Rattlerock Ultra

The Rattlerock Ultra series connects two mountain trail race weekends organized by Death to Tyrants Trail Running: Rattlerock at Coopers Rock and Tatonka, held in a valley known for its buffalo farms. Rattlerock features 50K and 25K races crossing wooded terrain above 2,000 feet elevation. Tatonka provides a January 50K and a 20-miler, with respective climbs of 4,500 and 2,500 feet. Rattlerock guides participants over wooden stream crossings, alongside rock cliffs reaching five stories high, and across rugged ground, with a chance of encountering a rattlesnake. Tatonka, whose name means “buffalo” in Lakota, starts from buffalo farms and ascends to a bird observatory tower. The course then follows undulating ridge trails through meadows, pine, deciduous trees, and rhododendron, concluding on a flat paved road. The series embraces trail-runner traditions, with volunteers offering encouragement, race directors providing warm greetings, and a drumbeat in the woods guiding runners towards the finish.