Compare Epic Endurance Events Side by Side

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Epic events, side by side.

We have deep respect for every event on this page. Each one is paired with the IronHike Event it matches best, by format, by length, or biggest to biggest, for an honest, side-by-side assessment, built from their own published facts.

IronHike runs at Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall, Connecticut and at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. Veteran-owned and operated.

⛰️ Everesting

29029 Everesting & IronHike EverestUp on foot, down by gondola. Or both ways on foot. Neither is a race. Elevation Everest & IronHike EverestA race with a gondola ride down. Or no race, no gondola, every foot both ways.

🔔 Backyard Ultra

Big’s Backyard Ultra & Answer the BellOne winner, everyone else DNF. Or everyone who answers every bell wins. Dead Cow Gully & Answer the BellWhere the 119-yard world record was set. Or real vertical, every lap. The Conquer & Answer the Bell - Basic3.6 miles of trail every hour. Or the same steps, every stair down too.

🌋 Ultras

Badwater 135 & Olympus Mons Ultra135 miles of desert heat. Or 72,000+ feet of vertical. UTMB & Olympus Mons Ultra31,800 feet around Mont Blanc. Or 72,000+ on our Mountain. 29029 TRAIL & Olympus Mons UltraThree marathons, three hotel nights. Or 84 hours straight on one Mountain. The World’s Toughest & Olympus Mons UltraThe ten toughest ultras on Earth. Or the one with the steepest climb per mile.

📶 Stairs

Empire State Building Run-Up & Kuwohi86 floors, once. Or the Empire State four times over, and every stair back down. Niesen-Treppenlauf & Double KuwohiThe world’s longest staircase, once. Or more stairs up than the Niesen, and every one back down. Great Wall Marathon & Denali5,164 steps on the Wall. Or eight times that, in two days and nights.

🏁 The Full IronHike Event Series

Too much, or not enough? Every IronHike Event, from your first Summit to the hardest ultra on Earth. 🎯

💪 = Badass Rating

Kuwohi ⛰️💪💪☆☆☆⏱️ 12 hours · Target Summit: Kuwohi · 6,643′The entry point for first-time Mountain Athletes. If you can hike 4 hours or finish a 5K, you’re ready. Double Kuwohi ⛰️💪💪½☆☆⏱️ 24 hours · Target Summit: Kuwohi x2 · 13,286′Back-to-back Kuwohis across a full day and night. Night trekking by headlamp. Answer the Bell - Basic 🔔💪💪💪☆☆⏱️ 24 hours · 1 lap per hourOne lap per hour, every hour. On the hour. Until you can’t anymore. Denali ⛰️💪💪💪½☆⏱️ 48 hours · Target Summit: Denali · 20,310′A full weekend on the Mountain. This is where mental grit separates the finishers from those who came to try. Everest ⛰️💪💪💪💪☆⏱️ 72 hours · Target Summit: Everest · 29,032′Everesting on the East Coast. Do something over-the-top hard and let it change you. Answer the Bell - Full 🔔💪💪💪💪💪⏱️ 84 hours · 1 lap per hourThrough darkness, fatigue, and doubt. Answer the Bell until you just can’t anymore. Olympus Mons Ultra 🌋💪💪💪💪💪½⏱️ 84 hours · Target Summit: Olympus Mons · 72,000′+Ranked Top 4 Hardest Ultra Events in the World. Few have ever finished it.

💬 “There is no peacocking here, everyone is after one thing. Pushing their own limits.”

— Amanda G · IronHike Kuwohi Finisher

🎯 Your Mountain is Waiting

Seven Events. 12 to 84 hours. Solo, Trail Buddy, or Trail Family. Show up. Earn it. Belong.

Bring a Trail Buddy and you both save 25%. Bring a team of 4 and you all save 50%. Vets, Military & 1st Responders: $70 off with code brave70.
Pick your Series 🎯

We built these comparisons from each event’s own published information, to the best of our knowledge. IronHike is not affiliated with or endorsed by any event on this page. Last checked October 2026.

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▶More about how IronHike compares

Fair Fights Every IronHike comparison pairs an established endurance event with the IronHike Event it matches best: Everesting events with IronHike Everest, Backyard Ultras with Answer the Bell, the toughest ultras and 29029 TRAIL with the Olympus Mons Ultra, and stair climbs with Kuwohi, Double Kuwohi and Denali. Built from each event’s own published facts. Side-by-side endurance event comparison. Everesting alternative. Backyard Ultra alternative.

The Events Compared Elevation Everest, Big’s Backyard Ultra, Dead Cow Gully, The Conquer, Badwater 135, UTMB, the Empire State Building Run-Up, the Niesen-Treppenlauf and the Great Wall Marathon. Big’s Backyard Ultra alternative. Badwater alternative. UTMB alternative. Stair climb alternative. Tower running alternative. Staircase endurance event near Atlanta. Elevation endurance event Connecticut. Veteran-owned endurance event series USA.

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