What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — February 17

In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we journey to Nevada, California, Oregon, West Virginia and Florida.

All Bets are Off

We start in Henderson, Nevada, just minutes from Las Vegas, where the NFL has left town and the ultrarunning community has moved in to see how many loops they can complete at the Jackpot Ultra Running Festival. The festival kicks off on Friday with a 100-mile USATF National Championship race, followed by a weekend of timed races (6, 12, 24 and 48 hours), a standard 100-mile ultra and a 50-mile race. The fast courses are sure to provide plenty of PRs and perhaps even a world record or two. In Vegas, anything is possible!

Cool Runnings

Next, we head to Cool, California, for the 11^th running of the FOURmidable 50k. Known to attract fast trail runners from across the country, FOURmidable is named after the four major climbs along the course. This race has over 6,000 feet of elevation gain with less than one mile on pavement.

Fun with Mud

Staying out West, we head to Gaston, Oregon, for a local favorite, the Hagg Lake Mud Runs. Established in 2001, participants in the 50k run two laps around the picturesque Henry Hagg Lake, where they get to experience beautiful Pacific Northwest single-track trails and of course, lots of mud.

The Cure for Cabin Fever

Runners looking to brave the elements will toe the line Saturday in the Cabin Fever 50K, starting in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The 50k point-to-point course runs across the New River Gorge National Park, where runners will battle winter conditions, burly trails and around 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Fortunately, aid stations are stocked with cold weather ultra essentials such as hot chocolate, pierogies, and tater tots.

Wild Card

For this week’s Wild Card Race (where we feature an event you may not be familiar with), we dive into the Forgotten Florida 100 and 45-mile ultras. Taking place just east of Orlando in the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management and Seminole Ranch Conservation Areas, the courses provide a true old Florida wilderness adventure for all participants. Runners will experience stunning scenery while running through palm groves and rustic wetlands, with opportunities to see hundreds of species of birds and perhaps even a few gators sunning themselves.

Good luck to all runners and be sure to check out our complete race calendar for more races taking place this weekend.