A dark, star-filled sky greeted us on a chilly summer morning. The race director yelled go, and everyone was off. A few bystanders clapped, but that was it. There was no fanfare, just desert, mountains and silence.
The Ute 100 was founded in 2018. This dramatic course is set in the La Sal Mountains outside of Moab, Utah. It starts in the red rock desert, what you might traditionally picture when you think of Moab, but at mile 15, the course climbs above the treeline into high alpine territory. The race tops out on Mann’s Peak at over 12,000 feet above sea level, with an average of 8,700 feet throughout the course.
Race director Jordan Ricks wasted no time getting a tough introduction to hundreds, running the Ute as his first 100-miler during its inaugural year. He’d never run longer than 50 miles, so the back half of the race was difficult. He described his experience as, “Fascinating. It was, to some extent, life changing – to go through those highs and those lows.” Jordan compared the lows to a type of death, but the important part is what came after. He said, “Then you get to experience that rebirth.” Jordan came alive again and experienced a pure, bright ecstasy in finishing the hardest race he’d ever done. It was an experience that has never left him. So, in 2023, when offered the opportunity, he became race director. Based on this experience, named his race company Revenant Running. “It’s that kind of spirit that is the name and the logo.”
Jordan’s goal is to offer runners the transformative experience that he had in a truly unique race environment: “It’s one of the most remote locations in the country – there’s hardly anyone out there. Being able to offer runners the opportunity to run into the desert earlier in the day and have that incredible desert experience as the sun is rising, and then climbing up into the mountains. It’s just unique.”
Jordan got his start into ultrarunning through his dad, who was running long distance events throughout Jordan’s childhood.
“I was raised with running but didn’t really like it that much. I was still kind of expected to do it, so I ran cross country in high school, and then just kind of hated running for some extent after.” After coming of age, Jordan quit running, became a teacher, and embraced a sedentary lifestyle. At a breaking point, he knew that something needed to change. “I had gained quite a bit of weight; I knew the best way to lose weight was just to start running. So, I did, and fell in love with running. And in a way that I would have never imagined, I just loved the activity, and the discomfort, and pushing myself and the results.”
Jordan’s love for running grew, as did his race mileage. Before long, running for himself wasn’t enough; he wanted to share the new joy that he’d discovered. Jordan cut his teeth by helping his brother, who is the owner of Mad Moose Events – a race organization that puts on road and trail races primarily in Moab, and a few in western Colorado. After a few years of helping his brother, Jordan was ready to strike out on his own, and stage races in his neck of the woods, near Woodland Park, Colorado, and founded Revenant Running in 2021. Most of his races are held in southwestern Colorado. However, the Ute was a proposition he couldn’t turn down due to his personal history.
The Ute 100 is a relic. It seems to come straight from the origins of formalized ultras in the US in 1970s and 80s. There’s little fanfare surrounding the race, and it isn’t a qualifier for Hardrock or Western States. Your first, involuntary thought may have been, “Then why run it?” My answer: Because it’s beautiful. And, metaphorically, it will destroy you; more importantly, it provides the transformative opportunity to come back from the dead, and finish something hard. In a world where races have become a bit of a spectacle, emphasizing t-shirts you don’t need, flashy medals and experiences that could be described as too catered by some, the Ute is a breath of fresh air.
The emphasis is on wild, rugged nature, a core community and a simplicity that focuses on being in the moment. Although the race is owned by Jordan, it is staged by him and his family. His wife and mom work packet pickup and aid stations. Jordan’s sons bounce around the course, offering logistical assistance. The race is small, and it feels small. I think that the contrast of being small and family-oriented serves as a tremendous contrast for the wide expanse of the desert below, and the monumental mountains above. Runners get to soak all of it in, and the experience can be overpowering.
Jordan said it best: “I mean, there’s not much else like it. The mountains are unique and quiet and the course itself just kind of showcases all of that.”
The Ute 100 occurs each August in Moab, Utah. It’s easy to get into, difficult to run, and a wonder to take in.