Cover photo courtesy of Run with the Horses Marathon
In the high plains desert of southwest Wyoming, the Run With the Horses Marathon, Half, 10K and 5K returns to Green River on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Held on the third weekend in August in tandem with the city’s River Festival, this is one of the region’s most distinctive late-summer road and trail running events.
All four distances start at 7 a.m. and immediately launch runners into changing terrain. The first couple of miles follow city streets and the paved Greenbelt Trail beside the Green River before turning onto the Wild Horse Loop Tour Road, a county-graded dirt route that climbs into 1st Springs Canyon. By the time runners reach the canyon crest, the course sits above 7,300 feet, cresting near 7,500 feet as it rolls across the top of White Mountain. The out-and-back course demands respect but rewards with vast views and possible glimpses of wild horses against the desert horizon. After the race, the River Festival delivers food, music and fireworks with a small-town festival energy. Runwiththehorsesmarathon.com. (Green River Chamber of Commerce)
