Trail photos by Chris Wilson, Josh Hicks, Eszter Horanyi, and Neil Beltchenko

At the time of publishing, nearly 70 intrepid athletes are making last-minute preparations before embarking on the 19th annual Colorado Trail Race (CTR). The Grand Depart begins at 4 a.m. on Sunday, August 2nd, from the Waterton Canyon Trailhead outside of Denver. To kick off our race coverage, this in-depth CTR preview will highlight standout riders in the men’s, women’s, and singlespeed categories. It’ll also fill you in on course updates, fire detours, and everything else you need to elevate your dot-watching experience.

THE ROUTE

The Colorado Trail Race is iconic for its high alpine scenery, rugged mountain passes, and endless ribbons of flower-lined singletrack, much of which ebbs and flows above treeline where the air is thin, often over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters). It’s as figuratively and literally breathtaking as bikepack racing gets and equally infamous for the relentless hike-a-bike sections that’ll have you debating why you bothered to bring a bike at all. The CTR has earned its status as one of three shiny jewels in the Bikepacking Triple Crown, with the start date sandwiched nicely between the Tour Divide and the Arizona Trail 800 Race.

The inaugural Grand Depart of the CTR was in 2007, and the race has taken place every year since, except for 2020, when the grand depart was skipped due to COVID-19. Until 2012, the race always started in Denver and ended in Durango. Since 2013, the point-to-point race has alternated directions. For even years, such as 2026, it starts in Denver and heads southwest toward Durango. In odd years, it begins in Durango and goes northeast to finish in Denver. The course sticks to the official Colorado Trail whenever possible but detours around a few wilderness areas where bikes are prohibited. Over the years, the route has changed a bit, but it’s usually around 525 to 540 miles (845 to 869 kilometers) with approximately 70,000 feet (21,336 meters) of elevation gain.

Many racers prefer heading southwest from Denver to Durango. It starts at a lower elevation, and there’s lots of fast gravel early on to give your ego a boost while easing you up to higher elevations. It’s much less abrupt than the rude beginning in Durango, which shoots you up 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) in the first 20 miles (32 kilometers). On the flipside, starting in Denver also means you’re doing some of the toughest, most technical riding in the San Juans at the end of the race, when you’re beaten down and sleep-deprived. Ultimately, it’s six eggs or half a dozen. The CTR will 100% chew you up and spit you out no matter what direction you go.

BEAR CREEK

The original CTR route used from 2007 to 2012 took riders on Highway US-285 to detour around the Lost Creek Wilderness segments of the Colorado Trail. In 2013, the route was updated to get riders off the nerve-racking highway, and it now uses the primarily gravel “Tarryall Detour” instead.

Another sketchy section has always been from Silverton to the turnoff for Little Molas Lake, which used to force riders onto the US-550 for about 6.25 miles (10 kilometers). In 2021, Jefe Branham, after taking over “unofficial” race director duties from Stefan Griebel, altered the course slightly to get riders on dirt between Molas Lake and Little Molas Lake, eliminating about 1.5 miles of US-550.

This year, Jefe did away with the dangerous US-550 altogether by introducing the Bear Creek Singletrack. The new section gains roughly 2,500 feet (762 meters) of elevation over 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers), before reconnecting with the traditional route high above Molas Pass. The previous portion, including US-550 and the trail up from Little Molas Lake, gained roughly the same elevation gradually over 11.3 miles (18 kilometers).

In the end, finish times shouldn’t be affected too much, although roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers) has been trimmed off the overall route distance. Early scouting reports say it’s a brutally beautiful section of trail. Super steep and peppered with plenty of hike-a-bike, especially in the westbound and down direction of this year’s race. More singletrack. More pushing. Fewer cars. What’s not to love?

WILLOW FIRE

On June 28th, the Willow Fire sparked up approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of Leadville, near the National Fish Hatchery. The fire initially threatened to shut down the 2026 CTR altogether, as well as the famed Leadville Trail 100 Race, which has been happening for 43 years and is an essential part of the local economy. Thankfully, with the help of over 400 firefighting personnel, there have been minimal injuries, no structures or homes burned down, and both the CTR and Leadville Trail 100 will take place with route alterations.

As of the July 28th update, the Willow Fire is now 62% contained, and the total burned area is holding at 7,200 acres. Recent weather has been favorable, with widespread rainfall moving across the fire last weekend. The area should continue to experience clear mornings, with scattered thunderstorms developing in the early afternoon. This moisture and weather pattern looks like it will continue toward the beginning of the race and should minimize chances of the fire spreading over the next few days.

So, how does this affect the CTR? The Forest Service has officially closed the Colorado Trail from Tennessee Pass to Twin Lakes, and that section won’t reopen for a while. There have also been many road closures around Leadville, making rerouting difficult. Initially, racers were going to have to detour onto the highway. Not ideal. But road closures have been getting lifted, and Jefe has been out scouting potential options. The most recent GPX track update was able to get riders off of Highway US-24 onto some much more appealing side roads. If more favorable options become available, Jefe will put out another track update before go time.

As of now, with the Willow Fire detour and the Bear Creek route change, this year’s course is around 515 miles (829 kilometers) in length—a bit shorter than the 530 to 540 miles (853 to 869 kilometers) in recent years, and there’s a little less climbing. Because of this, records and FKTs are off limits this year. Now, if you’re thinking riders are getting short-changed, don’t. There’s still approximately 67,000 feet (20,422 meters) of climbing, and everyone still has to ride past the high point sign of 13,271 feet (4,045 meters) up on Cataract Ridge.

WEATHER

In addition to fire danger, the CTR delivers some of the most variable weather of any bikepacking race around. The sun hits differently at high elevations. It’s easier to get dehydrated without knowing it, and some form of altitude sickness will attack nearly every rider in the first couple of days, especially when trying to push the efforts they’re used to making at sea level.

Afternoon monsoons serving up sideways rain and hail showers are pretty much guaranteed, and 20-30 mph (30-50 kmph) wind gusts are the norm above treeline. Temperatures will likely get into the 80s Fahrenheit (high 20s Celsius) and even the 90s (30s Celsius) at lower elevations. A few hours later you could be bivying in a sub-freezing, frosty situation at night. Thunder claps come at you in Dolby surround sound, right as massive lightning strikes encourage you to get down off of high mountain passes ASAP. In short, it gets real very quickly up there, and the only predictable thing about the weather is that it is unpredictable.

WHO TO WATCH

There’s no lack of exciting racers to track this year. From crafty veterans to super fit newbies, trying to predict who’ll land on the podium is even harder than gauging the weather. Of the 67 starters, 13 are singlespeeders, and only 8 women will be toeing the line, none of whom are riding with a single cog. With that said, here are some dots to follow.

MEN’S FIELD

Alex McCormack

Stated simply, Alex McCormack has to be the overall favorite. Why? Here’s a small sample of his resume: The 28-year-old from the UK set the current record on the Highland Trail 550 in 2024. In 2025, he won the Hellenic Mountain Race and the Atlas Mountain Race and placed second at Silk Road. This April, he set the world record for the greatest distance cycled in seven days. Unfortunately, his record was broken by just 35 kilometers a couple of weeks later, but still! Then he placed third at Unbound XL before trying his hand at the Tour Divide. He was riding at the pointy end of the event but eventually the matches he’d burned earlier this year caught up with him, and he slowed to a touring pace before ultimately deciding to scratch. He’s coming into the CTR well-rested, motivated, and ready to crush it.

Xavier Chiriboga

Another blue dot to scope out belongs to Xavier Chiriboga, aka The Farmer. The 44-year-old cheese maker from Quito, Ecuador is always a fan favorite. He won the 2024 CTR with a time of 4 days, 15 hours, and 55 minutes. Justinas Leveika had a faster time that year, but he was disqualified for hitching a ride into town to replace a tacoed wheel. Nonetheless, Xavier’s win was still plenty impressive. He also set the course record on the Stagecoach 400 in 2022, and he just came off a super strong 14-day effort on the Tour Divide, which was good enough for sixth place. With that TD fitness in the bank, and his climbing prowess at elevation, Chiriboga is a real podium threat.

Brian Elander

Brian Elander from Moab, Utah, is another rider that should be on your radar. The 24-year-old came in 10th overall and was the first American to finish the Tour Divide this year with a time of 15 days and 11 hours. He finished third at the Stagecoach 400 in 2024. He also took third place at the 2022 Vapor Trail 125 at age 20, and he became the youngest racer ever to earn a belt buckle at Marji Gesick when he did so in 2021 at the ripe young age of 19.

Rocky Gingg

Keep an eye out for 37-year-old Rocky Gingg. This will be his third go on the CTR. He placed seventh last year with a time of 5 days, 7 hours, and 35 minutes, and I’m sure he’ll be aiming for sub-five days. He’s also had two top-five finishes on the AZTR 300. More importantly, he just won the 2026 Grand Loop in June, with the second fastest time ever on the route, just a few hours behind Kurt Refsnider’s FKT. If he shows up in top form and can keep up his Grand Loop pace, Rocky will be a podium contender. Plus, he lives in Durango and racing home might give him a little extra psychological boost.

Jacob Hora

Another podium contender is youngster Jacob Hora. The 21-year-old is originally from Victor, Idaho, but now goes to school at Fort Lewis College and spends most of his time in Durango. So, he’ll also be racing toward his warm, comfy bed. In 2024, at age 19, he completed the “Mountain Race Triple,” finishing the Silk Road, Hellenic, and Atlas Mountain Races in the same calendar year. In 2025, he was averaging 185 miles per day on the Tour Divide before having a scary crash near Del Norte, Colorado, which forced him to scratch. Although he’s a CTR rookie and this will be his first true trail race, he’s a fantastic technical rider with strong hiking skills and excellent racecraft.

Jefe Branham

Of course, you can never sleep on Mr. Colorado Trail himself, Jefe Branham. At age 53, he’s completed the race ten times and won it on four of those occasions. Mic drop. This year, he’ll be racing his full-squish Revel Ranger with gears. He knows how to empty the tank, has more course knowledge than the whole field combined, and you can never underestimate dad strength.

Cruz Blue

Let’s also give a huge shout-out to Cruz Blue from Flagstaff, Arizona. At only 17 years of age, he is the youngest male racer this year. He recently finished the 2026 Tour Divide in 19 days and 11 hours and completed the AZTR 800 in 2025 at age 19, so he’s game for this one, too.

WOMEN’S FIELD

Nicolette Jones

Nicolette Jones from Aspen, Colorado, is no stranger to the CTR. Before deciding to try racing it as her first-ever bikepacking race in 2024, she’d bike toured the Colorado Trail, hiked it, and even nordic skied it in the winter. She won the race on her first try. Then, she came back in 2025 and won it again while placing fourth overall and setting the FKT for the east/northbound route with a blazing time of 4 days, 23 hours, and 35 minutes. In 2025, she was also the fastest woman on the AZT 300, and she set a new women’s FKT on the Grand Loop Race as well. The 27-year-old will be a fun one to watch, and she’ll surely be giving the fastest dudes a run for their money.

Katie Smyth

Keep your eye out for 38-year-old Katie Smyth from Seattle, Washington. She was the third woman to finish the Dark Divide in 2023 behind Meagan Hackinen, and she took first place women’s and fourth overall at the Cross Washington Race in 2025.

Torin Lackmann

Torin Lackmann from Boulder, Colorado, is also one to follow. She’s riding high off her fourth-place finish at this year’s Tour Divide, and at 23 years old, she’s the youngest woman in the field. It surely doesn’t hurt that she lives and trains at altitude and always seems to be smiling.

Lucy Eykamp

I also want to mention Lucy Eykamp from Fernie, British Columbia. At age 47, she’s the oldest competitor in the women’s field. She took second place at the 2021 BC Epic and finished the 2023 Tour Divide in 25 days. Keep an eye on her.

SINGLESPEED

Matt Annabel

Matt Annabel, age 51, from Glenwood Springs, Colorado, can’t stay away from this race! He won the Singlespeed Division in 2024 and again in 2025 with a blazing-fast time of 4 days, 20 hours, and 23 minutes, which was also good enough for third overall. If he wins this year, it’ll be an unprecedented three-peat, which is undoubtedly on his mind.

Alex Kowalski

Alex Kowalski (Alex Malex on Trackleaders) is primed and ready to rain on Matt’s parade. The 32-year-old from Carbondale, Colorado, finished in second place behind Matt last year, and this is going to be one heck of a duel to watch unfold.

Scott Petrie

You can’t count out Scott Petrie, either. The 40-year-old van lifer completed the Triple Crown on a geared bike in 2025, and he just placed second in the singlespeed division of the Tour Divide, finishing in just under 17 days—a podium contender, to be sure.

Photo by Austen Van Shoubrouek

George Hollerbach

The oldest person racing in the CTR this year is George Hollerbach from Newtown, Pennsylvania. He’s 71 years young, andhe’ll be doing the CTR on a singlespeed. Yep, you read that right. Earlier this year, he completed the Ozark Doom on his SS as well. It’s fair to say that George is an inspiration to us all!

(Not So) DARK HORSES

We can’t highlight everyone, and it’s time to wrap it up. But a few more men that could easily find their way to the front of the field are Ezra Ward-Packard, Dylan Disarro, and Tom Kavanaugh. On the women’s side, Leila Housain, Natalie Peet, and Celeste Carmignani could make some waves as well. If there’s another rider I missed, please let me know in the Conversation below! Regardless, everyone at the start line is an absolute rock star, and we wish you all the best.

STAY PLUGGED IN

The G.O.A.T. of bikepacking photographers, Eddie Clark, will be en route capturing all the moments for us. We’ll also have live tracking, race updates, insights, and photo galleries popping up on the site all race long. So make sure to follow along on our 2026 CTR Race Tracker Page below so you don’t miss a beat!

Check out the 2026 Colorado Trail Race Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.

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