Course map, elevation profile & surface
Fly the course
Follow the route over 3D terrain, mile by mile.
Race-day light
For a 6:55 finish (an estimate) · starting 7:00 AM Nov 21. Dark means the sun below civil twilight.
Climbs
5 climbs · 3,656 ft totalbiggest firstElevation gain, measured two ways
| Source | Gain | vs lidar |
|---|---|---|
| Course file (GPX) | 5,202ft | +14% |
| USGS lidar, 1 m | 4,561ft | reference |
They differ because a GPS file picks up noise on every wiggle and often takes its heights from a coarse terrain model, while lidar maps the ground itself to about a metre. We sampled this route every 98 ft against USGS 3DEP and counted each rise of 10 ft or more, on Oct 24, 2026. The planner still uses the course file.
Conditions typical race-day weather for Nov 21 at the start
Typical = the median of 2016–2025 for Nov 21 ±3 days at the start line; a wet day has 1 mm of rain or more. Historical weather from Open-Meteo.
Race almanac the sky on race day
Next race day Sat, Nov 21, 2026 · 7:00 AM start
First and last light are civil twilight, the sun 6° below the horizon. The moon is lit as at midnight after the start; headlamp hours count a typical finish from the start while the sun is below civil twilight. Worked out for the start line.
Reviews what runners who have been there say
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About this course
Colorado Cold Rush Ultra 50K — 2026 covers 30.3 mi (48.7 km) with 5,202 ft of elevation gain through Colorado, United States. That is about 172 ft per mile of climbing, and 5,202 ft of descent. The course tops out at 9,090 ft and bottoms out at 6,175 ft. The surface is 81% gravel and 19% trail. The profile has 5 sustained climbs; the biggest is the climb from mi 6.3, +1,514 ft over 8.9 mi at 3.2% on average (steepest stretch 18%). Race day is November 21, 2026, starting at 7:00 AM; the sun rises at 6:49 AM and sets at 4:43 PM. Typical race-day weather at the start: a high of 49°F and a low of 27°F, with a 21% chance of a wet day. The interactive map above shows the full route with its elevation profile and aid stations, built from the course's GPS file.
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Course history
- Sep 3, 2026Added to the catalog
Races like this one close in distance, climbing, terrain, altitude, weather and season
- Above the Clouds Ultra — 2026Oct · 29 mi · 137 ft/mi · COSame distance · High altitude · Same state
- Crested Butte Ultra 55K — 2026Sep · 32 mi · 149 ft/mi · COSame distance · High altitude · Same state
- Snow Mountain Ranch 50K — 2026Sep · 31 mi · 206 ft/mi · COSame distance · Similar terrain · High altitude
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