Canyons 100M is the 161km ultra trail at Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB 2026 (Auburn, United States). The race starts on April 24, 2026.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- 847m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 28% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- The finish is runnable. Save your legs to run it all the way.
- Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
- Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 94.8km, then run your race pace.
- Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.8km–17.0km · Descent of 847m averaging 7%, high point 1529m, climb of 561m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
- Work · 17.0km–75.1km · Descent of 501m averaging 12%, descent of 662m averaging 14%, descent of 913m averaging 6%. Plus 3 more climbs and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Fade · 75.1km–155km · Descent of 616m averaging 6%. Plus 2 more climbs and 3 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 155km–160km · 5.5km of runnable trail. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
Course
The course climbs 5550m+. With 34m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 30% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 31% flat. The longest climb runs 4.0km at an average 13.5% grade (539m of vertical). The longest descent runs 15.6km at an average 5.9% grade (913m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 28.4% over 0.7km. The steepest descent drops at 28.1% over 0.7km. Surface: 89% trail and 5% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 208.2 FlatKM.
Summits
The course also passes close to Robie Point (367m).
Poles
Poles bring little benefit here: only about 15.8km of pole-friendly terrain.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is high (index 64 of 100), with 64% of the load in the first half: 6 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.
- Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 94.8km, then run your race pace.
- #1 · 0.0–13.0 km · 847 m D−, -6.5% · 147.1 km ahead → control
- #4 · 17.0–21.1 km · 501 m D−, -12.2% · 139.0 km ahead → control
- #3 · 28.7–33.5 km · 662 m D−, -14.0% · 126.6 km ahead → control
- #2 · 37.4–53.0 km · 913 m D−, -5.9% · 107.1 km ahead → control
- #5 · 58.2–63.2 km · 425 m D−, -8.4% · 96.9 km ahead → control
- #6 · 83.9–94.8 km · 616 m D−, -5.7% · 65.3 km ahead → control
- 150.7–154.6 km · 316 m D−, -8.1% · 5.5 km ahead → your pace
- Plus 2 more notable descents not listed: your pace.
Weather
On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 3°C to 18°C, with around 10°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 31%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 6% of days around this date.
Results
152 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Noa Ohms (Germany) in 17:50:12. Women's winner: Aroa Sio (Spain) in 19:24:34.
This page has the full results and splits, a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Canyons 100M.
