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Another jam-packed weekend of ultrarunning is on deck, with over 40 races on the UltraRunning Magazine calendar. Let’s jump right into the action in this week’s What’s Up in Ultra.
Bighorn
We start in Dayton, Wyoming, for the Bighorn Trail Runs (100-mile, 52-mile and 32-mile races). First held in 1993 with 50-mile and 50k events (the 100-mile race was added in 2002), Bighorn has developed a reputation for its stunning natural beauty, rugged and challenging trails and of course, the legendary shoe-swallowing mud. The classic 100-mile event is held on a wild and remote out-and-back course that crosses through the Little Bighorn and Tongue River areas of the Bighorn National Forest where runners might encounter black bears, moose, mountain lions or rattlesnakes, in addition to the potential for extreme mountain weather. The course has 20,500 feet of climbing and 20,750 feet of descent, with over 75% of the race taking place on technical single-track trails. Runners have 34 hours to earn an official finish and a Hardrock 100 qualifier. Participants in the 52-mile and 32-mile distances will run point-to-point net downhill courses that end in Dayton, Wyoming. The 52-mile race features around 8,000 feet of climbing and nearly 13,000 feet of descent, while the 32-mile has over 4,000 feet of climbing and around 8,000 of elevation loss.
Six Days in the Dome
Next, we leave the challenging Bighorn mountain trails for a flat, climate-controlled track in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Created specifically for going after world, national and age group records, Six Days in the Dome takes place on a USATF-certified 443.445-meter indoor oval track inside the Pettit National Ice Center where temperatures hold steady between the ideal running temps of 50-55-degrees. This year’s event features a new 10-day race which kicks off on Thursday, as well as a 24-hour invitational race on Saturday and 12, 24, 48, 72 and 144-hour races taking place throughout the week. You can follow all the action on the Six Days in the Dome live stream.
Tahoe 200
Back on the trails, we head to Homewood, California, for the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run. The first established single-loop 200-mile trail race in the US, the Tahoe 200 circumnavigates stunning Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America, with the majority of the race taking place on the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail. During their journey, runners will have 105 hours to navigate over 35,000 feet of elevation gain, while traversing peaks and ridgelines of the Sierra and Carson Mountain Ranges. Participants will have 11 full aid stations to help them along the way, with three aid stations designated as sleep stations. All finishers receive an artist-made belt buckle, a finisher’s print and glass, and their Hardrock 100 qualifier.
Wildcard: Ultra Trail Gaspesia 100
In this week’s Wild Card Race (where we feature an event you may not be familiar with), we journey north to the city of Percé, Quebec, for the ninth edition of the Ultra Trail Gaspesia 100. This race caught my attention for its picturesque location, complete with miles of beautiful coastline, a storybook village and a backdrop of the famous Percé Rock. The Ultra Trail Gaspesia features four ultra distances (100-mile, 100k, 80k and 55k), as well as stage races, relays and shorter trail options over the three-day event. The 100-mile race challenges runners with close to 17,000 feet of elevation gain (only a 20% historical finisher rate), while the 100k chalks in with around 11,000 feet. Currently there are over 1,000 runners from nine different countries participating in the various events. Read more on the official race website.
Other upcoming events include Highlands Sky (Davis, WV), River of No Returns (Challis, ID), Run for Kids Challenge (Pelham, AL), Vulture Vista (Greencastle, IN), North Sun Ultra (Edmonton, AB), Rose Canyon (Herriman, UT), Fire Trail Running Festival (Spring Branch, TX), Summer Trailfest Ultra (Laingsburg, MI), Mid-State Mile (Franklin, TN), Tiger Mountain (Issaquah, WA) and Niagara Ultra (Niagara on the Lake, ON).
Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!