A trail runner on a grassy ridge above a sea of clouds

The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB

A UTMB World Series stop, it offers four distances from 25K to 100M.

Prepare for The Canyons by UTMB

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

trail training plan

The Canyons is run in the American River canyons between Auburn and Foresthill, in the California Sierra Nevada foothills. The route uses the region's historic trail network, with long descents to the canyon floors followed by sustained climbs back up the opposite side. In late April, temperatures down in the valleys can climb sharply through the middle of the day.

The event is part of the UTMB World Series. Four distances are offered, 100M, 100K, 50K and 25K, spread across four days of racing. That entry route is what draws an international field to the distance each year.

The formats

4 formats on the program.

Format	Distance	Vertical gain
100M	100 mi	—
100K	62 mi	3,750 m
50K	31 mi	—
25K	16 mi	—

Organizer information, checked on September 21, 2026 · canyons.utmb.world

When to start

A build for this distance usually runs 12 to 24 weeks. Counted back from race day, that puts the start somewhere between November 2, 2026 and January 25, 2027.

These ranges are working conventions, not a research finding — no trial has compared plan lengths against each other. What matters more is that the plan was built for the weeks you actually have, rather than shrunk down from a longer one.

How to choose your start date

When to start

November 2, 2026

→ January 25, 2027

Worth reading before you enter

Races and distances Trail distances: what changes off the road Distance stops being the useful number. What decides a trail race is how long you are out, how much you climb, and how much the descents have wrecked your legs by the end. Read Training Eating and drinking: what’s proven, what isn’t This is where confident advice most often runs ahead of the evidence. Some of it is well tested. Some is opinion wearing a number. And one common habit can kill you. Read Races and distances When to start preparing your race Most plans fail before the first session, because the block started too late and everything had to be squeezed. Counting back from the date is the dullest and most useful thing you will do. Read

Questions

What is the date of The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB in 2027?

The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB is run on Thursday, April 22, 2027 in Auburn / Foresthill. Date published by the organizer, checked on September 21, 2026.

Is The Canyons 100K a Western States qualifier?

Yes. The 100K at The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB is a Western States 100 qualifier, provided you finish within the 20-hour cutoff set by the organization.

What distances does The Canyons by UTMB offer?

9 km, the 100K over 100 km with 3,750 m of climbing, the 50K over 50 km and the 25K over 25 km, all in California.

Other races

This list keeps growing; it draws no line. A race that is missing is prepared for in exactly the same way.

Honolulu · United StatesUltra HURT 100 Jan 16 Its five-loop, 20-mile-per-lap format carries a famously high drop-out rate. Bandera · United StatesUltra HOKA Bandera Endurance Trail Race January The HOKA Bandera Endurance Trail Race is a trail and ultra weekend held in Bandera, Texas, inside the Hil Moab · United StatesUltra Moab 240 Endurance Run January 7 km ultramarathon with 9,620 m of vertical gain, run as one continuous loop out of Moab, Utah. It is par Your race is not here? Tell us about your race You can prepare for it all the same. Any race, anywhere, and even a goal without a race.

Your race is on the calendar. Your plan should be too.

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