If you thought you could take a breather after last week’s excitement across the country on the UltraRunning Calendar, think again. This week we have a few epic hundreds, some mountain 50ks, a backyard bash and even a couple of fixed time ultras.
Kicking the weekend off in Easton, Washington, is the 23rd Annual Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run on Friday, July 22 at 9 a.m. Instead of their normal late August race date, this 2022 edition is being held about a month early. The 173 entrants in Cascade Crest get to indulge in 22,000 feet of climbing, approximately 32 miles of Pacific Crest Trail running, a 2.3-mile passing through the Snoqualmie Tunnel and one of the best trail parties out there. Phil Shaw of Everett, Washington, knows—he’s on the start list and looking for his 17th finish at the classic PNW 100-mile race. Live tracking will be available here.
Two 100-milers that are arguably as challenging, if not more so, than last weekend’s Hardrock 100-Mile Endurance Run, begin on Friday, July 22. In Ouray, Colorado, at 8 a.m. is the Ouray 100 Mile Endurance Run (and accompanying 50-miler that starts on Saturday, July 23). With over 40,000 feet of gain, this rugged and stunning route in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado is a true test of determination and grit at a high elevation. Besides the well-earned belt buckle for finishing in under 52 hours, race leaders get to compete for a cash prize purse. The top female 100-mile finisher will receive $1,250 and the top male will win $1,000. For the 50-miler, the women’s champion will take home $625, while the first man will net $500. Live tracking here.
Just about three-and-a-half hours east of Ouray in Salida, Colorado, we find the High Lonesome 100 starting at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 22 in the Sawatch range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. With almost 22,000 feet of vertical gain and reaching an elevation of 13,150 feet, this race is no cakewalk. Runners get to enjoy time on the Continental Divide and Colorado Trail and will make their way through two ghost towns, cross over five alpine passes and much more. The cutoff for this race is 36 hours and live runner tracking can be found here.
At the Snowbird Resort in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range on Saturday, July 23 at 6:30 a.m. is the 15th Annual Speedgoat 50k. The race consists of 11,800 feet of ascent and descent almost entirely above 9,000 feet. Noted as one of the most technical and steep mountainous 50k events in North America, Speedgoat boasts a prize purse of $7,000 with winners taking home $2,000 each, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third. Bring your poles and the burliest shoes in your arsenal. Last minute registration is available at the expo on Thursday and Friday at Snowbird.
Finishing off our What’s Up in Ultra highlights this week with something a little flatter, we have the Loopty Loop Ultra 4/8/12-hour races in Rochester Hills, Michigan, on Saturday, July 23. The 3.1-mile loop course is a collection of fire road and single-track dirt with a mixture of roots and rocks. The 12-hour begins at 7 a.m., the 8-hour at 7:30 a.m. and the 4-hour at 9 a.m.
Additional races happening on Saturday, July 23 include the Standhope 100m/60k in Ketchum, Idaho, the Endless Summer 6 Hour Run in Annapolis, Maryland, the Hell Hath No Hurry 50k/50m in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Last at the Lake backyard and 50k in West Point Lake, Georgia, and the Elkhorn Crest 50k/50m in Sumpter, Oregon.
What did we miss? Let us know What’s Up in Ultra in your neck of the woods this weekend that we should follow along with by dropping a note in the comment section below.
