Get the App
How to Train for
Desert Rats Trail by UTMB®
Find out all you need to know about Desert Rats by UTMB and how to train for it
When?
Friday April 11th to Sunday 13th 2025
Where?
Fruita, Colorado
Elevation Gain
200-2050m
Distance
9-100km / 5,59-62,13mi
Mountain Index
21-33km / 13,04-20,50mi
About
the Race
Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB has four unique distances, three days of racing and indescribable views of the desert.
There is something for every runner. Enjoy views of the Colorado River as you race through flowy singletrack, climb up the mesa, and take in the vastness of the desert.
Training
tips
To train for Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB, you’ll need a personalized training plan and to build up your weekly mileage progressively.
Runna offers running training plans for every runner and goal out there.
With Runna, your running coaching app, you get a personalized 100km training plan that:
- Structures your week and sets out all sessions for you
- Automatically adjusts your mileage and types of runs to help you perform at your best
- Incorporates deloads and strength training
- Helps you manage your recovery and nutrition
Having a plan will also help with accountability, meaning that you can focus purely on improving your running game.
Check out our personalized 100km training plans to find the one that best suits your goals.
race distances
9km
Elevation Gain: 200
Mountain Index: 22
21km
Elevation Gain: 700
Mountain Index: 33
48km
Elevation Gain: 1050
Mountain Index: 22
100KM
Elevation Gain: 2050
Mountain Index: 21
Race
FAQ's
The total distance of the Desert Rats by UTMB – 100k is 100 kilometers.
Desert Rats by UTMB – 50k has an elevation gain of 1050 meters.
The Desert Rats by UTMB – 20k starts on Sunday 13th April 2025
The maximum race time is 3 hours for the Desert Rats by UTMB – 10k
The Desert Rats by UTMB – 100k starts in Fruita CO, Mack Exit, Hawkeye Trailhead – 05:00
The total distance of the Desert Rats by UTMB – 50k is 48 kilometers.
Desert Rats by UTMB – 20k has an elevation gain of 7000 meters.
The Desert Rats by UTMB – 10k starts on Friday 11th April 2025
We really want to hear from you, and are here to answer any questions you have. So feel free to write us to explore@vert.run, and one of our coaches will get back to you within 48 hours or fewer.
If you’re a monthly subscriber, yes! You can switch between training plans however you’d like. Just go to your dashboard and choose the “change or restart plan” option. This will take you to your training plan menu. Of course, we do recommend that you finish a training plan once you’ve started it (unless you find it to be way to difficult or easy), since they’re designed to build your fitness over weeks. When you leave a training plan in the middle, you’ll miss key workouts; and when you start a new plan, you’ll start it from the beginning. This is to make sure that you train safely and responsibly, and that the skills you develop are built to last. We encourage you to stick out each plan, challenge yourself in a race or other personal challenge, and then to start a new plan with fresh legs.