Amarillo, TX, United States · Saturday, October 17, 2026

Fixed Distance 50 mi

Palo Duro 50 Mile Trail Run

17 days to go

80 km Distance

not publishedn/a Climbing

4.0 est Grit · Challenging

Calculated from 80 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 4.0 as a floor, not a verdict.

35.2220° N, 101.8313° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Time limit 12 hours 9:00 min/km average. Comfortable. Room to walk the climbs and stop at aid. Climbing is unpublished, so this pace is a ceiling on the effort, not a measure of it. Among the tightest 50 mi cut-offs we track. Measured against 471 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~43 Small. Long stretches with nobody in sight.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50mi) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, October

Daytime high 22°C

Night low 8°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 11 h 17 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for October — NASA POWER, grid elevation 1097 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	50mi	43	Mark Hillers · 08:17:40	Erika Ashley · 08:52:38
2024	50mi	33	William Kent · 07:28:37	Kelly Swanson · 08:42:50
2023	50mi	26	Philip Sebastiani · 08:21:27	Johanna Wender · 10:40:12
2022	50mi	20	Thomas Orf · 08:13:04	Carmen Borsa · 12:03:15
2021	50mi	17	Adam Doe · 07:46:12	—
2019	50mi	12	Jacob Stevens · 08:36:55	Kylee Polok · 12:09:25
2018	50mi	16	Luke Stephenson · 07:50:38	Amanda Tydlaska · 09:42:13
2017	50mi	36	Michael Kershen · 07:39:33	Theresa McBride · 09:10:38
2016	50mi	17	Joe Schmal · 08:30:36	Amy Clark · 11:08:10
2015	50mi	23	Joshua Givens · 07:19:09	Alanna Connor · 09:52:35

The field grew 30% between 2024 (33) and 2025 (43). 16% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 edition (50mi) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 80 km of trail.

Trail Running Shoes 80 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition 80 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 80 km, without the bounce.
Headlamps A 12 h limit puts you out there after dark.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 80 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Salomon

Aero Glide 4 Grvl

$159.95 ★★★★★ 4.5

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

RunRepeat found the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro to have a secure, locked-in fit due to its premium upper, and also praised the shoe's energetic ride, particularly…

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

All-in-one calorie and electrolyte drink mix. 200 calories per serving.

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Nitecore

UT32

Dual-beam trail running headlamp (1100 lumens) with spot and flood beams.

$100 ★★★★★ 4.5

Garmin

Enduro 3

Ultra-endurance GPS watch with solar charging and 300+ hour battery in GPS mode.

$900 ★★★★★ 4.8

All gear guides →

Overview

The Palo Duro 50 Mile Trail Run, held annually in Amarillo, TX, is a 50-mile trail race first run in 2015. With 10 editions to date, the latest in 2025 saw 43 finishers.

Runners face a cut-off tighter than 85% of 50-mile races. The 12-hour time limit requires maintaining a pace faster than 9 minutes per kilometer. The course consists of four 12.5-mile loops on 99% dirt trails within Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Compared to 660 peer 50-mile races, the Palo Duro 50 Mile Trail Run has a smaller field than 45% of them.

Similar races

Other 50 mi trail ultras, closest in distance first.