What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — October 15

Last week’s UltraRunning Calendar was one for the record books and the fall momentum continues. Leading the way is the 2022 World Backyard Team Championships, a first-class 50-miler in Pennsylvania and a collection of other races scattered across the continent.

Bell Buckle, Tennessee, will play host to the 2022 World Backyard Team Championships at Big’s Backyard Ultra starting at 7 a.m. CST, Saturday, October 15, and lasting until only one person is left standing. There are 555 runners representing 37 countries that will all compete at satellite locations around the world. The #5 2021 UltraRunner of the Year Harvey Lewis, winner of last year’s Big’s with 354.17 miles (85 laps), leads Team USA. Follow along with the live stream here and make sure to keep up with our Instagram stories where photographer Howie Stern will be taking over for the duration of the race. Read: Winning Nutrition at Big’s Backyard by Meredith Terranova.

The Tussey Mountainback 50-Miler in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, is a single-loop course on mostly fire roads in the 215,000-acre Rothrock State Forest on Sunday, October 16. The course takes in Whipple Dam State Park, Alan Seeger Natural Area, Penn Roosevelt State Park, Colyer Lake and Bear Meadows Natural Area. A unique option to this ultra is for teams of up to eight people to complete it as a relay. Read: Young and Old Converge at Tussey Mountainback by Race Director Mike Casper.

Deep in the heart of Central Appalachia is the Cloudsplitter 100-miler with 50 and 100k options as well, on Saturday, October 15. All the race distances wind along spectacularly beautiful, rugged and rocky trails within the city of Norton, Virginia, and the Jefferson National Forest trail systems. Read: Mountains in the Mist by Ryan D. Kerins.

Out West, we have the Old Cascadia 50-miler on Saturday, October 15, in Blue River, Oregon. This race is a lollipop-style course that starts off by tagging the summit of Crescent Mountain and consists of 88% single track. Runners will enjoy lush rainforests, brilliant meadows and prolific wildlife throughout the day.

In Duluth, Minnesota, are the Wild Duluth Races 50/100k on Saturday, October 15. The majority of the course follows the Superior Hiking Trail over high points and ridges above the city. Along the extremely rugged course participants will discover amazing views over the St. Louis River, huge White Pines and more. The 50k is point-to-point and the 100k is an out-and-back.

Looking for more races this weekend? Our UltraRunning Calendar has the Oil Creek 50k/100k/100-mile races in Titusville, Pennsylvania, the Sage Burner 50k in Gunnison, Colorado, the Whistler 50k in Whistler, British Columbia, the Defiance 50k in Point Defiance, Washington, the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 50k/100k/100-mile races in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and the Palo Duro Trail Run 50k/50-miler in Amarillo, Texas, all on Saturday, October 15. 

What did we miss in this week’s What’s Up in Ultra? Let us know so we can follow along, check out our Ultra Weekend Recap with results from last weekend, and subscribe to our Thursday morning newsletter to get more from UltraRunning.