Empire Ranch Trail Run

The Empire Ranch Trail Run takes place on January 23, 2027, in Sonoita, Arizona, on the rolling grasslands of the Empire Ranch inside the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, near Tucson. Three options go off within ten minutes of each other: a 10K at 9:30 a.m., a 5K run/walk at 9:35 a.m. and a one-mile walk/run at 9:40 a.m. The event is organized by the Empire Ranch Foundation and Run Tucson, and it supports preservation of the historic ranch site.

High Sonoran desert grassland makes for open, undulating running rather than technical trail, so the 10K is approachable for anyone with a regular running habit. The 5K and the one-mile option turn the morning into something a whole family can do together, walkers included. Because the starts are so close together and the terrain is unpaved, treat your usual road pace as a rough guide only and run the first mile conservatively.