Gila Endurance Runs is a small, local team putting on the kind of race we always wanted to show up for: welcoming, no-frills in the best way, and built around real trails supported by neighbors who care about this place as much as you will.
We’re not trying to manufacture a vibe. We’re inviting you into one.
This race exists because the Gila deserves it, and because this community does, too.
Gila Endurance Runs grew out of friends, families, and local runners who believed there should be a reason to train here, gather here, and celebrate here.
We’re proud to be grassroots: the emails, the tape, the aid station setups, the early mornings... it's built by people who live in this region and love it fiercely.
If you’ve ever preferred a handshake and a camp chair over a VIP tent, you’re going to feel at home.
What we’re creating
Our goal is simple: draw runners who want more than a finish time. We want people who will show up, fall in love with the place, and leave with a deeper respect for it.
This forest has a way of changing how you move through the world. Quiet miles, big horizons, and trails that remind you why running started feeling meaningful in the first place.
We hope you’ll come for the race and leave as part of the extended Gila family.
We believe the best way to protect wild places is to help people experience them responsibly.
That’s why we design our events to support both:
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Enjoyment: routes that highlight what’s beautiful and runnable and memorable
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Preservation: an approach that prioritizes respectful use, thoughtful logistics, and a culture of “leave it better than you found it”
We don’t treat the forest like a backdrop. We treat it like the point.
Who this is for
You don’t have to be an ultrarunner to belong here.
This is for people who:
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like a community-centered race weekend
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appreciate straightforward communication and a well-supported effort
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understand that trail running comes with responsibility
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are willing to play their part, be kind, be prepared, and respect the land and each other
If you’re looking for a place where volunteers cheer like you’re in first, and the finish line feels like a reunion you didn’t know you had… welcome.
How to be a part of it
There are a few ways to join in on the fun, whether you’re racing, crewing, volunteering, or simply cheering someone in:
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Volunteer (aid stations, finish line, course support)
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Crew & cheer (be the reason someone keeps moving)
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Partner with us (support local trails + local community)
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Join the email list (race updates, volunteer calls, and what’s next)
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Gila Endurance Runs takes place on Indigenous homelands. These lands include places where the Tularosa Mogollon (Mogollon / Southern Ancestral Pueblo) people built the Gila Cliff Dwellings in the late 1200s, and they are also the more recent homelands of the Chíhéne Ndé (Gila Apache), whose connection to the Chi’laa (Gila) endures.
We honor the Indigenous caretakers of this place, both past and present, and commit to respecting their lands through low-impact race practices, Leave No Trace principles, and ongoing learning to better support the preservation and responsible enjoyment of the Gila.
