Texas · Bandera

Cactus Rose

Founded in 2007, Cactus Rose runs four 25-mile loops through Hill Country State Natural Area outside Bandera, Texas—rocky, technical single-track with features like Lucky Peak, Icecream Hill, Three Sisters, and Cairn's Climb. Each loop adds roughly 2,500 feet of gain on trails strewn with sotol cactus and exposed rock, totaling 12,000 feet over 100 miles. The course closes Sunday at noon, roughly 44 hours after the Friday start; the worst terrain accumulates in loops three and four. Runners move through five aid stations per loop, spaced roughly every five miles.