Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB Delivers a Successful Start to the Season in North America in Fruita, Colorado, with Global Field and Rugged Courses

April 13, 2025

- Alex Johnson (Farmington, Utah) and Lotti Brinks (Boise, Idaho) winners of the 100K race at 2025 Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB - Brian Whitfield (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Allison Baca (Golden, Colo.) victorious in 50K race

FRUITA, Colo. (April 13, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2025 Desert RATS (Running Across the Sand) Trail Running Festival by UTMB^® again delivered for the 22^nd consecutive year its signature blend of challenging trails and breathtaking landscapes back to western Colorado this past weekend. At Hawkeye Trailhead, runners from around the world tackled four challenging courses: 100K, 50K, 21K, and 10K. The event highlighted the region’s beauty and showcased the iconic Kokopelli Trail, with runners scaling ridgelines for panoramic views and navigating winding singletrack along the Colorado River.

“The Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB^® kicked off the UTMB North America trail running season with an amazing celebration of our trails and community. This year’s festival, with its record crowds and fantastic vibes, was the best yet,” said Kyla Claudell, Co-Race Director. “The allure of trail running, with its delicate balance of beauty and suffering, is something we’re honored to showcase, delivering an unforgettable experience for our participants” said Reid Delman, Co-Race Director.

On Saturday morning, April 12th, the 100K and 50K (marathon) runners took off from the Hawkeye Trailhead. In the 100K race, Alex Johnson (Farmington, Utah) topped the men’s field with a time of 08:57:28 while Tyler D’Arcy (Saanichton, B.C., Canada) followed not far behind in second with a time of 09:04:06. Corey Kallembach (Longmont, Colo.) rounded out the podium in third with a time of 09:23:40. On the women’s side, Lotti Brinks (Boise, Idaho) finished in first with a time of 09:25:50, Emilie Mann (Kelowna, B.C., Canada) finished second with a time of 10:21:38, and Geneviève Asselin-Demers (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) finished a touch over 10 minutes later with a time of 10:31:59.

It was Brian Whitfield (Colorado Springs, Colo.) taking the victory in the men’s 50K race with a time of 03:35:46. Grant Colligan (Golden, Colo.) finished second behind Whitfield with a time of 03:49:12, while Austin Anderson (Grand Junction, Colo.) finished third with a time of 03:59:44. Allison Baca (Golden, Colo.) finished first in the female 50K with a time of 03:57:03. Ashley Brasovan (Golden, Colo.) followed in second with a time of 04:10:39 and Sophie Linn (Australia) secured third with a time of 04:24:13.

On Sunday, April 13^th, Eli Hemming and Tabor Hemming triumphed in the 21K race with finishing times of 01:19:46 and 01:36:16, respectively.

Jake Littlehales (39:08) and Camila Cortina (48:39) were the 10K winners on Friday, April 11th.

True to its reputation, the 2025 Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB^® treated runners to both demanding races and breathtaking views in Fruita, just outside Grand Junction’s Rattlesnake Canyon. The course featured ascents over red slick-rock cliffs and winding paths through the Western Rim, showcasing the area’s exceptional beauty. Competitors across all the events were also competing for the coveted Running Stones, earned by finishing their chosen course and which can be used to enter the lottery for the UTMB^® World Series Finals at the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc.

Presale for the 2026 Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB^® is now open by visiting, https://desertrats.utmb.world/.

Next Up for the UTMB^® World Series:

UTMB^® World Series is scheduled to continue in 2025 when the series makes its way to the Mount Yun by UTMB in Zhonghe Square, China on April 18-20. The UTMB^® World Series returns to North America when it heads to the Endurance Capital of the World, Auburn, California for the 2025 The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB^® on April 25-26. To see the full schedule of UTMB^® World Series events, visit www.utmb.world.

For more information about the Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB visit https://desertrats.utmb.world/. For more information about the 2025 UTMB^® World Series visit www.utmb.world. Media-related inquiries may be directed to desertrats@press.utmb.world.

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UTMB^® World Series

The UTMB® World Series is the trail running circuit that brings together the best athletes in the sport and amateur runners in top international events held in some of the most beautiful places on the planet. The UTMB^® World Series is rooted in a passion for the mountains and respect for the environment and offers trail running enthusiasts the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the globe, with events taking place in Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas. This is the way for everyone to start their quest towards the HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc, where the UTMB® World Series finals take place. Launched in May 2021 with the collaboration of UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB® World Series circuit brings together 50 events in 28 countries. For more information, visit https://utmb.world.