La Sportiva Green Mountain Challenge returns to Boulder’s steep summit trail

Boulder’s steepest neighborhood test is back, and Green Mountain is once again asking runners to earn every foot of the summit. The La Sportiva Green Mountain Challenge is a free community event running from May 15 through June 15, with the official ascent starting at Gregory Canyon Road and following Amphitheater Trail, Saddle Rock Trail and Greenman Trail to the top of Green Mountain, which sits at about 8,100 feet.

The appeal is simple and brutal. The route is just under two miles, but it packs more than 2,500 feet of climbing into that distance, with an average grade of 23 percent. That is the kind of profile that turns a short outing into a full-on lung check, which is exactly why Green Mountain has become such a useful benchmark for local trail runners, mountain athletes and visiting runners who want Boulder’s foothills in one concentrated hit. The city’s own trail information calls Green Mountain West Ridge heavily trafficked, newly rerouted in 2019, and describes the summit as a place where runners are rewarded with panoramic views and a unique summit marker.

The challenge is built for that public-land setting, not around it. Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks traces its open-space framework to a 1986 city charter amendment that tied land protection to passive recreation, floodplain protection, aesthetics, quality of life and limiting sprawl. Green Mountain fits that story perfectly: it is a city-adjacent climb that feels like a race course, but it still lives inside a network of shared trails that demand restraint. Participants have to register on Eventbrite, join the Strava club and stay on designated OSMP trails while following the official ascent route. Riders and runners under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian complete the registration and waiver.

The prize setup gives the climb some extra sting. The fastest male and female ascent each earn $750. The top three athletes with the most verified summits get $500, $350 and $150. Five registered participants will also win a pair of La Sportiva mountain-running shoes, plus other prizes. Verification happens with a physical check-in at the top using a QR code in the Green Summit Cache, which keeps the competition tied to the summit rather than the stopwatch alone. La Sportiva’s own ambassador Ryan Smith lists an FKT on a Green Mountain round trip in Boulder among his proudest accomplishments, which says plenty about how seriously this hill is taken in running circles.

The finish line is not the only date to watch. La Sportiva will host its Prize Giving Party on Thursday, June 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at its Boulder retail store, following the Summer Run Series. In a city the Boulder Economic Council pegs at about 105,000 people, 8,800 employers and roughly 120,000 jobs, outdoor recreation is not side entertainment. On Green Mountain, that culture shows up in a climb that looks short on the map and feels much bigger once the grade starts biting.