Ogden's 25th Street district is the backdrop for this week's inaugural Snowbasin by UTMB race weekend, as the city hosts basecamp operations. The multi-day event brings an internationally recognized trail-running series to the Wasatch Mountains for the first time, with race day set for Saturday at Snowbasin Resort.
According to a post from Ogden City Government, the event's basecamp operations precede Saturday's races. Per the same post, the event includes 58km and 28km distances, labeled on Snowbasin's page as the 50K and 20K race categories, with the event presented as part of a global trail-running community.
Steep Climbs Above the Great Salt Lake
The inaugural course lineup is built for serious elevation. The 58-kilometer route climbs 5,800 feet while tracing views over Ogden City and the Great Salt Lake, while the 28-kilometer singletrack course adds 2,400 feet of climbing, according to Snowbasin Resort. Race day activities are hosted at Snowbasin Resort on Saturday, following the two days of downtown basecamp operations at the amphitheater.
Standard registration pricing for this first-year event was set at $225.28 for the 58-kilometer distance and $133.33 for the 28-kilometer distance, not including processing fees, before online sign-ups closed. The stakes go beyond bragging rights: finishing the 58-kilometer course awards runners two Running Stones, while the 28-kilometer course awards one, and those stones serve as entries into the global lottery for the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix, France.
A Permanent Move to Mid-September
This year's race window of September 10-12 is a one-time scheduling quirk. Race organizers have announced that Snowbasin by UTMB will permanently shift to a mid-September slot of September 16-18 starting in 2027, according to the resort's blog.
Runners who complete both this race and the Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB at Snowbird within the same calendar year earn a Wasatch Challenge bib designation and a commemorative finisher medal, tying the new Ogden-area event into an existing circuit already familiar to Utah's ultra-running community.
Community and Trail Stewardship
Organizers also highlight community-focused aspects alongside the race, including UTMB Community Bibs, local charities and trail stewardship, as reported by Sportzhub. The program connects the international race with community and trail-stewardship efforts.
Snowbasin's Olympic history adds another layer to the weekend. The resort hosted events at the 2002 Winter Olympics, a detail highlighted by outlets including The Ultra Runner.
Part of a Sprawling Global Series
Snowbasin by UTMB is one stop in a much larger operation. Formed through a partnership with The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB World Series is a worldwide circuit across several continents, per Wikipedia.
The event arrives just months after Snowbasin's winter operations wrapped up early. As Hoodline reported, the resort ended its ski season nearly a month early, closing on March 22 due to record-low statewide snowpack across Utah. That shortened winter now sits ahead of a busy autumn on the resort's endurance sports calendar, with the mountain-to-metro race format linking downtown Ogden's 25th Street district directly to Snowbasin's upper trails for the first time.
