Ultra Marathon Caballo Blanco, live.

Running with the Rarámuri in the Copper Canyon

The Ultra Marathon Caballo Blanco brings trail runners from around the world to Urique, deep in the Sierra Tarahumara, from 5 to 7 March 2027.

Micah True, known as El Caballo Blanco, created this race and it was first run in 2003. It became known abroad as the Copper Canyon Ultramarathon through the book Born to Run, and after his death in 2012 it took back the name it always had in the canyons. Today it is coordinated by True Messages with the Municipality of Urique, and the 2027 edition runs from 5 to 7 March.

The classic distance is the 80K, or 50 miles. A marathon distance of 42K was added in 2017, a half marathon of 21K in 2019, and in 2025 a 100 mile race joined the programme. Much of the running is on dirt and gravel roads, but there are real climbs, and the organiser says the heat and exposure are the hardest part. Shade fades once the sun is over the ridges, and temperatures can reach the upper 90s Fahrenheit.

What makes the event unusual is who lines up. The organiser says it brings together more than 1200 runners from over 20 countries with more than 800 Rarámuri athletes, and every Rarámuri runner receives vouchers for food for their family, a tradition of korima, sharing without expecting anything back. Saturday also has the Caballitos runs for young local athletes.

Aid stations come every 2 to 4 miles, but participants are told to carry plenty of water and food, a vest or bottles, sunscreen and a buff for the dust. The course is marked with flags, painted rocks and marks on trees, and runners collect wristbands at several checkpoints. Urique fills up early, so supporters should book well ahead.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. In a canyon the signal can drop for long stretches, so the dot may pause. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organisers of the Ultra Marathon Caballo Blanco.