What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — March 2

In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we see who can endure the longest in Missouri, speed along single-track trails in Northern California, check in on Mississippi’s only 100-mile trail race and run naked through Pennsylvania.

There Can Be Only One

We start off at Queeny Park in St. Louis, Missouri, for the Queeny Backyard Ultra. In its fourth year, the last runner standing event is a Silver Ticket race with the winner getting a coveted automatic entry into the Big’s Backyard Ultra. Runners will complete a 4.19-mile loop every hour on the hour until only one runner remains. Each loop has 430 feet of ascent and 430 feet of descent, and takes place on a combination of pavement, dirt and stone/gravel paths and trails.

34 Years Of Cool (Cancelled)

Update: The 2024 Way Too Cool 50k has been cancelled due to extreme winds and potentially unsafe course conditions. More information here.

Next, we head to Cool, California, for the 34^th running of the Way Too Cool 50k Endurance Run. One of the largest and most competitive 50ks in the country, Way Too Cool attracts elite runners wanting to race the best, and newbies looking to test their limits at the ultra distance. Despite the historically fast times, the race still features over 4,839 of elevation gain, with 98% of the race taking place on single-track trails. Over 200 volunteers help make the event possible every year and are known for their hospitality and enthusiasm. If the beautiful course and awesome volunteers aren’t enough to entice you, Way Too Cool runners also get treated to homemade frog cupcakes!

Mississippi’s Lone 100-Miler

With a rich history that dates all the way back to 1985, the Mississippi Trail 50 now features three distances, including the traditional 50-miler, a 50k and the only 100-mile trail race currently being held in Mississippi. Taking place in the Desoto National Forest in Laurel, Mississippi, all ultra distances will feature a combination of big (12.6) and short (6.1) loops that take runners through a longleaf pine forest and along gently rolling logging roads, single and double-track trails.

Wild Card

In this week’s Wild Card Race (where we feature an event you may not be familiar with), we head to Leesport, Pennsylvania, for the Naked Bavarian. Dubbed as a “back to the basics low fee trail run,” the Naked Bavarian caught my attention (in part because of the name) but mainly because of its old school, all about the run concept, where the goal is to offer an affordable race without all the swag. Taking place on rolling, single-track trails around Blue Lake Marsh, participants in the 40-mile ultra distance will run a lollipop course twice. The total elevation gain for the two loops is around 4,000 feet, making it a runnable, yet still challenging race.

What event are you running? Please drop us a notes in the comments and good luck to everyone racing this weekend!