SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2024- Snowbird, Utah
The Collegiate Running Association (CRA) and the Cirque Series announced a partnership to bring the 2024 Collegiate Mountain Running National Championship to Snowbird, Utah. The event sold out with over 500 total entries and over 80 college students from across the U.S. The 2024 Snowbird Race was held Saturday, July 13, and along with the Collegiate Championships, the event also concurrently hosted the USATF Mountain Running Championships.
Like all of our championships, this event was Open To The Public, and offered prize money specifically reserved for college students.
The Snowbird Race also served as the USATF Mountain Running Championships, a selection race for the 2024 Senior Men’s and Women’s U.S. Mountain Running Team. The top U.S. male and female overall finishers in the men’s and women’s races automatically qualified to represent team USA at the World Vertical Mountain Running Championships to be held in Italy.
In the fast-growing sport of mountain running this tough 8.7 miles race forced participants to climb over 3,566 feet. The race course is located on the Salt Lake Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest with the fun starting at Creekside base area located at 7,760 feet in elevation. At the start competitors ran up towards Mid-Gad, then participants headed east onto Rothman Way, connecting to the steep Peruvian service road on Peruvian Gulch Trail. From there runners turned onto the Ridge trail where they felt their legs burn as they took in large sweeping views of Snowbird’s Cirque and Mt. Baldy. Participants ended up on Hidden Peak with expansive views of the entire Wasatch Range. With the beautiful, dramatic views it provided an opportunity for runners to catch their breath as participants looped around the backside of Hidden Peak and made their way down to Gorilla Pass and straight up to the Summit of Mt. Baldy, the highest point in the race at an eye popping 11,068 feet elevation. From the high point runners made their way down a steep and technical section of trail, saving enough energy for one more uphill section to the cool refreshing shade and air of Snowbird’s Ski through Tunnel. From this iconic spot on the course, they faced a fifinal mix of dirt roads and single track for the final 3 mile stretch down Peruvian Gulch, passing by Oktoberfest plaza & the Mountain coaster, then into the Finish Line back in Creekside.
A Cirque Series event, the Snowbird Race was open to the public. This is one to place on your summer schedule as a destination event in the future. Top runners competed for prize money in the USATF Championships and separate prize money for the Collegiate Championships. To be eligible to compete in the Collegiate Mountain Running Championships, participants must have either been enrolled in a college course at the time of the race or have completed at least one course between January 1 and July 13, 2024. Collegiate participants must also be free members of the Collegiate Running Association to be eligible for the collegiate prize money. Check eligibility requirements or send us an email message with questions.
Along with prize money, top collegians took home JAMBAR, the official nutrition bar of the Collegiate Running Association.
To qualify for the US Mountain Running Team and U.S. Championships prize money, participants must have been current members of USATF and finish in the top spot in the U.S. Championship.
The Cirque Series, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, produces premiere max elevation gain, short distance, mountain adventure races in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Alaska. The races are held on scenic mountain trails in destination locations.
Friday--July 12, 2024
3:00PM - 6:00PM: Early bib pick up
Location: Black Diamond retail store, 2092 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, Ut
Race Day--July 13, 2024
8:30AM - 9:30PM: Race Day Bib Pick-up
Location: Creekside Lodge, Snowbird, UT
10:00AM: Race Start
1:00PM: Awards approx
1:30PM: Giveaway *your Bib # is your ticket
ALL DAY: Vendor Village
9:00PM: After Party/ConnectCRA. Fisher Brewery, Downtown SLC
Event Details (from the LOC)
Past Results
