Franklin Mountains Trail Runs
10th Annual
King & Queen: Friday, January 17, 2025 8:00 AM
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50-Mile: Saturday, January 18, 2025 5:00 AM
55k: Saturday, January 18, 2025 7:00 AM
30k: Saturday, January 18, 2025 7:30 AM
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Half: Sunday, January 19, 2025 7:00 AM
10k: Sunday, January 19, 2025 7:30 AM
5k: Sunday, January 19, 2025 7:30 AM
Runner Capacities:
50 Friday – 250 Saturday – 250 Sunday
Start/Finish: Tom May’s Unit || Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, TX
The Franklin Mountains Trail Run is a rugged, unforgiving mountain race located in the Southern tip of the rocky mountains in El Paso, Texas. The city is a wonderful blend of culture, history, and amazing mountains. All of the races will be located in the Franklin Mountains State Park (Tom Mays Unit off of Transmountain Road). Participants will go from the Desert floor to the top of the North Franklin Peak and circumnavigate the mountain back to the finish line. See the sun rise as you climb to the top of the North Franklin Peak. On top you will be able to see mountains from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and across the Mexico Border.
The Franklins are the largest sustained mountain range in Texas, with the summit of North Franklin Peak rising to an elevation of 7,192 feet, approximately 3,000 feet above the city below. On the eastern flank of North Franklin Mountain lie the remnants of our nation’s only tin mining, milling, and smelting operation, which was active from 1910 through 1915. The Franklin Mountains State Park has primitive only camping without water. This is a true diamond in the rough and we can’t wait to show it to you.
Entry Fees
SIGN UP FOR AN ADVENTURE
2025 REGISTRATION OPENS OCTOBER 1, 2024*Any registration purchased after Wednesday, January 9, 2025 is not guaranteed a race shirt or finisher’s award. After this date, these items will only be provided as available at the finish line.
Online registration closes January 22, 2025 at 11:59pm for the King/Queen event.
Online Registration closes January 23, 2025 at 11:59pm for all other distances
We welcome race day registration as space allows.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Gender specific race shirt*
Finisher’s medal*
State Park Entry Fee
Scenic and challenging course
Well stocked aid stations
Inclusion, Equality, and Community
ABOUT THE ADVENTURE
HPRS provides volunteers with $5-$15/hour in HPRS Credits for whatever time they provide in support of our events. To volunteer for this event, please register for volunteer slots HERE.
To learn more about our volunteer program, Click Here.
Our interactive course maps on CalTopo allow you to visualize each course. To access these maps, please CLICK HERE
For a downloadable PDF version of our course maps, please CLICK HERE.
To watch our course preview video with the race director, please CLICK HERE.
For a downloadable PDF version of course elevation profiles, please CLICK HERE.
For a downloadable PDF version of the Aid Station Chart, please CLICK HERE.
To access the runner's google drive for this event, please CLICK HERE.
For previous year's results and race reports, please CLICK HERE.
HPRS does not provide lodging services or a camping option for this event. We encourage participants to look into lodging and food options in the surrounding area in order to support the local community and its economy.
The race venue is in El Paso, TX, in between the east and west sides of town. Given that this event takes place in a major metropolitan area, there are countless options for Hotels, Restaurants, and things to do.
Closest Airports:
El Paso (ELP) 17.9 Miles (25 min)
This race takes place in a rugged mountain environment within the Chihuahua Desert. This event could experience rain, snow, wind, hail, and/or thunderstorms. Temperatures could be unseasonably cold or unseasonably hot. The temperatures below are for in El Paso proper (the city). Temperatures will generally be 10˚ cooler on the mountain.
Average High: 59˚
Average Low: 35˚
Sun Rise: 7:05 AM
Sun Set: 5:27 PM
Total Daylight: 10 Hours 22 Minutes
The goal of the King and Queen event is to be the fastest to touch the peak and get back to the bottom. The route you take is up to you and a map of possible routes is located at the Course Map link and found on the last page. A bracelet is acquired by the runner to verify reaching the summit of North Franklin Peak, which they must wear while crossing the finish line. The 1st place male and the 1st place female will each go home with the King or Queen of the Mountain Sterling Silver Crown. The challenge features a 5-hour time limit. Each participant should expect to travel anywhere from 3-8 miles on the adventure. There are no aid stations for the King/queen event. You should plan to carry your own food and water for the entire adventure. We will have light snacks, water, and electrolyte drink at the finish line. Your entry fee includes your bib, bracelet, t-shirt, and finisher's award.
Select HPRS events allow a mid-race drop down in distance, where you will still receive a finisher's award and have your finish time in the results, in the event that you bit off more than you can chew.
Any runner who starts the 10k may drop down at the 5k point of their run and receive a finisher's award, as well as their time in the 5k results.
Any runner who starts the 30k may drop down at the 5k point of their run and receive a finisher's award, as well as their time in the 5k results.
There is no drop down option for the 5k, Half Marathon, 55k, 50-Mile, or King/Queen events; meaning, you must finish the distance you start.
There are no refunds or credits, full or partial, for the difference in distance dropped to. HPRS supports responsible risk management decisions of our runners to call it a day if the challenge is more than you're feeling up to. Live to run another day!
Friday Night: 4:00 - 7:00 PM at Tom May's BBQ Pavilion Start/Finish Line
Saturday Night: 4:00 - 7:00 PM at Tom May's BBQ Pavilion Start/Finish Line
Sunday, January 14, 2024 @ 7:30pm MT on The HPRS Facebook Page. The meeting will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube Channel for those who cannot watch live.
All participants are allowed to have a drop bag at the start/finish area, aka. The Pavilion Aid Station. 55k participants may also have drop bags at West and Bowen's Aid Stations. 50-Miler's may also have drop bags at Lost Dog, West, and Bowen's Aid Stations. See the aid station chart for more info.
Drop bags should be dropped off on race morning prior to the start of your event. Please leave nothing of value in your bag. Do not leave your drop bag behind. All abandoned drop bags are disposed of immediately at the conclusion of the event.
All participants must park at the designated parking locations ONLY. A map of these areas will be available closer to the race. We highly encourage all runners to PLEASE CARPOOL to the event. This helps limit our impact on other trail users. More information on carpool options will come close to race day.
All participants who complete their challenge will receive a unique finisher's award. We'll also present our DFL and Transcendence Awards. We will also literally crown the King and Queen of the mountain with a sterling silver crown. HPRS does not have a podium or age group awards, please see our Awards Page for more details.
NO AWARDS WILL BE MAILED
This event is being held in accordance with permits from Franklin Mountains State Park and Texas Parks & Wildlife. We ask that you please respect and care for the land this event is held on to help ensure the future of this race and to limit our environmental impact.
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE HALF MARATHON, 30k, 55k, and 50-MILE: Runners in these distances should be aware that this is a mountain race and there will be inherent risks involved in running these distances. There will be portions of the course that will travel up/down scree fields, and next to cliffs on either side. All runners should have a water carrying capacity to last them 6-7 miles, which could be 2-3 hours of walking/hiking. YOU MUST DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND ARRIVE PREPARED. Also, be aware that you will not be taken in from the course if you drop out of the race. If you drop out you need to do so at an aid station where you can receive a ride. In the case that you are hurt on the course and cannot continue, we will use the park’s Search and Rescue team to extract you from the course, which will ultimately take several hours. We ask that you please go to our Event Policies page and read the Risk Management Tab.
The Franklin Mountains Trail Runs proudly partners with Team RWB’s El Paso Chapter. You will see a number of Team RWB members in various volunteer roles across the entirety of the event. You’ll even see some of them out running alongside you. In exchange for their volunteer assistance with our event, we proudly donate a portion of our proceeds to the Team RWB El Paso chapter, as well as provide them with complimentary race entries to give to their members. We thank Team RWB for their unyielding support!
Any additional race information, changes, and updates will be sent to registered entrants ONLY via e-mail communication.