Labor Day Trail Challenge 50-Mile • 50K • Marathon • Half Marathon & Ruck • 10K • 5K • 8-Hour Run/Walk (Solo) • 8-Hour Relay

 INAUGURAL EVENT · 2026 LABOR DAY TRAIL CHALLENGE

RUN FREE: RETURN OF THE BULL

The gates are open. The bull is loose. Run Free.  Conquer the Lost Pines on single-track trails along the Colorado River

September 5  |   McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Cedar Creek TX 5K · 10K · 8-HOUR RELAY · HALF MARATHON & RUCK · MARATHON · 50K · 50-MILE     

TRAILS Single-Track & Fire Roads

ECOSYSTEMS 4 Unique Biomes

SETTING Colorado River

About the Race

Trade the bullpen for the box canyons. Return of the Bull

You’ve been penned up all year. It’s time to break the fences. Kick off your Labor Day weekend with an unforgettable trail running experience at McKinney Roughs Nature Park, a stunning 1,140-acre preserve just 13 miles east of Austin along the Colorado River. Choose from seven events that wind through the park's rolling box canyons, wildflower meadows, and towering loblolly pine forests.

This is Central Texas trail running at its finest. You'll traverse four distinct ecosystems. Post Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairie, East Texas Piney Woods, and a lush riparian corridor, all in a single race. Expect technical single-track, scenic river overlooks, and the kind of terrain that makes every mile an adventure.

 

THE RIO COLORADO 250

The river you run above on Saturday is the one the series is named for.

Two hundred fifty kilometers with Fit Foundation in a calendar year earns the Rio Colorado 250 buckle. Not instead of your race hardware. On top of it. Every kilometer counts, including the ones you cover in the timed events.

That last part matters. The 8-Hour Solo doesn't credit you a fixed distance. It credits you what you actually walk, run, and grind out between seven in the morning and three in the afternoon. Some of you will put more on the board in one day than a 50K would give you.

Here is the calendar. Autumn Harvest on October 10. Fields of Gold on October 24. The Colorado River Run on November 27. Star of Texas on December 13.

Four events in nine weeks. September 5 is the last quiet place to start.

The count begins at McKinney Roughs.

Return of the Bull marks the second chapter of the Rodeo Trail Run Series, following the inaugural Austin's Rodeo Trail Run at Grelle Recreation Area. All half-marathon, marathon, and 50K finishers receive a custom rodeo-style belt buckle and event shirt, the signature swag of the series.

Whether you're an ultra-distance runner chasing your first 50K, a seasoned marathoner ready to go the full 26.2, a veteran racer tackling the half, or a newcomer lacing up for your first 5K off-road, the Labor Day Trail Challenge has a distance for you. Unleash the grit. Master the Roughs. Run Free.

Choose Your Distance

SIX EVENTS · ONE EPIC COURSE

5K 3.1 Miles Beginner Friendly

10K 6.2 Miles Intermediate

POPULAR 🔥 HALF MARATHON & RUCK 13.1 Miles Intermediate

MARATHON 26.2 Miles Advanced

ULTRA 🐂 50K  or 50 Miles  Ultra Distance

⏱️ 8-Hour Solo Run or Relay Challenge

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure: Run or walk for 8 hours. You can also grab your favorite running partner, build your duo, and take on the 8-Hour Relay Challenge! This high-energy format strips away the pressure of a fixed distance and replaces it with a fast-paced, strategy-driven race against the clock.

STARTS 7:00 AM · 8 HOURS  

Course Highlights

WHAT AWAITS YOU ON THE TRAIL

Lost Pines Forest Run through towering loblolly pines and eastern red cedars, an isolated pocket of East Texas ecology		River Overlooks Scenic bluff-top views of the Colorado River from the Ridge and Bluff Overlook trails
Rolling Elevation Up to 469 ft of elevation gain on technical single-track through box canyons and ridgelines		Aid Stations Fully stocked with water, electrolytes, snacks, and encouragement
Wildlife Corridor Four ecosystems converge here, home to 250+ bird species and diverse Central Texas wildlife		Rodeo Series Buckle Every half-marathon, marathon, and 50K finisher earns a custom rodeo-style belt buckle from the Rodeo Trail Run Series

Race Swag & Awards

WHAT EVERY FINISHER TAKES HOME

TRAIL RUN RODEO SERIES Rodeo Series Buckle Custom belt buckle, signature of the Rodeo Trail Run Series. Every half-marathon, marathon, 50K & 50 miles finisher.

Event T-Shirt with rodeo series branding

LOST PINES Finisher Medal Custom Lost Pines design for all finishers

Awards

FOR THOSE WHO RIDE THE HARDEST

Overall Winners Cowboy hat or plaque award for top male & female finisher in each distance event

FINISHER RODEO TRAIL RUN SERIES • 2026 All Finishers Every half-marathon, marathon, and 50K runner who crosses the finish line within cutoff earns a Rodeo Trail Run Series buckle. Medals for other distances.

Race Details

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Date	Saturday, September 5, 2026
Day	Labor Day Weekend
Start Time	7:00 AM
Location	McKinney Roughs Nature Park
Address	1884 State Hwy 71 West, Cedar Creek, TX 78612
Surface	Dirt / Single-Track Trail
Chip Timed	Yes
Stroller Friendly	No (trail course)

Getting There: Located on Hwy 71 just 13 miles east of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Look for the distinctive rock wall entrance with windmill on the south side of the highway. Free parking available in the main lot with additional overflow parking.

Nearby Accommodations: Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa is adjacent to the park. Additional hotels available in Bastrop (8 miles east). Make a weekend of it, race Saturday, relax Sunday and Monday.

Rodeo Trail Run Series

The Labor Day Trail Challenge is the second event in the Rodeo Trail Run Series. Ran the Austin Rodeo Trail Run at Grelle in March? You're a series veteran. New to the rodeo? Welcome to the herd. Either way, you'll earn one of the two signature series buckles and shirt when you cross the finish line.

LABOR DAY TRAIL CHALLENGE 2026 McKinney Roughs Nature Park · Cedar Creek, TX · September 5, 2026 Sponsor Opportunities Available Fit Foundation Half Marathon Ruck 13.1 miles. Same trail. Weight on your back.

Rucking is covering ground with a loaded pack. Same course as the half marathon, same start, same finish line, same cutoff. The only difference is what you are carrying and who you are racing.

Ruckers are scored as their own division with their own results and their own awards. You are not competing against the runners and they are not competing against you.

Minimum pack weight 20 lb  ·  30 lb 20 lb if you weigh under 150 lb. 30 lb if you weigh 150 lb or over. The rules

• Weigh in before the start. Bring your pack to the start area at least 30 minutes before your wave. We weigh it, we tag it, you go.
• Water does not count. Your hydration, food, phone and layers are on top of the minimum. The weight is dry weight.
• Any weight is fine. Ruck plates, bricks, sand, books, dumbbells. It has to be secure and it has to stay in the pack for the whole course.
• You finish with what you started with. Weight is checked again at the finish. Anything under the minimum moves you out of the ruck division.
• Carry it yourself. No handing your pack off, no dragging, no wheels.
• Run, walk, or anything between. There is no rule about how you move, only about what you carry.
• Rucking counts toward your Run the River mileage exactly the same as running. Thirteen point one miles is thirteen point one miles.

First time rucking?

A loaded pack on a trail is harder than the same distance on your feet, and most people go out too quick. A few things that help:

• Train with the weight before race day. Even two or three loaded walks makes a difference to your shoulders.
• Get the load high and tight against your back. Weight that sits low and swings will wreck you by mile six.
• Wear the socks and shoes you have already tested. Rucking changes how your feet hit the ground.
• Pack the weight so it cannot shift. Movement inside the pack is the most common reason people stop.

Same trail. Same finish line. Considerably more of it on your back.