A timed race with professional chip timing and age-group awards for those chasing podiums, but finishers medals go to everyone — so show up to compete or just show up. The course is an out-and-back on open road, which means traffic is part of the deal on a busy summer Saturday. Kids ride at a steep discount, and proceeds support the Diné Bike Project on the Navajo Nation, so your entry fee is doing something real.
The race rolls out from the end of the pavement at Asaayi Junction into the Chuska Mountains of the Navajo Nation, heading out toward Navajo Route 12 and back. You're running at 7,500–8,000 feet, so the air is thinner than the desert floor — but late July means temps in the 70s and 80s, and monsoon season is fully on. Check the Window Rock forecast before you pack your kit; afternoon clouds and rain are a genuine possibility, not a footnote.
NavajoYES is the nonprofit behind this one, with the Diné Bike Project in the mix as beneficiary — community-rooted and worth supporting. There's a mid-course aid station and course marshals out on the road, but organizers ask you to carry a tube and pump just in case. Race-day registration is available through the hour before the gun.