Event Overview
| Date | Oct 23-25, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Hill Country State Natural Area, Bandera, Texas, USA |
| Format | Fixed-Distance |
| Terrain | Trail |
| Region | North America |
| Distance / duration | 100 mi (4 × 25-mile loops) |
| State / area | Texas (TX) |
| Course model | Loop |
| Edition note | Registration is open on RunSignup (checked October 12): the 100-mile fee is $245 through October 14 at 11:59 PM CDT, then rises, and online entry closes at the 4:00 PM CDT start on October 23. Cactus Rose is capped at 500 runners across all distances. The 100-miler starts Friday afternoon; the 50-, 25- and 5-mile races start Saturday morning. |
| Elevation gain | Around 2,500 ft of elevation change per 25-mile lap, per the organizer |
| Cutoff | 44 hours (course closes 12:00 PM Sunday). Runners must start the final lap by 1:00 AM Sunday; aid-station cutoffs begin at mile 50, where the Lodge cutoff is 2:00 PM Saturday. |
| Start | 4:00 PM Friday (100-mile mass start) |
| Field size | Capped at 500 runners across all distances |
| Highlights | Minimal-Aid 100, Four 25-Mile Loops |
Course & Terrain
Four laps of a 25-mile loop at Hill Country State Natural Area; laps 1 and 3 run clockwise and laps 2 and 4 counterclockwise. Rocky, cactus-lined trail with almost no flat ground except around Boyles. Five aid points: the Group Lodge, YaYa, Nachos, Equestrian and Boyles.
Entry & Logistics
| Registration and fees | Check the official event website for current availability, deadlines, prices, taxes, and refund terms. |
|---|---|
| Support model | Aid stations are unstaffed and provide only ice and water. Runners place their own food, drinks, drop bags and ice chests near each aid tent; medical staff are on site. |
| Crew / pacers | Pacers are allowed after the runner completes two full loops; runners 60 and older may have a pacer throughout. Only one pacer at a time, no muling, pacers start and stop at aid stations, and every pacer must complete the free pacer registration. Crews may help at the aid stations but must park only in marked spaces. |
| Logistics note | Packet pickup runs Tuesday–Thursday, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM at iRun Texas (Dominion) in San Antonio, and Friday 2:30–3:30 PM at the Group Lodge; 100-milers report to the start for a short briefing at 3:45 PM. Participants’ park entry is included; crew, pacers and spectators aged 13 and older pay $10 each, and primitive camping is $10 per person. |
Why This Race Matters
Tejas Trails designed Cactus Rose as a deliberately tough, minimal-aid race: volunteers supply only water and ice, and runners stock their own food, drop bags and coolers at each aid point. The organizer’s results archive covers every year from 2007 through 2025.
Preparing for a Race Like Cactus Rose 100 Mile
The 100-mile race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:
- Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
- Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
- Gut training for ultrarunners: A six-week practice sequence for race-day fueling.
- Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.
Planning Notes
- Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
- Treat intermediate cutoff gates as part of the course. Build enough margin for aid stops and late-race slowdown, and verify every current gate in the official rules.
- Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
- The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
- Sign in at every aid station with your bib number and time of day (YaYa and Nachos are exempt on lap 1 only).
- Boyles cannot be reached by car; it is about a half-mile walk each way from the Group Lodge.
- Aid-station cutoffs are not negotiable because volunteers tear down behind them.
- Cupless race: bring your own cup or bottle. Alcohol is prohibited in public areas of the state park.
Related Preparation
- Compare verified US 100-mile races
- Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
- Open the 100-Mile format guide
- Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
- Compare all race formats
- Use the timed-race pace calculator
- Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
- Build a crew and drop-bag plan
- Build a race-specific gear checklist
Verification & Sources
Verification scope: the listed edition's date, location, format, and available logistics were checked against the event-specific official sources below during the directory review dated October 12, 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.
- Official Cactus Rose race page: schedule, course, aid and pacer rules — https://tejastrails.com/cactus
- Official aid-station and cutoff chart — https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSmUL_JJCiay5nR-7CfOR8MXKR2oVvzIsYUuBFgXeixFGFcG4_tJHbWp9mYPRz6oNbjUb3RogTCp7b0/pub?output=pdf
- Tejas Trails aid-station information (Cactus Rose water-and-ice policy) — https://tejastrails.com/aid-station-info
- Tejas Trails pacer rules by event — https://tejastrails.com/pacers
- Organizer’s 2026 RunSignup registration and deadlines — https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/TX/Bandera/CactusRoseUltraTrailRelay
- Tejas Trails historical results — https://tejastrails.com/historical-results
- Multiday Running event directory review scope: October 12, 2026.