“Homegrown, laidback race with a big heart” — Katie Wallace on Over the Rainbow Runs
Katie Wallace, race director of Over the Rainbow Runs, held the fifth and final edition of her event on October 18, 2025, in Kanab, UT. Wallace, attendee of the 2024 US Trail Running Conference and participant in the Race Director Mentorship program, brought trail running excitement to the small, 4,000-person town situated in Utah’s southwestern desert landscape. Her event’s focus on showcasing some of the most undiscovered and breathtaking trail systems in the southwest, community involvement, inclusivity and sustainability made Wallace’s race one of the most impactful in the region and a run worth commemorating. “I’m sad to see it’s over, but five years was a good run and I am looking forward to putting energy into new things,” said Wallace.
Some of the US Trail Running Conference attendees (including Wallace) enjoyed a group photo in 2024. Photo: Peter Maksimow/ATRA
In the following Q/A style interview, Wallace shares her thoughts on directing Over the Rainbow Runs for the past five years, its developments, and lasting impacts on the trail running community.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] What was your goal behind founding Over the Rainbow Runs? Why were you drawn to be a race director?
[KATIE WALLACE] Honestly, when I moved to Kanab, I was blown away by the world-class running trails with very, very little use. It’s like Sedona without the crowds! I wanted more people to be able to enjoy it, and I loved the idea of using it as a fundraiser for a small non-profit where a modest donation could make a big difference. Plus, I was inspired to create an event that would feel accessible to more people. We’ve kept our prices low, our cutoffs generous, and are one of the only trail races in Utah with trans-inclusive gender divisions. Our emphasis has been on building community.
[TAYTE] What’s some major evolutions the race has gone through over the years? I see you offered more distances and even introduced a relay this year? What inspired some of these changes?
[KATIE] I wouldn’t call anything a major evolution because we’ve really wanted to stay close to our roots of being a homegrown, laidback race with a big heart. We created a list of values early on – community, inclusion, kindness, stewardship, and sustainability – and that’s really guided us along the way. This year, we added the Rainbow Relay because I had lots of friends with young children, where both parents wanted to run. Child care is difficult in this region, so we came up with the idea of the relay, where you could pass child care off between the two legs of the relay. It was a big hit and having a bunch of children running around at the finish line was a great joy. We also added a costume contest this year! Watching a wizard, skeleton, and a unicorn traverse this rugged course was, frankly, amazing.
[TAYTE] You were a part of the 2024 Race Director Mentorship program at the US Trail Running Conference. How did this experience change your event or the way you race direct?
[KATIE] It was a delightful experience! I was just grateful to have a thought partner to think about things I hadn’t before. Due to conversations my mentor Mandy Mullen and I had, I changed registration platforms and I changed my approach to sponsorship, which were both pivotal in this year’s success.
Roman Jefferson climbs up Cliff Trail.
[TAYTE] Kanab, Utah is such a gorgeous destination for trail running, yet most visitors to Utah don’t know much about it. Why is this? What does Kanab offer that maybe some of the more traditional trail running destinations in Utah don’t?
[KATIE] I’m not really sure why Kanab still hasn’t hit the radar of a lot of people, but I think the word is starting to get around. Kanab is a rather charming small town with surprisingly good restaurants, and— I’ll be bold—some of the best singletrack in the entire southwest. Unlike Moab or Sedona, it’s still quiet and mellow. People say hi to each other. Kids ride their bikes in the streets. It has amazing dark skies.
[TAYTE] What’s your favorite part about race directing? What’s something you still find to be challenging?
[KATIE] My favorite part is watching the glow of the runners as they come back. They’re just so pumped to have gotten to experience it. I’ve never liked asking people for money, so sponsorships are always tough for me (even though our sponsors are WONDERFUL).
[TAYTE] Do you direct any other races or have experience directing other events (trail running related or not)?
[KATIE] I assistant race directed for the Merced Canyon Endurance Runs, which was started by my dear friend Rob Rives. It served as a strong template for this race. I also organize small national park trips for donors of the non-profit I work for. I find event management to be a pretty fun and satisfying endeavor.
[TAYTE] Do you see yourself starting any more races in Kanab or elsewhere?
[KATIE] With the final Over the Rainbow Runs only two days in the rearview mirror, it’s hard to say. But I have a couple ideas I’m marinating on. Stay tuned!
Deena Simpson shows off costume in an Over the Rainbow event.
[TAYTE] What feedback from runners have you received about your race? Have you implemented any changes to your race based on information you’ve received from runners in the past?
[KATIE] Nothing super major. We made some small tweaks to course marking and trail maintenance in response to runners getting off course. We also made some swag choices, based on runner requests. As mentioned earlier, the Rainbow Relay was born out of potential runners wanting a child care solution. Most of our feedback has been positive, and I think more comments are about the volunteers and the community than about the course! That’s a real compliment to my volunteer team, who has amazing energy and goes the extra mile to make our runners feel welcome and excited to be there.
[TAYTE] What is the most challenging thing about this race for participants? What do you hope they took away most from the experience?
[KATIE] It’s a rugged course! That 1200′ gain up the Cliff Trail is steep! And it includes two small rock scrambles, which you don’t get in your average trail running race. I hope runners take away a sense of the magic of our public lands, the joy that can be found in community, and how trail running is for everyone.
Oliver Tardy on the trails in an Over the Rainbow event.
[TAYTE] As far as aid station logistics, how do you go about stocking aid stations or deciding how much/what types of products to offer to runners? Similarly, what are your thoughts on finish line goodies/SWAG bags/awards for runners?
[KATIE] We’ve tried to have a mix of salty and sweet things, typical things you have at races, as well as a couple of fun bonus items – usually gummy bears and peanut butter pretzels. Since we’re sustainability-oriented, we minimize swag and giveaways, and we want our swag to be something actually useful. We have gone with steel pint glasses, trucker hats, and neck gaiters. We don’t do medals because so many runners wear them for one minute and then throw them in a drawer. A better celebration of the accomplishment is to have a shared meal with other runners, so we host an all-you-can-eat burrito bar and we encourage runners to stay until the DFL (dead frickin’ last runner) by offering a raffle at the end. So, it ends up becoming a small party in the park of runners hanging out and sharing stories, and that feels like a much better award than a medal. We also don’t do plaques or awards for division winners, but we have gotten some really great swag from local sponsors to gift to them. Several winners have said it’s the best prize they’ve won at a race! And the DFL always gets an award for being out on course the longest, and that prize always includes a dinosaur toy.
[TAYTE] What actions have you taken towards sustainability at your event? What about inclusivity?
[KATIE] Sustainability – We are a cupless and plateless race. For the burrito bar, we have upcycled newspaper slabs for folks who forget their plate. We don’t do sponsor freebies that are likely to get thrown away. We don’t do medals that are essentially single-use items. We choose swag that people can actually use, and they get a choice of which type of swag, or they can opt out. Swag is undated, so we can offer it again the following year. We serve a vegetarian burrito bar because meat has a higher carbon footprint. We reuse our posterboards and other materials from year-to-year.
Inclusion – We keep our prices intentionally below market, and we give discounts to anyone who inquires. Our gender divisions are trans-inclusive, and we have a nonbinary-genderqueer division. We also have a six hour cutoff on both races, which means runners of different abilities can still complete the race. We celebrate the final runner with a pretty sweet prize, and we encourage all runners to cheer that person on by incentivizing them with an end raffle. We also wanted to make sure our race is thoughtful in supporting a marginalized group in our local community, so all proceeds have benefited the Kane County Children’s Justice Center, supporting children experiencing abuse.
Jesse Cruce Cruises Down Kanab City Trail.
[TAYTE] In the Southwest USA, what are some of your other favorite trail running events? Have you taken inspiration for any of these events (or other races) in creating Over the Rainbow runs?
[KATIE] Gosh, I’ve been inspired by so many events! I’ve volunteered, crewed, and run several of Aravaipa’s races and several of the Vacation Races – both of them do a pretty good job with their logistics and creating a fun atmosphere for runners. I’ll also give a shoutout to Western States 100, where I’ve volunteered for about 15 years – the race would be legendary, no matter what, but they have the best volunteers. I have also been mis-inspired by several races (to remain unnamed), where I had a bad experience as a volunteer or runner, and I’ve learned a lot from those events, too.
[TAYTE] Anything more you want to say on hosting the final edition of Over the Rainbow Runs?
[KATIE] It’s been a really great run – five years, and over $11,000 raised for local charity. I’m chewing on my next project, but it’s not ready for prime time yet.
