Spider Mountain Trail Run

Spider Mountain Trail Run takes place in Burnet, Texas, on May 2, 2027, on steep trails with wide open views over the rugged country of central Texas. The main formats are 8 kilometers, about 5 miles, and 19 kilometers, about 11.8 miles, alongside short courses of 0.4 and 0.7 kilometers for younger runners. Start times have not been announced.

Steep terrain changes the math on both distances. Expect to hike the sharpest climbs, which is a tactic rather than a failure, and to lose far more time on the ascents than you gain coming back down. For the 19K, aim to have a two-hour long run on hilly ground in your legs and add a weekly session of climbing, whether that is repeats on the steepest hill you can find or time on a treadmill at a high gradient. Shoes with real grip matter more here than cushioning, and the kids' distances give a family a reason to spend the day at the venue.