🐎 RODEO TRAIL RUN OF AUSTIN 🐎
Saddle Up. Run Hard. Run the Trails.
Earn the buckle. Be part of something gritty and real.
Half Marathon • Marathon Ultra • Backyard Ultra • 8-Hour Timed Run
Race Weekend: March 13, 2027
Prices increase as spots fill.
🤠 Choose Your Ride
| Event | Distance | Start | The Reward |
| Half Marathon | 13.1 miles | 8:00 AM | Finisher buckle, shirt, free 12-week training plan |
| Marathon Ultra | 28 miles | 8:00 AM | Finisher buckle, shirt |
| Backyard Ultra | 4.167-mile loops, every hour | 8:00 AM | Last One Standing, buckle at 3 loops, Bronze Ticket qualifier |
| Backyard Duos (NEW) | 4.167-mile loops, strict alternation | 8:00 AM | 2-person team, Last Team Standing |
| 8-Hour Timed Run | 4.167-mile loops, 8 hours | 8:00 AM | Finisher buckle at 3+ loops |
🤠 Two Rodeos. One City. Endless Grit.
Come March 2027, while Austin celebrates cowboys, concerts, and competition at Rodeo Austin, a different kind of rodeo will unfold on the trails.
Welcome to the Rodeo Trail Run of Austin, where effort matters, the terrain tests you, and every finisher earns a custom rodeo-style buckle.
🦬 The Bull: Technical Course Segment
Some sections of the course are rocky, steep, and technical, earning the nickname for a reason. Runners will tackle a challenging course featuring:
- Loose and exposed rock
- Short but steep climbs and descents
- Uneven footing that rewards patience and smart pacing
The elevation profile reflects frequent grade changes, making the technical segments as much about control and durability as speed. This is a true test of foot placement, mental focus, and trail toughness.
Respect the Bull. It adds up lap after lap.
THE RODEO HALF MARATHON & MARATHON ULTRA
This is a no-frills, honest trail Half Marathon and Marathon Ultra on classic Texas Hill Country terrain. Rolling dirt roads, rugged footing, wide skies, and a course that rewards steady grit over hype.
Whether you are racing hard or running strong, this is a course that feels earned.
Details:
- Distances: Half Marathon (13.1 miles) and Marathon Ultra (28 miles), all trail
- Start time: 8:00 AM
- Fully stocked aid stations
- Finisher recognition for every runner
- Custom participant shirt
- Rodeo-inspired atmosphere (without the chaos)
Field is capped. Prices increase soon.
Registered runners for the Rodeo Half Marathon (March 13) receive a free, trail-specific 12-week training plan, built for Hill Country terrain.
RODEO BACKYARD ULTRA (the hardest backyard in Texas)
BRONZE TICKET QUALIFIER
At the Rodeo Backyard Ultra, the 4.167-mile (6.706 km) out-and-back course is the bull, and every hour, runners have to ride that bull again by completing a lap before the hour ends. When the next hour begins, the bull comes charging back out, and the runner has to saddle up once more.
Runners in the 2026 field called the terrain tough but rewarding, and many are coming back for 2027.
Backyard Ultra runners complete their segment as an out-and-back each lap, returning the same way they came. Expect the terrain to feel very different on the way back.
Just like in the arena, this race tests endurance, grit, and heart, seeing how long you can "stay on." The event keeps going until there is only one runner left: the Last One Standing.
Note: This is a sanctioned Backyard, meaning runners' results are officially tracked in the global database and on the Path to Big's.
The Texas Backyard Series Pass Options
Want the ultimate circuit experience? Choose a Bundle during checkout to unlock exclusive contender privileges:
- Mailed Legacy Bib: your permanent number for the entire season, shipped straight to your door. Zero race-day lines (must be registered at least 3 weeks before the first race day for guaranteed delivery).
- Priority Crew Pit Setup: premium space allocation closest to the starting corral at all venues.
- Injury Deferral Insurance: clean, hassle-free single-race transfers if your training block gets sidelined.
A backyard ultra is won at the rest chair, not the starting line. Click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter: training plans, pacing strategy, and the mental playbook for the bell. Every Wednesday, straight to your inbox.
🤠 NEW: BACKYARD DUOS (2-Person Team)
Think a backyard ultra is purely a solo sport? Think again.
For the first time ever, we are expanding the infinite vacuum of the Yard at the Rodeo Trail Run to test the ultimate power of a partnership. Introducing the Backyard Duos: an exclusive, high-stakes pilot program designed to test collective grit, tactical pacing, and absolute accountability.
This is not a casual, high-five festival relay. With a strict 2-person limit and strict alternation, your team is on the clock every single hour. One of you is always out on the trail while the other gets exactly one loop to recover, then the whistle drags you back in. The hand-off is where teams live or die.
There is nowhere to hide. If your partner breaks, your entire team is done.
The Rules of the Duo Division
The format is elegant, simple, and utterly relentless:
- Strict Alternation: Runner A runs Loop 1. Runner B runs Loop 2. Runner A runs Loop 3. You must strictly alternate. Back-to-back loops by a single runner are strictly forbidden, which preserves the one-hour recovery window.
- The 60-Minute Hand-Off: Every loop is exactly 4.167 miles. You have precisely one hour to complete the loop, enter the Duo Transition Chute, physically transfer the team timing chip to your partner, and have the outgoing runner standing inside the starting corral before the next top-of-the-hour whistle blows.
- The Single-Chip Bond: Your team is issued a single continuous timing chip. If the exchange is bobbled, or if the outgoing runner is not in the starting box when the whistle blows, your team is instantly assigned a DNF.
- Collective Survival: You win together, or you DNF together. If one runner experiences structural failure, sustains an injury, or misses a loop cutoff, the team is eliminated. The remaining healthy partner cannot transition into the solo division.
Do you and your favorite training partner have the grit and the chemistry to survive the ticking clock, conquer the Grelle singletrack, and become the Last Team Standing?
Secure your team slot before the cap fills.
⏱️ THE 8-HOUR TIMED RUN
Same 4.167-mile loop. Same 8:00 AM start. But instead of chasing a set distance, you are chasing the clock. Run as many loops as you can before 5:00 PM. That is 8 hours of trail, grit, and whatever you have got left in the tank.
Here is the rundown:
- Course: 4.167-mile loop at Grelle Recreation Area
- Start: 8:00 AM CDT
- Cutoff: 5:00 PM (8 hours sharp)
- Format: completed loops only. Run, rest, repeat.
- Awards: finisher buckle for everyone who completes at least 3 loops
- No participant cap
This sits right alongside our Half Marathon, Marathon Ultra, and Backyard Ultra, so whether you want a set distance or an all-day adventure, we have got a saddle for you.
Ride hard. Run harder. 🤠
How It Works
- Each hour, runners start a 4.167-mile loop ("the bull").
- Finish within the hour to stay in the race.
- Any leftover time is your rest, until the bell rings again.
- Miss the cutoff, and you are "bucked from the bull."
- The race continues until only one cowboy or cowgirl remains standing: the Last One Standing.
Runner's buckle awarded for completing 3 loops (13+ miles).
🐎 How It Works: The Drop-Down Option
If you do not finish a loop within the 60-minute cutoff, you are officially "bucked from the bull" in the Backyard division. Instead of heading home, you can drop down into the Half Marathon or Marathon Ultra division and keep running until you complete that distance.
That means:
- Backyard runners compete for Last One Standing.
- Dropped runners can still finish strong, earning the Half Marathon or Marathon buckle if completed within that event's cutoff.
No wasted miles. No early exit from the party. 🤠
Course & Experience Highlights
The Chute (Starting Corral)
Each hour begins in the "chute," where runners line up like rodeo riders waiting for the next bull. When the cowbell rings, it is time to ride.
The Roper's Turnaround
At the halfway point, runners must lasso a post before returning, symbolizing "roping the bull." This ritual, called The Catch, keeps the cowboy spirit alive with every loop.
To verify, each runner moves their token (washer, chip, or bracelet) on a pegboard when they rope successfully. A simple, reliable self-check system.
The Watering Hole (Aid Station)
Recharge at the Chuckwagon with hydration, fuel, and friendly faces before the next ride.
🔔 The Arena (Finish Area)
When you finish a loop, ring the cowbell to announce your successful ride. The echo of cowbells fills camp, a sound that says another bull has been tamed.
⭐ READY TO RIDE? ⭐
Join us for Austin's most unique trail Half Marathon, Marathon Ultra, and Backyard Ultra experience.
This event is not affiliated with Rodeo Austin. Organized in partnership with Healthy Kids Running Series Cedar Park. Proceeds support HKRS Cedar Park youth running programs.
