Run Rabbit Run

Run Rabbit Run starts and finishes at the base of the Steamboat Springs ski area, sending its 100-mile field over Buffalo Pass and Emerald Mountain with a few passes through town. The 100 runs in two divisions: Hares, the competitive field chasing the purse from a 1:00pm Friday start with a 30-hour limit, and Tortoises, who start at 9:00am with 36 hours. The 50-mile race climbs to Mount Werner and crosses the Continental Divide to Rabbit Ears Mountain on Saturday morning.

The race pays over $100,000 in prize money, $20,000 each to the men's and women's winners, among the biggest purses in trail running. It is also a charity race: since 2012 it has donated almost $700,000 to northern Colorado non-profits.

The 100 loops from the ski base (6,900 feet) over Buffalo Pass (10,300 feet) and Emerald Mountain, finishing back at the resort. The 50 climbs Mount Werner (10,568 feet) and crosses the Continental Divide to Rabbit Ears Mountain before returning. Hares have 30 hours, Tortoises 36, and the 50 has 15.

Registration opens in the winter and both races fill; a waitlist follows. The 100 asks entrants to choose the Hare or Tortoise division at entry: Hares race for prize money on a tighter cutoff, Tortoises get the earlier start and more time.