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Our second weekend of April on the North American UltraRunning Calendar brings us a very competitive 50-miler in Northern California, a 25-year-old race in beautiful British Columbia, a 50k in Colorado and as always, a whole lot more.
At the Lake Sonoma 50 on Saturday, April 8, in Healdsburg, California, the top three women and men will earn spots on Team USA which will be headed to the Trail Running World Championships in Austria this summer. The relentless out-and-back course collects roughly 10,000 feet of gain and equal loss on 98% single-track trails. Top women to watch out for include Allison Baca from Golden, Colorado, the JFK 50 course record holder Sarah Biehl from Columbus, Ohio, Ashley Brasovan also from Golden, Erin Clark out of Missoula, Montana, and Tara Fraga from Seattle, Washington. In the men’s race, keep your eyes on Preston Cates of Flagstaff, Arizona, Drew Holmen from Boulder, Colorado, Flagstaff’s Stephen Kersh, Seth Ruhling from Boulder, and Matthew Seidel out of Oakland, California, to name just a few. There’s also a $9,000 podium prize purse going five deep. This race is sold out. Read: Lake Sonoma — Relentless Summer Edition.
North of the border in Port Moody, British Columbia, we have the 25th Diez Vista 50k on Saturday. The race starts and finishes at Sasamat Lake in Belcarra Regional Park and features over 6,500 feet of elevation gain and loss on technical terrain. There is a $500 course record bonus for beating Suzanne Evans 4 hours, 43 minutes and 2 seconds 2007 time or Ed McCarthy’s 4 hours and 57 second time from 2014. This race is sold out.
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, be sure to check out the Rattler Trail Race 50k put on by Mad Moose Events on Saturday. The event was created in 2015 to feature Palmer Park, one of the area’s most popular urban parks a few miles north of the city. Runners are treated to tremendous views of Pikes Peak during multiple loops, while collecting approximately 4,600 feet of elevation gain. This race is sold out.
Looking for a free event? Check out the first year PDX 50k on Saturday in Portland, Oregon. Featuring a mix of roads, dirt paths and trails, this route connects all the quadrants of the City of Roses. There are no course markings or aid stations, so runners are asked to come prepared.
On Friday, April 7, don’t miss the Seven Trails Ultra Festival in Olga, Washington, and the Zumbro 34/50/100-mile races in Theilman, Minnesota. Additional races on Saturday include the Lake McMurtry Run 50/100k in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Smith Rock Ascent 50k in Terrebonne, Oregon, the JW Corbett Trail Races 50/50 in Loxahatchee, Florida, the Fools 50k in Peninsula, Ohio, and The Krrbrrr 8-hour in Palmer, Alaska.
Let us know What’s Up in Ultra in your community this weekend. If you’re racing or volunteering somewhere fun, give a shoutout. We’ll have results and more in Sunday’s Ultra Weekend Recap, so be sure to subscribe to stay in the loop all things UltraRunning Magazine.