What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — February 21, 2026

The third weekend in February includes 36 North American ultramarathons on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we hit the trails at races in California, Missouri, West Virginia and New Jersey. If you’re a race director and would like your event to be featured in the calendar, register here.

Featured: FOURmidable (Cool, CA)

The 14th running of the FOURmidable 50k takes place this weekend at Overlook Park in Auburn, California. The course takes runners on a scenic tour of the Sierra Nevada foothills along single-track trails featuring four major climbs (for which the race is named), more than 6,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, and iconic sections of the historic Western States Trail, including No Hands Bridge. This year’s event includes a “community” prize pool. Runners were able to contribute to the prize money during registration, which will be matched 100% by Singletrack Running. An additional $500 will be awarded to any runner who sets a course record. Check out the 2019 race video. Read more on the FOURmidable race website.

Other West Events:

Pacific

• Chabot/Redtail Ridge – Inside Trail (Castro Valley, CA)
• Montara Mountain (Pacifica, CA)

Mountain

• Stories Trail Runs (Colorado Springs, CO)
• Running Up for Air | Bozeman (Bozeman, MT)
• Jackpot Ultra Running Festival (Henderson, NV)

Featured: Flat Branch Ultra (Columbia, MO)

The sold-out Flat Branch Ultra 50k takes place on a USATF-certified rails-to-trails course that begins and ends at Memorial Park in Columbia, Missouri. Named after Flat Branch Creek, the original water source for early settlers in the region, the race features a flat, fast out-and-back route that’s ideal for chasing PRs and perhaps even a state record. The event kicks off at 8 a.m., and runners have 9 hours to complete the race for an official finish. Highlights include running beneath tall bluffs and alongside the Missouri River, passing a 400-year-old burr oak tree and receiving support from four fully-stocked aid stations. Check out the course on Strava. Read more about the race here.

Other Midwest events:

• Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run (Kansas City, KS)

Featured: Cabin Fever 50K (New River Gorge National Park, WV)

The popular Cabin Fever 50K is a true winter endurance test that challenges even the burliest runners with a point-to-point journey through West Virginia’s New River Gorge National Park. The race begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday in downtown Fayetteville, West Virginia, and runners must reach Hawks Nest State Park in Ansted before 3 p.m. to earn their custom finisher medals. Along the way, they’ll navigate a net-downhill course that showcases some of the state’s most wild and wonderful scenery, including waterfalls, high ridgeline single-track trails and scenic views of the New River. Read the official 2026 Cabin Fever Race Information Packet.

Other South Events:

Southwest

• Turquoise Trail Ultra (Cedar Crest, NM)
• Jackalope Jam (Cat Springs, TX)
• Cupid’s Gauntlet (Harker Heights, TX)
• Up Around The Bend Trail Run (Bend, TX)
• Goliath’s 50 (Killeen, TX)

Southeast

• Run LOVIT (Mt Ida, AR)
• Angry Tortoise 25K/50K (Bryceville, FL)
• Swamp 50k (Palm Coast, FL)
• Painted Horse Urban Ultra (Ocala, FL)
• In the Woods 30A 50K (Santa Rosa Beach, FL)
• Space Pirate 100 (Port Canaveral, FL)
• Punch Out Ultra (Molino, FL)
• Farmdaze 24 (Brooklet, GA)
• Mt Yonah Vertical Race (Cleveland, GA)
• Red Dirt Ultra (Provencal, LA)
• Stone Mountain Massacre (Roaring Gap Ultra) (Roaring Gap, NC)
• MRT 5K to 50K (Statesville, NC)
• Holly Springs Race Against the Sun (Holly Springs, NC)
• Queen Anne’s Revenge Ultra (Greenville, NC)
• Cheraw 24 Hour (Cheraw, SC)
• River to Clouds Trail Run (Chattanooga, TN)
• Frosty Loop (McMinnville, TN)
• The Reverse Ring (Massanutten Mountains, VA)
• Froggy Mountain Warrior 100 (Galax, VA)

Featured: Febapple Frozen Fifty (Maplewood, NJ)

The 16th running of the Febapple Frozen Fifty (50-mile and 50k) takes place this weekend at South Mountain Reservation in Maplewood, New Jersey. Hosted by the NJ Trail Series, whose events are more about time on trail than setting PRs, and believe that “life is measured in family, friends, smiles, miles, and beer,” the race is a great social gathering where runners can get outside, enjoy the trails and maybe cover an ultramarathon distance along the way. Both ultras, along with shorter race options, take place on a rolling 10-mile loop course through the park. The 50-mile runners set off at 7 a.m. and have 12 hours to complete five loops. The 50k participants begin at 8 a.m. and must finish their three loops in under 11 hours. What’s a Febapple, you may be wondering? Nobody knows.

Other Northeast Events:

• Fire and Ice Run (New Lisbon, NY)

No events this weekend.

Email corys@ultrarunning with questions about adding your event to the UltraRunning Magazine calendar.