Wasatch Front 100 — Utah's Mountain Monster
Utah’s Mountain Monster
Wasatch Front 100 runs through the Wasatch Mountains directly above Salt Lake City, Utah. The course climbs and descends 26,000 feet over 100 miles — a number that places it among the most demanding mountain 100-milers in the country, behind only Hardrock and the more extreme European mountain races.
The race has been running since 1980, making it one of the original American hundred-milers. It carries the history, the brutality, and the mythology that come with four decades of finishers and failures in the same mountains.
September in the Wasatch is unpredictable. Temperatures can range from summer-warm at the start to freezing overnight at high elevation. Snow on upper ridges in early September is not common but is not unheard of. Runners pack for both seasons.
The Course
The course runs from Kaysville, Utah (north of Salt Lake City) south through the Wasatch Range to Soldier Hollow in Midway. It is a point-to-point course that covers the spine of the Wasatch Front — the mountain wall that separates Salt Lake Valley from the high interior of Utah.
The Opening Climbs: The race begins with immediate significant climbing. There is no warm-up section. The Wasatch demands early.
High Ridgelines: The course spends extended time on exposed ridgelines above 10,000 feet. Views are spectacular. Wind exposure is real. Navigation in the dark requires attention.
Scott’s Peak (Mile 56): One of the defining sections of the race. A climb to over 10,000 feet at the midpoint — arriving here in good shape is the signal that a finish is likely. Arriving here destroyed is the signal that the next 44 miles will be survival.
The Night Section: The course is designed so that most runners spend the majority of miles 50-90 in the dark. Navigation, cold management, and mental endurance through the night are core race skills at Wasatch.
Pole Line Pass (Mile 71): Another major climb. By mile 71 on this course, the cumulative gain is staggering. The Pole Line Pass section separates runners who trained specifically for Wasatch from runners who trained for a generic 100-miler.
What Makes Wasatch Different
The sheer volume of climbing is the defining characteristic. 26,000 feet is not a single dramatic climb — it’s relentless accumulation of gain and loss across every section of the course. Runners who train on flat terrain or even moderate mountains arrive underprepared for what Wasatch demands from the quads on the descents alone.
The course also lacks the mainstream attention of Western States or Leadville. Wasatch runners tend to be experienced ultra athletes who have done other 100-milers and want something more serious. The field skews knowledgeable and committed.
Cutoffs
The race has a 36-hour cutoff. Aid station cutoffs are enforced. The extra 6 hours over Western States reflects the difficulty of the terrain — not an invitation to go slower.
Finishing Wasatch Front 100 is legitimately considered one of the more significant 100-mile accomplishments in American ultrarunning, in part because the race never became a mainstream cultural event in the way Leadville did. The people who run Wasatch are here for the mountain, not the story.
100 miles | 26,000 ft gain | Early September | Kaysville to Midway, UT | Running since 1980