Races Near Me: Upcoming Running Races

The Alley Loop is not your typical Nordic Marathon… It stands both as a premier American Birkebeiner Qualifying event, in addition to being Crested Butte’s most outrageous costume party of the year!  The course winds its way through snowy streets, alleyways and narrow bridges through the heart of downtown Crested Butte.  You’ll find yourself cheered by town revelers as you navigate a crazy gliding costume assemblage…  Racers are sometimes forced into making daring passes and depending on their luck, may even get waylaid on a bridge for a moment.  Once you make it through town, you are rewarded by pristine tracks and exhilarating vistas throughout the Crested Butte Nordic trail network. If you like normal, you may want to look for another race.  If you are up for anything… this is right up your alley!

A beautiful circumnavigation of Gothic Mountain. The Gothic Mountain Tour features a 23.5-mile competitive race and a 17.85-mile recreational race around the majestic Gothic Mountain. This race is unique, tough, and beautiful. The perfect place to test your Grand Traverse systems. The Gothic Mountain Tour is operated as a fundraising event for Crested Butte Nordic, a 501(c)(3) recreational non-profit organization.

The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse was conceived by Jan Runge in the 1990s. The race’s genesis was partially based on the historical mail routes that connected the Colorado mining towns of Crested Butte and Aspen in the 1880s.  It also drew inspiration from the Patrouille des Glaciers, a point-to-point ski race in Switzerland which Runge had become familiar with in the 80s.  In 1998, with the help of the community, Runge sent a brave field of competitors from Crested Butte, over the Elk Mountains, to Aspen. It worked, and the Extraordinary Backcountry Ski Race was born. In 2012, event ownership was transferred to Crested Butte Nordic. The race is now a major fundraiser for the organization. In 2014 the Grand Traverse summer events were launched. Now the Grand Traverse features a winter ski race, a summer mountain run, and a mountain bike race.

The Grin & Bear It is Crested Butte’s oldest trail challenge. Historically presented as a sprint to Green Lake and back, this classic event has evolved to offer a 25k Loop competition while still maintaining the traditional 15k race. New in 2025, the Grin and Bear it BIKE! This route will follow the 25k run route, excluding the .7 miles to Green Lake and back. This challenging route is roughly 14.83 miles with just under 4k feet of climbing.   Note- there is minimal swag and no podium awards for this event.