a legendary 16 mile/4000 vertical gain trail race through the beautiful salt lake city foothills along the iconic dude Benchmark trail!

Starting in the heart of Salt Lake City, runners will take off from Memory Grove Park and ascend into City Creek Canyon, tackling steep climbs and technical trails along the dude benchmark trail. With nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain, this route makes for a fun day, offering spectacular ridgeline views of the city, exhilarating descents, and a rewarding day under the summer solstice sun. Run the Dude!

June 21, 2025 - 7am - summer solstice

PRIZE money!

top 3 women: $125, $100, $75

top 3 men: $100, $75, $50

Runners will start at Memory Grove Park, heading up the road into City Creek Canyon. After a short climb, they’ll transition onto the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST), continuing deeper into the canyon. At mile 1.8, turn left, staying on the BST and heading west toward Ensign Peak.

Around mile 3, the course veers left off the BST, descending quickly to Ensign Peak. After tagging the summit and snapping a quick photo, runners will descend the singletrack trail toward the tower road west of Ensign Peak. Once on the road, they’ll settle into a steady climb toward the radio towers. By mile 6.5, they’ll pass the final tower, where the road ends and the rugged singletrack ascent towards Dude Peak begins.

For the next 4 miles, runners will follow the ridgeline heading towards Dude Peak before turning around and retracing their steps for 2.5 miles. A left turn then drops them east into City Creek, leading to a steep descent into the canyon. From there, they’ll follow the City Creek trail out of the canyon, cruising back down to the finish at Memory Grove Park.

This is a self-supported race, meaning runners should come prepared with their own hydration and nutrition. A minimal aid station with water/calories will be available along the tower road.

 This race does not Access U.S. Forest Service (NFS) land. Per permitting restrictions, runners will not summit the actual peak. Instead, the turnaround point is located before the NFS boundary to ensure compliance with land use regulations.

Distance: 16 miles

Vertical Gain: 4,000ish feet

Start/Finish: Memory Grove Park

The course will be marked with flags and signs at major junctions, but please download the route to a watch or phone if you are not familiar with the area. 

$45: January 1, 2025 – April 30, 2025

$55: May 1, 2025 – May 31, 2025

$65: June 1, 2025 – June 21, 2025

top 3 women: $125, $100, $75

top 3 men: $100, $75, $50

EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF BEING alive and celebrate the Summer Solstice.

BE PART of a human-powered, grassroots trail race.

feel the love of the trails & human connection.