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Father’s Day weekend features 58 North American ultramarathons on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we highlight events in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Québec, Canada. If you’re a race director and would like your event to be featured in the calendar, register here.
Featured: Bighorn (Dayton, WY)
The classic, early summer mountain race, the Bighorn Trail Runs, kicks off this weekend in Dayton, Wyoming. First run in 2002, the 100-mile endurance test takes runners through the Little Bighorn and Tongue River areas of the Bighorn National Forest, where they’ll have 35 hours to navigate remote and technical trails on an out-and-back course featuring 20,500 feet of elevation gain and loss to earn their Bighorn buckles. On course, participants can expect 76 miles of single-track trails, 16 miles of rugged jeep roads, 8 miles of gravel and the likelihood of extreme mud and wildlife encounters. In addition to the 100-mile race, Bighorn Trail Runs also offers 52 and 32-mile ultramarathon distances. Read more.
Other West Events:
Pacific
- Orange Curtain (Cerritos, CA)
- Headwaters Trail Runs (Mount Shasta, CA)
- Tahoe 200 Endurance Run (Homewood, CA)
- Broken Arrow Skyrace (Olympic Valley, CA)
- Black Mountain 50k (San Diego, CA)
- Golden State 50K (Salinas, CA)
- Burney Mountain 100 (Burney, CA)
- Lowells Loop (Pleasant Hill, OR)
- Alpine Solstice (Bend, OR)
- Wild Woman Trail Marathon (Trout Lake, WA)
- Strawberry Fields Forever (North Bonneville, WA)
- The Longest Light//101 (Spokane, WA)
Mountain
- San Juan Solstice (Lake City, CO)
- Ring the Springs (Colorado Springs, CO)
- River of No Return Endurance Runs (Challis, ID)
- Old Gabe (Bozeman, MT)
- Trail Rail Run (St. Regis, MT)
- Moonlight on Mt Ascension Trail Run (Helena, MT)
- Sparks Backyard Ultra (Sparks, NV)
- Bears Ears Ultra (Monticello, UT)
- White Pine Solstice Runs (Tooele, UT)
Featured: Six Days in the Dome (Milwaukee, WI)
The 2026 Six Days in the Dome will run from June 18 through June 28. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and will feature a number of fixed-time events, including 10-day, 6-day, 72-hour, 48-hour, 24-hour and 12-hour races. This year’s event will include two invitational 24-hour races, two 48-hour races and an invitational 72-hour option. The 24-hour invitationals are designed specifically for runners looking to make the national team or go after a world record. All events take place at the climate-controlled Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on a USATF-certified 443.445-meter track. Tune in to the live stream here.
Other Midwest Events:
- Schuetzen Nein! Hour Endurance Run (Davenport, IA)
- 8 Hours of Brown County (Nashville, IN)
- Two Hearted Trail Run (Paradise, MI)
- Wicked Worm (Grand Rapids, MI)
- Two Hats One Mile (Big Rapids, MI)
- Summer Solstice Endurance Event (Baxter, MN)
- Tuscazoar Raw (Dover, OH)
- The Strawberry Solstice Run (Prairie du Chien, WI)
Featured: Night Train Ultramarathon (Farmville, VA)
Hosted by Virginia Adventures, whose goal is to provide “top-notch trail races in the Central Virginia region,” Night Train 50k takes place at High Bridge Trail State Park and follows a rail-trail converted from the old Norfolk Southern Railway line. The 50k race kicks off at 6 p.m., and runners have 9.5 hours to complete the out-and-back course that journeys through the Virginia countryside and passes through a number of Civil War battle sites. Despite the flat course, participants must prepare for the potential of hot and sunny conditions, along with extended stretches without aid stations. Check out a highlight video from the 2023 Night Train 50k.
Other South Events:
Southwest
- Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine Trail Runs (Flagstaff, AZ)
- DOGSPEED – A Benefit Race for Animals in Need (Tahlequah, OK)
- Summer Solstice Trail Run (Abilene, TX)
Southeast
- Endless Summer (Birmingham, AL)
- #onemileatatime 24 Hour Challenge (Griffin, GA)
- Mid-State Mile (Franklin, TN)
- Froggy Mountain 100 (Galax, VA)
- Highlands Sky (Davis, WV)
- New River Gorge Trail Festival (Fayetteville, WV)
Featured: Rachel Carson Trail Challenge (Pittsburgh, PA)
The Rachel Carson Trail Challenge returns this weekend to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, for its 29th season. The 37-mile “sunrise to sunset endurance hike” is unique from traditional ultramarathons in that the challenge isn’t to win, but to endure the mental and physical task of hiking 37 miles in one day. The Challenge begins at sunrise in Harrison Hills Park, and participants have until sunset (8:54 p.m.) to reach North Park. Along the way, participants will follow the yellow blazes of the Rachel Carson Trail, where they’ll traverse remote trail sections and challenges including steep climbs and descents, stream crossings, stinging plants, biting insects and more. All race proceeds benefit the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy.
Other Northeast Events:
- Catoctin (Frederick, MD)
- 6 at the Springs (Poland, ME)
- Manitou’s Revenge (Windham, NY)
- Many On The Genny (Castile, NY)
- Table Rock Trail Challenge (Jamesville, NY)
- Ruck Around the Lake Weighted Race (Valley Cottage, NY)
- Ghost Town Trail Challenge (Blairsville, PA)
- Catamount Ultra (Stowe, VT)
Featured: Ultra Trail Gaspesia 100 (Percé, QC)
The Ultra Trail Gaspesia 100 (UTG100) returns to Percé, Quebec, Canada, this weekend for its 11th edition. The scenic event plays host to four ultramarathon distances (100 miles, 110k, 85k and 55k), with all events showcasing the stunning trails of the Gaspé Peninsula and the Percé UNESCO World Geopark, all set against the backdrop of iconic Percé Rock, towering above the waves in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The 100-mile runners will have 33 hours to complete an out-and-back course with over 5,000 meters of climbing, while the 110k participants will also run an out-and-back course with 3,500 meters of gain. The 85k course will feature a loop with 3,000 meters of vert, while the 55k course will be point-to-point with 1,700 meters of climbs and descents. Read more on the UTG100 race website.
Other Events in Canada & Mexico:
- Tenderfoot Boogie (Squamish, BC)
- Slay the Dragon (Vernon, BC)
- Sasquatch Ultra – 24hr (Agassiz, BC)
- Niagara Ultra (Niagara On The Lake, ON)
- Mad Trapper Backyard Ultra (Ottawa, ON)
- Sunburn Solstice Run (Mount Hope, ON)
- The Mad Trapper Snowshoe Backyard Ultra (Denholm, QC)
Email corys@ultrarunning with questions about adding your event to the UltraRunning Magazine calendar.