Sky Pilots Ouray Backyard Ultra

Event overview

The Sky Pilots Ouray Backyard Ultra is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026 in Fellin Park, Ouray, Colorado. The format is a Backyard Ultra: participants complete a 4.167 mile loop each hour. Any runner who finishes the loop in under an hour may start the next loop. The event continues hour after hour until only one runner completes one more loop than everyone else. Awards this year commemorate a historical rail crossing of Marshall Pass on the continental divide and the local rail spur that became Oak Street.

Course and logistics

The course is an easy out-and-back loop of 4.167 miles with about 140 feet of vertical gain (approximately 1.3% average grade). Surfaces include about 0.5 mile on an asphalt running track, 0.75 mile on smooth dirt roads, and about 2.9 miles on the Uncompahgre River Walk, a gravel footpath. The course altitude is about 7,700 feet above sea level.

Runners must be inside the starting corral when each hour begins and must immediately start the circuit and remain on course, except for allowed restroom breaks. A shared aid station will offer snacks, hot and cold drinks, and hot meals at scheduled times. Each runner is assigned an 8 ft by 8 ft personal station; limited 20 x 40 ft commercial canopies are available for placement. Overnight parking is permitted in the lot south of the start. The South and North restrooms are located on the course near the start/finish and on the River Walk. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

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