Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
This race has been going for many decades and is limited to around 300 runners (per the National Forest rules) which is usually held in the month of August in the town of Fruit Heights, Utah.
Official info: bairgutsman.com
You start at a local LDS chapel in town, following the road until you hit the Bair Canyon trailhead, and follow that until you hit the dirt road near the radar towers of Francis Peak. Then you will have your first and only aid station at top, and then you run down the dirt road until you hit the intersection of where the road takes you to Bountiful Peak.
It's a grueling race and is not made for everyone. If you are not in a "good" elevation or hiking condition, I would skip this. You gain over 4500+ elevation feet in less than 2 hours!
There are many runners that are WAY better, quicker, stronger, etc. more than me but am trying to give an accurate report of how it went for my wife and I. I have ran 18 half-marathons and my wife has ran 5, and we have hiked this trail over 10 times in just the less 3 years.
But sure was it rewarding! And in 2023, there was a finisher's medal which was awesome to add to our trophy collection!
Watch the video, and make your own accurate judgement to know if you can do this race too and then do it! It's a punishing race indeed, but one that should be on your list, especially if you trail run.
This race has been going for many decades and is limited to around 300 runners (per the National Forest rules) which is usually held in the month of August in the town of Fruit Heights, Utah.
Official info: bairgutsman.com
You start at a local LDS chapel in town, following the road until you hit the Bair Canyon trailhead, and follow that until you hit the dirt road near the radar towers of Francis Peak. Then you will have your first and only aid station at top, and then you run down the dirt road until you hit the intersection of where the road takes you to Bountiful Peak.
It's a grueling race and is not made for everyone. If you are not in a "good" elevation or hiking condition, I would skip this. You gain over 4500+ elevation feet in less than 2 hours!
There are many runners that are WAY better, quicker, stronger, etc. more than me but am trying to give an accurate report of how it went for my wife and I. I have ran 18 half-marathons and my wife has ran 5, and we have hiked this trail over 10 times in just the less 3 years.
But sure was it rewarding! And in 2023, there was a finisher's medal which was awesome to add to our trophy collection!
Watch the video, and make your own accurate judgement to know if you can do this race too and then do it! It's a punishing race indeed, but one that should be on your list, especially if you trail run.
