Canyonlands Half Marathon & 5 Mile Run

The Canyonlands Half Marathon and 5 Mile Run, established in 1976 with 22 finishers including one dog, takes place Saturday, March 21, 2026, on Scenic Byway 128 along the Colorado River corridor in Moab, Utah. This is one of the oldest and most consistently celebrated road races in the American West, cited by Runner’s World UK among the world’s greatest races for a combination of reasons that no single superlative resolves: the USATF-certified course, the 4,000-foot moderate elevation, the point-to-point downstream layout, and the red rock canyon geometry that makes the entire 13.1-mile route a moving visual event as much as an athletic one.

Course Design and Start Logistics

The Half Marathon starts at Sandy Beach, a Colorado River boat launch approximately 13 miles northeast of Moab on Byway 128, at 8:15 AM Mountain Daylight Time. The 5 Mile Run begins at 8:35 AM from a start point further down the same highway. Both courses follow Byway 128 westward through the canyon, running parallel to the Colorado River with the red sandstone walls of the Fisher Towers and Porcupine Rim rising above both banks. The finish line is at Lions Park in Moab at mile marker 12 on US-191, adjacent to the Colorado River and Arches National Park entrance. No race-day registration is available; participants must register in advance and collect packets at Lions Park on Friday March 20 between 3 PM and 7 PM. Shuttle service to the start lines is provided by the race organisation, eliminating the logistical complexity of parking at remote trailhead starts.

Good to Know: The course’s point-to-point layout means that start-line transportation is required for all participants; do not plan to drive to Sandy Beach independently on race morning without confirming shuttle logistics through the official Run Moab website. Friends and family spectating can view runners along multiple accessible roadside points on Byway 128 and should position at the Lions Park finish area by 9:30 AM for the first half-marathon finishers. March 21 in Moab typically delivers morning temperatures between 5 and 12 degrees Celsius with clear skies; light layers at the start are appropriate, as the canyon’s shadow holds cold air through the early miles before the sun clears the canyon rim.

Moab and Arches National Park: The Case for Staying Two Days Longer

Lions Park sits at the Colorado River’s edge where the Arches National Park entrance road branches north from US-191, placing the finish line within one mile of one of the American Southwest’s five most visited national parks. The park’s Windows Section, accessible via paved road eight kilometres from the visitor centre, groups six major arches within a walkable two-kilometre area that families with young children can complete comfortably in two hours without technical hiking. For runners and families building a multi-day Moab stay around the race, Lake.com lists the Utah County Lake View Retreat as a vacation rental option for the greater Utah canyon country corridor.