spectacular. There is an incredible amount of accommodations in every aspect: from hotels, transportation and tourism, to encouragement, enthusiasm and running support. — it really does feel … MORE
The location is spectacular. There is an incredible amount of accommodations in every aspect: from hotels, transportation and tourism, to encouragement, enthusiasm and running support. — it really does feel like a vacation.
Chilly, but scenic!
Course is lovely, all along on a paved road. We had a very cold race morning. Vacation Races always puts on a great expo and post-race party, but the shuttle … MORE
Course is lovely, all along on a paved road. We had a very cold race morning. Vacation Races always puts on a great expo and post-race party, but the shuttle system to the start could use some tweaking – I think we were supposed to get on a shuttle to the start at 4:30am for a 6:30 start, which would have meant standing around in 9 degree weather in the dark for over an hour. Needless to say my group opted to drive ourselves to the start and wait in our heated car.
Beautiful Course!
The race was really well put together and the views were incredible throughout the race! It was a very cold morning in southern Utah but that only adds to an … MORE
The race was really well put together and the views were incredible throughout the race! It was a very cold morning in southern Utah but that only adds to an already memorable race day.
COLD COLD COL
2019 was freak weather according to all the locals. It was 9 deg at the start and there was still a lot of snow on the ground the last 3 … MORE
2019 was freak weather according to all the locals. It was 9 deg at the start and there was still a lot of snow on the ground the last 3 miles. The roads were safe and well maintained.
If you do a Vacation Race be sure to stay before and after the race a few days. The race always included a few hike recommendations that if you complete you earn some extra goodies.
Besides the cold the bulk of the race was all uphill and at about 3,500 feet of elevation. Some training would be recommended for this course.
Very pretty. Put this one on your bucket list!
Incredible Race!
I can't say enough good things about this race. The race directors got hit with weather and temperatures far below normal for this time of year. It was 9 degrees … MORE
I can’t say enough good things about this race. The race directors got hit with weather and temperatures far below normal for this time of year. It was 9 degrees at the start when it’s normally 50-60 degrees. Despite the weather causing them to have to make numerous last minute changes to race day logistics, they handled it smoothly and the race went off with as planned.
I would not call this race easy. The course could be described as rolling hills but it was more up than down plus being at altitude (about 3600 ft) with the cold, heavy air definitely slowed my pace down by about a minute a mile. However, this is a race where it definitely pays to take your time. This was by far the most beautiful course I have ever run. It follows the 13.1 miles that lead right up to the entrance to the park and the snow covered mountains all around us definitely took my mind off the hills and cold.
The swag for this race is good. The medal is beautiful and is one of my favorites. The shirt could be a little better in my opinion. The design is nice but the fabric is very light and flimsy. One other really awesome perk was that we received free professional pictures from the race. And they had photographers in multiple locations so you got several shots!
I do love the cupless concept that Vacation Races uses. It’s great to run through water stops and not see countless bags of garbage laying around. Although this race the cold hurt a little as the nozzles on the coolers they use for water froze up. However, the volunteers did a great job of innovating on the fly to make sure everyone got the hydration that they need.
The thing that impressed me the most was in the afternoon after the race, we received an email from the race directors admitting that the water stops were an issue and acknowledging that they could have done better. While I think they did the best they could with the circumstances, I think it says a lot when a race director calls themselves out and acknowledges where they came up short. I will definitely be putting many more Vacation Races on my schedule.
Loved Every Stride
Race coordinators were on top of every weather change, and promptly informed runners. Plenty of aid stations - though freezing temps made getting water somewhat challenging. Gorgeous course. MORE
Race coordinators were on top of every weather change, and promptly informed runners.
Plenty of aid stations – though freezing temps made getting water somewhat challenging.
Gorgeous course.
Worth doing at least once
This was the coldest I've ever been at a race and it was so worth it. Breathtaking scenery at Zion, hot chocolate and a warming tent at the start, plenty … MORE
This was the coldest I’ve ever been at a race and it was so worth it. Breathtaking scenery at Zion, hot chocolate and a warming tent at the start, plenty of support on the course, awesome schwag, what’s not to like?
Pros:
1. Location, location, location. Zion is gorgeous. Though the race takes place outside the park proper, we are treated to amazing vistas during the entire run. Don’t forget to turn around and look behind you.
2. Excellent ongoing communication from race staff. Inclement weather had them scrambling, but they kept us very well informed about current status. There was zero confusion on race day.
3. Great schwag. Attractive race shirt, free water cup included in registration, hot chocolate and coffee at the start – in reusable cups no less, and best of all – an enclosed warming tent at the start – win!
4. Course was very well marked, with well placed aid stations.
5. Saving the best for last – the volunteers. Hats off to them for showing up and staying through during such a cold spell.
Watch out for:
1. It was C O L D. But we’d been forewarned and I thought I was prepared for it, I could have done more. I would have loved a few more heaters (or an enclosed warming tent) at the finish line.
2. The race elevation profile looks pretty flat, but the course is anything but. There are plenty of rollers to keep things interesting. The road is significantly cambered so be prepared for some ankle workouts.
3. Can’t think of any other gotchas.
We went as a large group and much fun was had by all!