Snowbasin by UTMB
Snowbasin by UTMB – 58K
Snowbasin Resort
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Snowbasin by UTMB 58K is a 59 km mountain ultra with 1704 m of positive climbing and a high point of 2746 m, run on the trails of Snowbasin Resort in Utah. It shares its opening climb with the shorter Snowbasin distances but pushes higher and then commits to a long, sweeping descent and a rolling second half, making it a far more strategic day than the elevation total alone suggests. What defines this race is the front-loaded profile: the big work is nearly all done in the first third, topping out at Needles Overlook (2746 m) around 19 km, after which the course plunges more than 800 m and asks the legs to keep moving over undulating lower terrain to the finish. A single cut-off at Needles 2 sets the early tempo, and how you manage the long descent that follows largely decides your finish.
The Course and Terrain
Starting and finishing at Snowbasin Resort (0 km / 1950 m; finish 59 km / 1951 m, a crew point), the 58K climbs steadily through Green Pond at 5 km (2061 m) and Becker Lift at 11.9 km (2378 m) to a cluster of high points around the Needles: Needles 1 at 17.9 km (2566 m), the Needles Overlook high point at 19.2 km (2744 m) and Needles 2 at 21.1 km (2565 m). From there the course drops hard to Maples at 32.1 km (1926 m), continues down to Art Nord at 42.5 km (1671 m, the low point of the day), then rolls back up through Pre-Sardine at 46.8 km (1810 m) before the descent to the finish. That sequence tells the whole story. The first 21 km carry almost all of the climbing, gaining nearly 800 m to the Needles high ground. Then comes a genuinely long descent - roughly 11 km and around 850 m of drop from the Needles down to Art Nord - before a modest climb to Pre-Sardine and a final run to the line. It is a course of two distinct halves: a sustained high-altitude ascent, then a long downhill and undulating finish where fresh quads are worth more than fresh lungs.
Where the Race Is Won and Lost
The climb to the Needles is the physical crux. From Green Pond (2061 m) to Needles Overlook (2744 m) the course gains close to 700 m over about 14 km, all of it above 2000 m, and it culminates in the highest ground of the day. Runners who force this climb pay twice: once in the thin air on the way up, and again on the long descent when trashed quads cannot hold pace. The real time gap, though, opens on the descent from Needles 2 (2565 m at 21.1 km) down to Art Nord (1671 m at 42.5 km). That is close to 900 m of net descent over roughly 21 km - a very long downhill that flatters strong, controlled downhill runners and punishes anyone who arrived at the top already cooked. Then the sting in the tail: the climb from Art Nord back up to Pre-Sardine (1810 m at 46.8 km) is only about 140 m, but at 43 km into the race, on legs that have just absorbed a huge descent, it feels far bigger. Save something for it.
How to Pace and Fuel It
There is one published cut-off, at Needles 2 (Sat 15:00, 21.1 km). Because it sits at the top of the main climb, it effectively sets a required climbing pace for the first third of the race - reach the Needles comfortably ahead of it and the rest of the day is yours to manage. Do not, however, race the cut-off by burning matches on the ascent; treat it as a checkpoint you clear with margin rather than a target. Aid is spaced roughly every 5 to 11 km on the climb (Green Pond, Becker Lift, the Needles) and then across the descent through Maples (32.1 km), Art Nord (42.5 km) and Pre-Sardine (46.8 km). The longest carries are the Needles-to-Maples descent (about 11 km) and Maples-to-Art Nord (about 10 km), so leave the high point well stocked with fluid and calories. Fuel hardest during the first half while the effort is aerobic and your stomach is settled; on the long descent, keep sipping and nibbling so you are not depleted when the Pre-Sardine climb arrives. Crew access is at the start/finish only, so plan a self-supported loop.
Altitude and Conditions
The entire course lives between roughly 1671 m and 2746 m, so altitude shapes the effort throughout the high first third. At the Needles, above 2700 m, breathing and heart rate run higher than the pace would suggest, and runners from lower elevations should either arrive early to adjust or ride a deliberately conservative climbing pace. Dry mountain air makes consistent hydration essential from the gun, not just when you feel thirsty. The upper Needles ground is exposed to sun and wind, and weather at 2746 m can change fast and differ markedly from the resort base at 1950 m; carry sun protection and a wind layer. Lower down, around Art Nord and Pre-Sardine, conditions are warmer and the footing more runnable. Plan the day around the two halves - respect the thin air and the cut-off on the climb, then let controlled, well-fueled descending carry you home over the long drop and the rolling final kilometres.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 1950 m · —
5 km · 2061 m · —
11.9 km · 2378 m · —
17.9 km · 2566 m · —
19.2 km · 2744 m · —
21.1 km · 2565 m · Sat 15:00
32.1 km · 1926 m · —
42.5 km · 1671 m · —
46.8 km · 1810 m · —
59 km · 1951 m · —
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