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After the record-breaking and awe-inspiring performances at the 50th Western States Endurance Run on Saturday, our UltraRunning Calendar takes a bit of a breather with two dozen events to kick off the month of July. Highlights include the Québec Mega Trail festival in Canada, the Badwater 135 starting early next week in California, a large 50k in Minnesota, a timed event in Georgia and more.
The largest ultrarunning event this weekend, and one of the biggest in Canada, is at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Beaupré, Quebec, in the form of the 11th Québec Mega Trail (QMT) starting on Thursday, June 29, and ending on Sunday, July 2. Featuring four ultra race distances (100-mile, 110k, 80k and 50k) as well as six additional sub-ultra trail race options, QMT offers something for everyone with nearly 3,000 expected participants. This beast on the east coast of Canada offers some of the most formidable trails the country has to offer. Traversing through Charlevoix to the Côte-de-Beaupré before finally summiting at legendary Mont-Sainte-Anne, no matter which distance you choose, the historic trails are bountiful. Runners will watch the sunrise over the St. Lawrence River and tackle the indomitable Mestachibo trail, known for its extreme technical difficulty. Both the women’s and men’s champions in the 100-mile race will be invited to the Le Grand Raid de la Réunion in France with their travel, accommodations and race registration fees covered. The 25k is the third stop in the North American Golden Trail National Series. Check out the live stream on their YouTube channel here and live results here.
Crisscrossing the continent, we find the Badwater 135 in Death Valley, California, starting on Tuesday, July 4. Known as one of the most grueling footraces in the world, Badwater begins at the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, the lowest elevation in North America at 280 feet below sea level. From there, it climbs 14,600 feet along the 135-mile paved course before finishing at the Whitney Portal at an altitude of 8,300 feet. Daytime highs of 115 degrees are predicted for the region on race day, making it one of the hottest ultras in the country.
In Hastings, Minnesota, we have the Afton Trail 50k on Saturday, July 1. The race started in 1994 in Afton State Park, located within the stunning St. Croix River Valley. Participants will complete two 25k loops meandering through the park’s wooded trail system. The course features include a few long climbs, rocky ravines and roughly 4,670 feet of ascent and descent, totaling around 9,340 feet of elevation gain once the dust settles. The race is sold out with 351 entrants.
Heading southeast to Dahlonega, Georgia, the Merrill’s Mile 6/12/24/48-hour races take place on Saturday, July 1. The one-mile lap has a cool 10 feet of gain and is 100% paved. Rather ironically, Dahlonega is nestled in the foothills of the iconic Blue Ridge Mountains, so the mountain vistas from the small town are abundant, even when running on level ground. Runners will change direction every 6 hours as they push for PRs.
Also on the docket this weekend include the Elijah Bristow 24-Hour Run in Eugene, Oregon, the Run Under the Stars 6/12-hour races in Corydon, Indiana, the Ansonia Six Hour Trail Run in Ansonia, Connecticut, the Firefly Dusk to Dawn Trail Race in Lewis Center, Ohio, and the Bob Marshall Trail 50k in Seeley Lake, Montana, all on Saturday, July 1. On Friday, June 30, at 7 p.m., check out the Chase the Moon Endurance Run 12-hour solo and relay in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
What did we miss? Let us know What’s Up in Ultra in your neck of the woods this weekend that we should follow by dropping a note in the comment section below.