race.vacations
Canyonlands Half Marathon
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Canyonlands Half Marathon 2027

Moab, Utah, UT

Saturday, March 20, 2027

Registration open

Entry price
From $115

Weather

MonthAvg high / lowBand
March32–57°FCool
Moderate cold riskSnow possible (~1 in)~0.7 in typical precipDesert-dry; mornings can be cold and windy in the canyon corridor

Historical averages for planning — not a forecast. Always check conditions before race week.

Route & course

Half Marathon

Point-to-point · Road · starts 8:15 AM
Elev gain
—
Elev loss
—
High point
4,000 ft
Low point
—
  • Start and finish are in different locations
  • Plan shuttle, drop-off, or two-car logistics
  • Conditions can differ from start to finish
Start · 4,000 ftSpectator pointSpectator pointFinish

Starts at Sandy Beach, travels east ~0.5 mi then turns downriver along Hwy 128 for ~11 miles of red-rock canyon. Notable climb at mile 11 exiting Hwy 128, then flat streets through downtown Moab to Lions Park finish. Six aid stations with water and Gatorade Endurance. Finish line closes at noon (cutoff ~15:30/mile pace). Hwy 128 closed to all traffic 7:40 am–noon.

5 Mile

Point-to-point · Road · starts 8:35 AM
Elev gain
—
Elev loss
—
High point
—
Low point
—
  • Start and finish are in different locations
  • Plan shuttle, drop-off, or two-car logistics
  • Conditions can differ from start to finish
StartFinish

Covers the final 5 miles of the half marathon course, including the mile-11 climb at the Hwy 128 exit and the downtown Moab finish at Lions Park.

Travel

Base town
Moab
Nearest airport
CNY · 60 min
Rental car
Recommended
Rideshare
Limited
Lodging
Good
Facilities
Good
Trip length
2 nights
Travel complexity
5/10

Point-to-point course

You finish in a different place than you start, so plan for transport back to your car or lodging.

Airport → start: 75 minAirport → finish: 65 min

Moab is remote — nearest airport is GJT (~1 hr drive); SLC is ~4 hrs. Rental car is essential; no race-day parking at Lions Park means shuttle planning is required. Book lodging early as Moab fills fast in March.

Race uses a shuttle system to the start at Sandy Beach (no parking there either). Packet pickup is Friday-only at Lions Park, requiring arrival Friday. Moab has good hotel/motel options but they sell out months ahead for race weekend.

Best for / avoid if

Best for

  • Runners seeking bucket-list desert scenery
  • Road runners chasing a fast net-downhill PR
  • Moab destination trips
  • Spring racing season openers
  • Scenery seekers
  • First-timers
  • Spring racers

Avoid if

  • You need flat start-to-finish (surprise hill at mile 11)
  • You struggle at 4,000 ft elevation
  • You hate cold or windy March mornings
  • You need last-minute registration (no race-day sign-up)
  • Dislike some hills
  • Want guaranteed cool weather

First-timer mistakes

Ignoring the mile-11 climb out of Hwy 128 — it catches many runners off guard after 10 miles of canyon bliss. Also: altitude (~4,000 ft) affects sea-level runners more than expected, and canyon headwinds can dramatically alter pacing.

Photos

"Arches National Park - Utah - United States - South West" by Onasill - Bill Badzo - 149 Million Views - Thank Y is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.
"Canyonland Color" by howardignatius is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/.
"Moab Landscape" by Zach Dischner is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
"Sunset at Delicate Arch" by Jason Carpenter is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/.

Tap a photo to enlarge.

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