Tinajas Trail Race
Races: 52.4 mi, 26.2 mi, 13.1 mi, 10k, Youth 1 mi
When: February 22, 2025
Where: Colorado Bend State Park, Bend, TX
Closest smaller cities: Lampasas, Burnet, Llano
Closest bigger cities: Killeen, Round Rock, Austin
A Tinaja (/tɪˈnɑːhə/) is a rock formation that has been eroded by water over a long period of time, that then can store ever-so-important water in arid environments.
With all its waterfalls, streams, rivers, springs & moving water; Colorado Bend is notorious for these incredible formations. Tinajas is the perfect name for this event. This trail running experience has been created to offer participants a beautiful & difficult trail reality.
This race now has full Aid Station support!
Just like the Tinaja out in the wild, we hope this weekend provides you with something magnificent...giving you something you need…a break from the complexities of everyday occurrences, reminding you to notice the simple & soulful aspects of life. Join us. There’s several distances to choose from - many stories to tell afterward!
Race Day Results & Timing & Scoring
Start Options
We will have a mass start per distance. Sometimes we start more than one distance together, so pay attention to the Schedule for this event. We also leave the start line open for a little while longer for those who want to avoid the mass start, enjoy a more casual entry onto the course, and don’t care about overall awards.
Results and Live Split Updates
Click this button on race day to see updated results each time a runner passes a timing mat on the course and the final results. Timing mats are always at the start/finish/next lap line, and sometimes an additional mat is placed out on the course.
Timing and Scoring
The results page will show two times for each runner. “Gun Time” and “Chip Time”. Here’s what that means for you:
“Gun Time” is the time from the mass start (when the starter officially starts your distance) until when you cross the finish line. This is everyone’s “official time”, no matter when you enter the race course; and is the time that is used for all rankings and awards.
“Chip Time” is the time from when you actually cross the start line until the time you cross the finish line. This is not used for official times or award rankings. But if you begin after the Mass Start you can see this time in the results to know the time you actually covered the course in.
Race Schedule
SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY
Course Marking and Race Hub Setup: Sun up to sun down pretty much
FRIDAY
Registration Cutoff: 12:00pm (NOON CST) = Due to the remote location of the race hub at this event, Online Registration will cut-off at this time. Please get registered by this time if at all possible. But if not, know we will have a few paper forms onsite at the race for last minute race registrations. So bring cash or an old school paper check and come on out!
Packet Pickup: 4:30-6:00pm
Pre-Race Briefing: 6:00-6:30pm Pre Race Briefing and Q&A w/ drinks and snacks provided by Tejas Trails (not mandatory)
SATURDAY
Packet Pickup:
5:00am-6:00am = for 52.4 Mile
7:00am-9:30am = for all other Races
10:15am-10:30am = for Youth 1 Mile Race
Starts:
6:00am = 52.4 Mi Start
8:00am = 26.2 Mi Start
8:30am = 13.1 Mi Start
9:30am = 10K Start
9:45am = Start Line Closes
10:30am = Youth 1 Mile Start
Final Lap Cutoff: 7:40pm (must be on your last lap)
Final Cutoff: 10:30pm (course closed)
Teardown: Saturday all afternoon and night (yes, we always need help)
Course Information
RACE DISTANCES: 52.4 Mi, 26.2 Mi, 13.1 Mi, 10k, youth 1 mi
ROUTE DETAILS:
The Double Marathon consists of 3 x 17.4 mile laps. The Marathon will be 2 x 13.1 mile laps. The Half Marathon will be one lap. The 10k will be one lap to Lemon Ridge Aid Station and back.
This route highlights the best of the park, and leaves out all the boring flat pasture type sections. It’s an absolutely amazingly scenic and technical course!
This is an old elevation profile but is meant to show you the lay of the land, not the exact course profile this year.
Course Markings
We go above and beyond on our course markings, and have become known around the world for it. We will have orange Tejas Trails caution tape blocking off any open intersections; yellow arrows stapled to stakes, signposts, fences, and trees; and hundreds of confidence markers between. You never have to navigate or use a map.
Course markings are not color-coded per distance. When you get to an intersection where a shorter distance breaks off from the longer main loop, there will be signs with distances on them pointing the appropriate ways. Simply follow the signs with your distance on them. If you don’t see your distance, you just missed your turn. Don’t ever cross caution tape. It usually is required that we keep the caution tape on the ground, but it’s always obvious, and will act as a guardrail for you at open intersections.
Also for any of our races that take place in dark hours, all our markings have high grade reflectors in them, so the course actually becomes even easier to follow in the dark!
Now of course, you can get off course… So if you’re new to trail running, you have to train your brain to keep looking up; and especially don’t trust the person in front of you. We have a special “Lemming Award” for those who blindly follow someone else off course and then get mad at us.
Aid Stations
There are a good number of Aid Station locations for this event.
Each Aid Station is easily located off a main paved road if you want to place your own drop bags at them. See more details in the next section below about Drop Bags about that.
We will have hot food if it’s cold out, cold food if it’s hot out. Tons of options of salty, sweet, fruity, and everything between. In addition to the smorgasbord of food options, expect Tailwind, Vfuel, Saltstick, Crazy Water at each aid station, sodas, along with ice, and basic first aid.
Aid Station charts and cutoff times will be updated soon
Drop Bags
You can place your drop bags at any fully staffed aid station around the course. If you do this, after your race please go get them. You will pass by the aid stations on your way to the main Race Hub, and will be waiting for you on your way out post-race.
We do not provide drop bag service for this event since it’s so easy to place your bags at the easy to get to aid stations that you pass on your way in and out of the Race Hub.
For drop bags around the start/finish/next lap area, you may simply place them anywhere you like as long as they don’t impede the race course or aid station. It’s a nice area to work with, leaving plenty of room for everyone’s things to not be on top of each other.
Volunteering
We fully recognize we could not (and would not want to) put on any of these events without your help. Volunteers breathe life into these events. You make them personal for people. We no doubt need you and love this component to our business. So, know that we will always do everything we can afford to do to help you enjoy your time out there in the trenches helping those runners achieve their goals and dreams.
As a volunteer, you get:
Park entry fees and Camping fees paid for (if your role requires you to sleep at the park)
Food brought to you while you are volunteering
Shirt, hat, race swag, etc.
Loads of good memories
All the gear you need to successfully accomplish your task
Volunteer hours exchanged for future race entries
We can always use help, specifically for: course marking, packet pickup, aid stations, course sweeping, teardown, and more!
Swag & Stuff
Your race entry comes with a bunch of good stuff! You’ll get the comfort of our world-renowned course markings so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. You’ll get our notorious staff and volunteer support (and probably leave with new friends you met at an aid station or the finish line)! We will offer a plethora of aid station food and drink options, as well as finish line drinks. There will be a relaxing race hub area with backyard games and toys for kids to play with for your spectators, friends, and family. We also typically have a food truck at the finish line serving a variety of good food and drink options, including an accommodating menu of most food allergies and vegan options.
You can also expect awesome gear you’ll actually want to wear, and a truly unique medal that you’ll be proud to have. Those who sign up before the shirt cutoff (when we actually have to put the shirt order in) will receive a nice shirt. Sometimes long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless, tank top, or something else we find that’s cool and different from the year before. Those who register after that date will receive a cool non-size specific item, such as a hat, beanie, arm warmers, scarf, drink ware, or something else we find.
If you don’t like the swag item you received, you may swap your item after the final Packet Pickup is over (when we have ensured everyone got the item they signed up for). You can also purchase the other item(s) if you like all of them. This will all happen from the Tejas Trails merchandise tent when it’s onsite, and otherwise will be made available at the Packet Pickup Tent or the Finish Line Tent.
Please note, we don’t always get the shirt color we had planned these days, as things are goofy with shipping and fulfilling. If the shirt color changes, sometimes we have to change the design colors too. But you can count on a quality item.
Timing & DNF
Chip Timing
All races will be chip timed. Chips will be attached to an ankle strap, picked up on race morning only at the event venue, and must be worn on your ankle during the race. Chips are likely to not work if worn anywhere other than your ankle.
Once you finish, we will have a bin for you to place your chip into. Our head timer will take care of it from there.
Please reference the “Start Options” section above for exact details of how we are utilizing “Gun Time” vs “Chip Time”, depending on which Start Option you choose during registration. For the “Open Start Option”, it is very important you do not get near the Start Line with your timing chip until you are ready to start. There is a different Start Line than the Finish Line/Next Lap Line. Consider the Start Line your “on ramp” onto the highway. Once on, you don’t hit that arch and timing mat again.
Check Out
If you leave the race for any reason before completing the full race distance, you must turn in your timing chip. If we have your Chip, then we know you have left the course & we won't go looking for you all day & night.
DNF (Did Not Finish)
If you decide to not finish the distance you registered for, you may get a finisher medal to commemorate the miles you did finish; but you will be a DNF in the results; and you will not be in contention for awards for the shorter distance category.
Split Time Collection
Some races may have mid-point reads to help us track progress during the race. If you see a timing mat on the course, make sure you run over it.
Pacers
If you are running the 52.4 mile race, pacers are allowed after the 2nd lap of 3 is complete. 60 and older may have a pacer their whole race. Pacers must start and end at an aid station. Only one pacer with a runner at a time. No mule-ing. Any Pacer impeding, being rude to other runners or being rude to volunteers will get their Runner DQ'ed. Pacers are welcome to anything from the Aid Stations.
All pacers must complete free registration.
Overall Awards
We love celebrating our top finishers! However, we don’t have awards ceremonies at most of our events. But all the top finishers will receive some really great stuff!
We will have some fun, special, handmade overall awards to hand out when you cross the finish line. Volunteers will check results as you cross, but sometimes there’s a delay since our events are mostly remote. So, if you think you may be in contention for one, please ask before leaving.
Please note, we do not mail awards to anyone who leaves without their earned award. If there is any signal, you can also look up how you did on the results page (found in the pre-race email and at the top of this event webpage).
For this race, we will be awarding Top 3 male and Top 3 female, as well as Top Masters male and Top Masters female (50 & up).
There are special awards handed out uniquely for the Tejas 250, Tejas 300, and Tejas 400.
For anyone who completes 500, 1000, 1500km or miles at the same event, we give away special fleeces for you to make others jealous with.
Families & Youth Run
Tejas Trails is for families! We have a few things going on to help everyone have fun on race weekend.
For you runners who are trying to figure out how to train and race while trying to be a good friend, partner, spouse, or grandparent.
For you family members and friends who are trying to support your runner, but get bored out of your minds trying to keep your young ones safe and busy.
Our goal is for the runner’s family and friends to have fun things to do, enjoy hanging out, exercise, play in the woods, and create great life-long memories together. Bottom line, we want families to grow closer together because of Tejas Trails events. So, we will provide things like family discounts, yard games, practically free youth races, and a family-friendly environment.
One of our favorite parts of our events is the Youth Trail Run. The course will be around a mile, and at most events it’s possible to run less for our really young racers! You can register your child on the main Reg button at the top of this page. It is an untimed race, and every runner receives a race bib and finisher medal.
We will also have a bunch of backyard games setup around the Race Hub. Just look for the ‘Fun and Games’ flag, and dig through the totes to find some fun toys and games for all ages.
We are proud to be a part of the Youth Trail Series by ATRA & USATF
If you see this badge on an event page, that means that event is a part of the Youth Trail Series, which is a growing nation-wide series of events that are seeking to help grow youth trail runners, to have more fun and be involved at the recreational level, and to ultimately lead to more competitive runners repping Team USA at international trail running races!
For any registrant who is 19 & Under, your registration will automatically be discounted 15-20%. No code is needed. This is good for all our races of 10 miles and shorter.
Getting Here
Everything happens at Colorado Bend State Park.
We’ll provide more arrival instructions as the race gets closer.
Camping & Lodging
Camping
The venue is called Colorado Bend State Park. Here’s how camping works. Tejas Trails has reserved the campsites down around the Park Office and Race Hub for Friday night only. If you want to stay somewhere else around the park you must reserve that on your own. If you want to stay Saturday night, you must reserve that on your own also. That is done through the normal TPWD reservation system, not Tejas Trails.
The Special Event Fee paid at registration includes parking, camping & extra park personnel/services. The campsites we reserved are first come, first serve.
If you prefer a more secluded campsite, there are plenty of sites on the other side of the park. These campsites are all approx 10-15 minutes drive from the Start/Finish, maybe more with a lot of vehicles/traffic coming in on race morning. Arrive early if you want to be near the Start/Finish.
Again, the park & campsites are reserved & paid for Friday night only! If you arrive earlier or stay later you will have to pay & reserve your accommodations independently through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept usual reservation system (see button below).
If you want a hotel room nearby, Tejas Trails recommends you book your hotel through this booking portal: Hotels for Hope.
