Course format
Canyon-to-city downhill 17k
RacesReviewed / Race Intelligence
Red Rock Canyon Ultra
The Red Rock Canyon Ultra delivers an unforgettable journey through one of Nevada's most dramatic landscapes, with the iconic Aztec sandstone formations of the Calico Hills providing a backdrop that far surpasses the typical desert race experience. DesertDash has designed a smart point-to-point course threading together varied terrain—from flowing singletrack to sandy wash crossings—making the 17K distance accessible to beginners while still challenging road-trained runners seeking an ultra milestone. While the world-class scenery and thoughtful aid station hydration earn consistent praise, participants should come prepared for intense heat and near-zero crowd support, as this remains a personal battle between you and the canyon walls.
RegisterOpen signupultrasignup.comWebsiteOfficial race sitedesertdash.comLocationBlue Diamond, NVRace start area
Choose your distance
Jump to
Elevation profile
0 ft net
Pressure point
Downhill pacing trap
Weather bias
Tailwind-friendly
Free training plan
Build a free 17K plan for this race.
Keep race research first. When you want it, open a quick planner that uses the selected distance, the selected race date, and the course itself.
Course Profile
Red Rock Canyon Ultra 17K course overview
This course section is built from a lighter course overview so you can understand how the race is likely to run.
Synced course focus
Mid-course
Mile 1.0 · 0 ft · Course intelligence will improve as GPX and logistics data land.
Course trace
This course view focuses on the best route information currently available.
Pressure model
Pressure points highlight where pacing or effort may change during the race.
What comes next
Use the course, weather, logistics, and reviews together to build your race-day plan.
Difficulty Meter
17K race demand
73/100
- Course detail
- Moderate
- Weather detail
- Historical + forecast
- Race-day detail
- Moderate
- Weather view
- Forecast preview
Weather read
Mostly neutral
Route-aligned wind gives you a quick feel for how the day may race before you dig into the full weather section.
Jump to weather analysisWeather Analysis
Red Rock Canyon Ultra 17K weather outlook
Weather blends the live forecast with the race's historical weather patterns to help you plan.
Route-aligned wind
0.0 mph
Interpretation
Mostly neutral
NOAA race-window forecast is not available yet, so this shows the current route anchor sample and the fallback pre-race state.
Estimated weather effect
+2.62%
Heuristic read
Major weather drag
Help score
-47
Historical profile
Historically weather-dragged
Based on 6 years of race-weekend weather in the archive.
Tailwind years
17%
Headwind years
83%
Helpful weather
0%
Forecasts use current race-area weather, and history looks at past race-weekend conditions to show what runners have typically faced.
Weather history
2024 race-weekend conditions
Race date
Nov 9, 2024
Avg temperature
60.9F
Avg wind
2.8 mph
Aligned wind
-1.63 mph
Mostly neutral year
+1.45% estimated finish-time effect · 9 hourly observationsRace zone
77F
Clear
9.0 mph · WCity center
77F
Clear
9.0 mph · WFinish area
77F
Clear
9.0 mph · WCourse Breakdown
Where the race starts costing more
Active segment
Middle rhythm
This is a deterministic pacing band built from the available course trace and race distance.
Race-Day Logistics
Red Rock Canyon Ultra 17K race-day logistics
Race weekend
8 recorded years
The basic race structure is in place for planning.
Distance options
3 distances
This page can show the event correctly even when some race-day detail is still light.
Race-day planning
More details coming
Packet pickup, parking, support flow, and reunion details may still be limited.
Course Map
Route shape, city context, and key course moments in one view.
Map overview
This map gives you a race-area view and course orientation even when the full route is not available.
Highlighted point
Mid-course
Course intelligence will improve as GPX and logistics data land.
What to watch
Use this map to get your bearings before race day and understand the general shape of the course area.
Course coverage
Detailed route geometry and extra overlays may still be limited for this race.
Why it matters
Blue Diamond, NV should still be easy to plan around, even when some course details are lighter than others.
Planning
Use the 17K at Red Rock Canyon Ultra as a planning target rather than a qualification race.
Entry posture
Open entry
There is no qualification signal in the current event record.
Race framing
17K planning
The page emphasizes course, logistics, and weather rather than qualification standards.
Race History
Race history overview
Past editions tracked
8
Recorded race years
ArchiveCurrent route view
Available
17K
CurrentBenchmarks
Growing archive
More historical context will be added here as the archive grows
In progressReview Radar
Runner signal for Red Rock Canyon Ultra 17K
Course
93/100
Logistics
43/100
Crowd support
40/100
Aid stations
87/100
Finish area
80/100
Recommend
93/100
Common questions
FAQ
Related race pages
More course-ready races to compare.
Las Vegas · NV · 26.2M, 13.1M run
REVEL Mt Charleston
Open the race page for route shape, elevation, weather context, and runner review signals.
Las Vegas · NV
Revel MT Charleston Marathon
Open the race page for route shape, elevation, weather context, and runner review signals.
Reno · NV · 50K
Silver State
Open the race page for route shape, elevation, weather context, and runner review signals.