Vail Mountain Winter Uphill

Online Registration
Course Map With Elevation Profile

Please email bpappas@vailrec.com with questions or protests about results.

2022 Video From The American Trail Running Association

Date: Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024

Time: 7 a.m.
Day-of registration opens at 6 a.m. Lionshead Ticket Office

Where: Base of Eagle Bahn Gondola - Lionshead

Price: Early registration - $36 adults/$25 students
Week-of registration - $42 adults/$30 students
Day-of registration - $50 adults/$37 students

Preregistration & Bib Pickup: Alpine Wine & Spirits inside the West Vail City Market. Saturday, Feb. 17, 4-6 p.m. Online registration closes at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Race Day Bib Pickup and Registration: Lionshead Ticket Office (everyone will need to sign a Vail Resorts Waiver)

Bag Drop: We are happy to take any extra clothing up to the top of the mountain for you. Please drop your gear at the gondola building in our gear drop area.

Categories: Splitboard, Ski and Non-Ski

The annual Vail Mountain Winter Uphill Race returns on Sunday, Feb. 18, as skiers, snowboarders and winter runners tackle 2,200 vertical feet of groomed trails to reach Eagle's Nest at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead. This event honors the memory of Vail local Lyndon Ellefson who was instrumental in starting the U.S. men's mountain running program, with some of the entry fees supporting the U.S. Mountain Running Team.

A snowy slope with skiers and a ski lift, people are walking and skiing.

For the past fourteen years, the Vail Mountain Uphill has proven to be a challenging midwinter competition for some, and a fun, non-competitive community hike for others. It presents an opportunity to support a worthy organization, while also paying tribute to Ellefson, a trailblazer in the sport of mountain running who lost his life in a 1998 accident near the Matterhorn while training for a mountain race in Italy. Ellefson was the foreman for the Lionshead Gondola. Ellen Miller, along with fellow mountain runner and Vail local Hooker Lowe, started the race in 2008 to spread their passion for mountain running and uphill skiing (skinning) and to pay homage to Ellefson.

"The Vail Mountain Winter Uphill is a meaningful event for our community. We started it in the memory of Lyndon Ellefson and it has always been a fundraiser and a tribute to the US Mountain Running Team, of which Lyndon was a pioneer. This is a fun hike up Vail Mountain for people of all ages and abilities. I am thrilled that Vail Rec is operating the event this year!," said Miller, Vail Mountain Uphill founder.

The event begins at 7 a.m. in the Lionshead base area, adjacent to the Eagle Bahn Gondola. Categories include ski, splitboard and non-ski options and prizes will be awarded by overall place and category by gender age group, including juniors 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+.

Following the race, Vail Resorts and US Foods will be providing breakfast at Eagle's Nest for all event participants.

Online registration is available prior to race day and day of registration will be available in Lionshead prior to the race. Race entry fees are $36 through Feb. 10, $42 the week prior to the event and $50 the day of the race. Pre-race registration and bib pick up will be available on Sat, Feb. 17 from 4-6 p.m. at Alpine Wine & Spirits at the Vail City Market.

Thanks to our partners:

An array of logos likely representing various brands, sponsors, or companies, possibly connected to outdoor activities, sports, or healthcare.

Group of people with cross-country skis at the start of a snowy race event in a mountain village.

Website Accessibility Policy

Vail Recreation District is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Vail Recreation District has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Call us at 970-479-2279

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Officer

Vail Recreation District has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations. The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.

Compliance Procedures and Reports

In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards, Vail Recreation District regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

See an opportunity for us to improve? Please contact our accessibility officer or call us at 970-479-2279.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

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Vail Mountain Winter Uphill

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