Ready or not, we’ve nearly made it to 2022 and our UltraRunning Calendar is loaded from the get go. As we mentioned in last week’s WUIU, the Across the Years 10-day is rolling strong, one of the few events all year that covers multiple weeks. In addition, we have events from Hilo, HI, to San Francisco, CA, Huntsville, AL, and just about everywhere in between.
Kicking off New Year’s Eve in style on Friday, December 31, is the Go Big 260-mile, 100-mile and 50k races on the Big Island in Hilo, HI. All three distances are 100% pavement and the two shorter ultras boast more descending than climbing. Talk about a great way to coast into the New Year!
In San Francisco, CA, we have the New Year’s One Day 6/12/24-hour races. The course is a USATF-certified one-mile loop along the popular promenade and around the lagoon at Crissy Field with amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Marin Headlands. Arguably, this is one of the most scenic one-mile loops in the Bay Area.
The Snowdrop Ultra in Sugar Land, TX, is a fairly unique 55-hour event. Also distinctive is the .69045-mile USATF-certified loop course. One can’t argue its popularity though, boasting 150+ finishers in 2019. No snow is anticipated to fall during the race, so don’t be disappointed. The festivities begin Thursday, December 30, at 7 a.m. CST, and the forecast is calling for a high of 83 degrees.
Looking to recuperate from the high-caloric intake of the holidays? Look no further than the HTC Recover From the Holidays 50k in Huntsville, AL. This no-frills, low-cost 50k event is happening for the 22nd time on New Year’s Eve at the Huntsville Cross Country Running Park. The 3-mile cross-country-style loop course features a total of 3,500 feet of elevation change over the 31 miles and is sold out.
Northern Wisconsin is where you’re apt to find the wintery weather race you are in search of: the 28th Annual Tuscobia Winter Ultra. This run, bike or ski event held on the Tuscobia State Trail (a former cross-state railway) in Park Falls, WI, has two distances to choose from: 80 or 160 miles. The 160-mile race is a qualifying event for the Iditarod Trail Invitational, and Friday’s winner will be provided with a paid entry ($1,400+ value) into the historic Alaskan race. Race day highs are forecasted in the teens, and lows are predicted to go sub-zero.
Not to be missed, and all taking place on New Year’s Day are the Croom Zoom 50/100k in Brooksville, FL, the Red Eye 50k in Triangle, VA, and the aptly named Run Your Past Off in Valders, WI.
We can’t possibly cover them all, so please keep us in the know about What’s Up in Ultra in your community this weekend by leaving a comment below. Do you also have an event you’re excited about next weekend that we should include in WUIU for January 8, 2022? Let us know about that one, too.
3 comments
Across The Years/Aravaipa are putting on a good show again, especially the 6-day. The comeback of short-loop courses has made multidays feasible and, dare I say it, far more mainstream than in yesteryears. Especially, more women are trying it.
Across the Years update: 4-time Wasatch champion (going back to 1980) Laurel Jean Staton is in the 48-hour, and 86-year-old Eugene Bruckert patiently rolled up 100 miles in the 3-day. They’re still battling it out in the 6- and 10-day!
What an incredible battle it was! Fun to follow along.