World Championship Pack Burro Race

About the World Championship Pack Burro Race

The World Championship Pack Burro Race, first held in 1949, is a unique and historic endurance challenge. Nearly 100 racers and their burros take on this demanding event in Fairplay, Colorado. Participants can choose between two courses, both offering significant physical and altitude challenges.

Courses

• Long Course: Approximately 31 miles (49.89 km), this grueling course includes a climb to the top of Mosquito Pass (elevation 13,185 feet) and back, with an elevation change of 3,232 feet. Racers start at 9,953 feet in Fairplay.
• Short Course: Approximately 15 miles (24.14 km), this course offers a slightly lower altitude challenge for participants.

Staff are currently discussing time limits for each course, requiring racers to reach specified checkpoints by a certain time to avoid a DNF.

Location

The race starts at The Hand Hotel, located at 531 Front Street, Fairplay, CO. Fairplay is a town in Colorado, USA.

Equipment & Rules

Each runner must be accompanied by a burro, which is the runner's responsibility to acquire. Burros must be equipped with a regulation pack saddle, packed with a pick, shovel, and gold pan. Participants are strongly recommended to carry water, food, and clothing for all types of weather. Contestants and burros must remain a team throughout the race, with no outside assistance. The runner may push, pull, drag, or carry the burro, but must progress under their own power. The winning team is determined by the burro's nose crossing the finish line first.

Organizer

The World Championship Pack Burro Race™ is a registered Trademark of and is owned and operated by The Town of Fairplay Colorado. It is the first race of the Triple Crown of Pack Burro Racing, which is administered by The Western Pack Burro Association (WPBA).