Rodeo Trail Run of Austin • Backyard Ultra (Last Cowboy/Cowgirl Standing) • 8 Hour • Marathon • Half Marathon

🐎 Rodeo Half-Marathon, Marathon Ultra and Backyard Ultra 🐎

Saddle Up. Run Hard. Run the Trails. 

Earn the buckle. Be part of something gritty and real.

Race Weekend: March 13, 2027

Prices increase as spots fill.

🤠 Two Rodeos. One City. Endless Grit.

Come March 2027, while Austin celebrates cowboys, concerts, and competition at Rodeo Austin, a different kind of rodeo will unfold on the trails. 

Welcome to the Rodeo Trail Run of Austin, where effort matters, the terrain tests you, and every finisher earns a custom rodeo-style buckle.

🦬 The Bull – Technical Course Segment

Some sections of the course are rocky, steep, and technical, earning its nickname for a reason. Runners will tackle a challenging course featuring:

• Loose and exposed rock
  
• Short but steep climbs and descents
  
• Uneven footing that rewards patience and smart pacing
  The elevation profile reflects frequent grade changes, making the technical segments as much about control and durability as speed.

This is a true test of:

• Foot placement
• Mental focus
• Trail toughness

 Respect the Bull — it adds up lap after lap.

THE RODEO HALF-MARATHON & MARATHON 

This is a no-frills, honest trail half-marathon and marathon ultra on classic Texas Hill Country terrain. Rolling dirt roads, rugged footing, wide skies, and a course that rewards steady grit over hype.

Whether you’re racing hard or running strong, this is a course that feels earned.

Half Marathon and Marathon Ultra Details:

• Distance: Half marathon and ultra marathon, 28 miles (trail) 
• Start Time: 8:00 AM
• Fully stocked aid stations
• Finisher recognition for every runner
• Custom participant shirt
• Rodeo-inspired atmosphere (without the chaos)

Field is capped. Prices increase soon.

Registered runners for the Rodeo Half Marathon (March 13) receive a free, trail-specific 12-week training plan, built for Hill Country terrain.

🔁 RODEO BACKYARD ULTRA (The "hardest backyard in Texas)

At the Rodeo Backyard Ultra, the 4.167-mile (6.706 km) out and back course is the bull, and every hour, runners have to ride that bull again by completing a lap before the hour ends. When the next hour begins, the bull comes charging back out… and the runner has to saddle up once more. 

"The 2026 field universally described the terrain as 'tough but rewarding' — and most are returning for 2027."  

Backyard Ultra runners will complete their segment as an out-and-back each lap, returning the same way they came. Expect the terrain to feel very different on the way back.

Just like in the arena, this race tests endurance, grit, and heart, seeing how long you can "stay on."
The event keeps going until there's only one runner left: the Last One Standing.

Note: This is a sanctioned 'Backyard' meaning, runners' results are officially tracked in the global database and on the Path to Big's.

The Texas Backyard Series Pass Options

Want the ultimate circuit experience? Choose a Bundle during checkout to unlock exclusive contender privileges:

• Mailed Legacy Bib: Your permanent number for the entire season, shipped straight to your door. Zero race-day lines (Must be registered at least 3 weeks before the first race day for guaranteed delivery).
• Priority Crew Pit Setup: Premium space allocation closest to the starting corral at all venues.
  Injury Deferral Insurance: Clean, hassle-free single-race transfers if your training block gets sidelined.

A backyard ultra is won at the rest chair, not the starting line. Click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, training plans, pacing strategy, and the mental playbook for the bell. Every Wednesday, straight to your inbox.

The 8-HOUR TIMED RUN.

Same 4.167-mile loop. Same 8:00 AM start. But instead of chasing a set distance, you're chasing the clock. Run as many loops as you can before 5:00 PM, that's 8 hours of trail, grit, and whatever you've got left in the tank.

Here's the rundown:
• Course: 4.167-mile loop at Grelle Recreation Area
• Start: 8:00 AM CDT
• Cutoff: 5:00 PM (8 hours sharp)
• Format: Completed loops only, run, rest, repeat
• Awards: Finisher buckle for everyone who completes at least 3 loops
• No participant cap

This sits right alongside our Half Marathon, Marathon Ultra, and Backyard Ultra, so whether you want a set distance or an all-day adventure, we've got a saddle for you.

Ride hard. Run harder. 🤠

How It Works

Course & Experience Highlights

🔔 The Arena (Finish Area)

When you finish a loop, ring the cowbell to announce your successful ride.
The echo of cowbells fills camp, a sound that says another bull's been tamed.

⭐ READY TO RIDE? ⭐
Join us for Austin's most unique trail half-marathon, marathon ultra and backyard ultra experience!

This event is not affiliated with Rodeo Austin. Organized in partnership with Healthy Kids Running Series Cedar Park. Proceeds support HKRS Cedar Park youth running programs.

The Rodeo Half-Marathon and Marathon Ultra feature a challenging multi-lap format on technical Texas Hill Country terrain at Grelle Recreation Area.

THE COURSE:

Main Technical Loop (~4.75 miles): A rugged trail loop featuring loose and exposed rock, short steep climbs and descents, rolling dirt roads, and uneven footing. The most technical sections are nicknamed "The Bull" - demanding careful foot placement, mental focus, and trail toughness. Aid stations are positioned strategically around the loop with a main aid station at Start/Finish and a secondary station mid-course.

 
HALF MARATHON ROUTE:

3 complete laps of the main technical loop (~13.9 miles)

MARATHON ULTRA ROUTE:

6 complete laps of the main technical loop (~29 miles)

 
WHY MULTI-LAP? The multi-lap format allows you to learn the terrain, receive consistent support from crew and spectators at the Start/Finish area, and experience the mental game of tackling the same challenging sections repeatedly - true rodeo grit.

TERRAIN: Classic Hill Country - rocky trails, dirt roads, lake views, and plenty of "The Bull" to keep you honest every lap.

Saturday · March 13, 2027

Spicewood / Burnet County, TX

A 4.167-mile out-and-back through the Grelle Recreation Area. Every hour, on the hour, the bell rings. Finish your loop in under 60 minutes, go again. Miss the bell by a second, and you're "bucked from the Bull". 

Starting at the main Start/Finish area, running through varied terrain to a remote turnaround point, then returning the same way. This route features a different character than the main loop - expect turns, elevation changes, and the mental challenge of reversing direction on familiar ground.
The most technical sections are nicknamed "The Bull" - demanding careful foot placement, mental focus, and trail toughness.

The race ends when one runner is the last one standing.

Rodeo’s terrain isn’t gentle. Approximately 500 feet of climbing per loop, roughly twice the elevation gain of every other major backyard in the state. The course winds through real Hill Country: creek crossings, climbs through the Grelle Recreation Area, ridges with exposed sections, and a punishing finish that bites by loop 8.

Twenty yards at Rodeo scores like 23 yards at Bastrop, or 24 yards at G1M. The course rewards what it asks for.

Who This Is For

• Runners who finished Bastrop Last Standing and want a harder test
• Veterans of the Texas backyard circuit looking for the season’s hardest race
• Trail marathoners willing to learn the format on terrain that doesn’t forgive mistakes
• Anyone who wants their Performance Index score to mean something extra

This is not the right first backyard ultra. Bastrop Last Standing (October) is: softer terrain, friendlier introduction, same format. Rodeo is what you train for after Bastrop.

Distance Options

Course Details

Race Day Logistics

• Parking: On-site near the start corral. Arrive at least 90 minutes before the first bell.
• Crew area: Set up your aid station near the starting flag. Camp chair, cooler, your nutrition for 8+ hours, dry socks, sunscreen for the exposed sections.
• Aid: Water at the start/finish; the rest is your responsibility. This is a self-supported format.
• Packet pickup: [7:00 AM, DAY of EVENT]

Training For It?

We run a free weekly training plan built for the Texas backyard circuit, pacing strategy, hill management, and the mental playbook for the bell. Twenty-two weeks of workouts ramping from November through March, pointed specifically at Rodeo.

A backyard ultra is won at the rest chair, not the starting line, and Rodeo punishes runners who haven’t learned that yet.

Saturday · March 13, 2027 · Spicewood, TX

 If the miles wear you down, can you outrun what’s next?

 “If running on foot has worn you out… are you ready to race the horses?”

The Gladiator Award is reserved for athletes who complete 100 miles in under 24 hours on the official course.

To earn it, runners must:

• Complete 100 miles
• Finish in under 24 hours
• Follow all race rules
• Run without pacers unless explicitly allowed

There are no rollovers and no partial credit.
You either earn the Gladiator Award, or you don’t.

Few attempt it. Fewer finish it. One becomes a Gladiator.