Moab 240

2026: Race Called Off

The storm reached the course on the night of October 10. Flooding at Cottonwood Creek, a few miles past the Bridger Jack aid station (mile 96.5), led the organizer to hold runners at Bridger Jack and end their race there. About 70 runners and volunteers spent the night in heated tents and were bused back to Moab on October 11 with help from local emergency services. After calling the race, the organizer held the remaining runners at their next aid station for pickup by crews or shuttles, and later that evening reported every runner accounted for and safely back at race headquarters or on the way. When the race was called, Trackleaders showed Aaron Kubala and Ashley Paulson as the leading man and woman, both past the Geyser Pass aid station near mile 200; tracker positions are not official results. News reports linked the storm to the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel.

Source: Destination Trail — official Moab 240 weather stoppage update. Checked October 12, 2026.

Next edition: October 8, 2027. The organizer lists October 8–12, 2027. The lottery opens January 5 at 8:00 AM MST, closes January 24 at 11:59 PM MST, and is drawn January 26 at 10:00 AM MST.

Event Overview

A single 243.5-mile loop from Moab through the Lockhart Basin and the Abajo and La Sal Mountains, with 31,696 ft of climbing and a 113-hour cutoff in 2026.

Course & Terrain

A single loop starting and finishing at Sun Outdoors Arches Gateway on Highway 191 in Moab. It leaves town on singletrack to Hidden Valley (mile 8.3), then links desert basins, slickrock and rocky 4x4 roads with long mountain climbs to Shay Mountain (mile 114.2) and Geyser Pass (mile 202.7) before descending past Porcupine Rim to the finish.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Start and finish at Sun Outdoors Arches Gateway, 1773 N Highway 191, Moab
• Lockhart Basin, flanked by the Colorado River
• The Abajo and La Sal Mountains, with climbs to Shay Mountain (mile 114.2) and Geyser Pass (mile 202.7)
• Canyonlands and Arches National Parks alongside the route
• Sleep stations at Indian Creek, Bridger Jack, Shay Mountain, Road 46 and Geyser Pass

Moab combines exposed desert terrain with long runnable sections, technical slickrock and rocky 4x4 roads, and major mountain climbs late enough to punish poor pacing. The runner manual requires at least 3 liters of water when leaving Base Camp.

The organizer reports temperatures as cold as 7°F and as hot as 95°F: heat in the canyons and basins, and cold, wind or snow in the mountains. Pole Canyon at 8,100 ft has recorded single-digit temperatures in several years.

Format & Support (as run)

Why This Race Matters

Moab 240 was created in 2017 in memory of Stephen Jones, the 200-mile pioneer who first imagined a single-loop 200-miler starting and finishing in Moab and who died in an avalanche in early 2016. It is the October finale of Destination Trail's Triple Crown of 200s, after Tahoe in June and Bigfoot in August, and entry is by lottery; the 2026 field sold out.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• The organizer does not publish course records, and the course length has changed over the years. UltraSignup's all-time top performances list Michael McKnight's 55:49:58 (2021) and Courtney Dauwalter's 57:55:13 (2017).
• 2025 winners: Kilian Korth in 58:45:47 and Rebecca Rick in 72:07:36, fifth overall.

Past results: 2025 Moab 240 results.

Preparing for a Race Like Moab 240

The 200-mile race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• 200-mile race strategy: Pacing, sleep loss, aid stations, navigation, crew and feet, with a worked Moab 240 plan.
• Sleep strategy for multiday races: An individual sleep plan with safe locations and clear stop criteria.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Foot-care kit for multiday running: Tape, lube, socks, blister pads and simple hot-spot rules.

Best Fit

• Experienced 200-mile runners who want a desert-heavy challenge
• Athletes targeting the Triple Crown of 200s
• Runners with strong heat, foot-care, and sleep management systems

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.
• Heat, sun, and dry air require event-specific preparation. Test sun protection and cooling, drink in response to thirst, and remember that sodium cannot make overdrinking safe.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Browse Moab 240 results by year
• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Open the 200+ Mile 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