In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we list upcoming races by region, including events in Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee and New Jersey. You can view all 42 of this weekend’s races in the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. If you’re a race director and would like your event to be featured on the calendar, register here.
Featured: Behind the Rocks Ultra (Moab, UT)
First run in 2014, the Behind the Rocks Ultra (50-mile and 50k ultra distances) takes runners on a scenic tour of Utah’s Colorado Plateau where they’ll navigate challenging slickrock trails and experience a diverse topography complete with iconic Navajo Sandstone domes, desert canyons, sheer cliffs, colorful rock formations and distant mountain peaks. The 50-mile runners will have 14 hours to navigate nearly 6,800 feet of elevation gain and loss, while 50k runners have 12 hours to tackle over 3,800 feet of vert. All runners are welcome to camp for free at the start/finish line and to enjoy a fun-filled weekend hanging out with this great running community. Read more.
Other West Events:
Pacific
- White Mountains 100 (Fairbanks, AK)
- Redwood Trail Run (Spring) (Oakland, CA)
- San Diego Pirate’s Cove 6/12/24 Hour Run/Walk (Cuyamaca Lake, CA)
- VALENCIA Trail Race (Valencia, CA)
- South Hills Single Track Trail Run – Spring (San Jose, CA)
- The Big Alta (Marinwood, CA)
- Bad Ass Backyard Ultra (Rio Linda, CA)
- The Owyhee Off-Road Challenge (Adrian, OR)
- Badger Mountain Challenge (Richland, WA)
Mountain
- Trail Trashed Ultra (Las Vegas, NV)
Featured: Prairie Spirit Trail (Ottawa, KS)
Established in 2013, Prairie Spirit Trail features four ultra distances including 100 miles, 100k, 50 miles and 50k. All events take place on Kansas’ first rails-to-trail site which spans 52 miles over three counties and ten quaint rural communities and passes through diverse ecosystems, including agricultural lands, riparian areas and tallgrass prairies. Runners will start in Ottawa, Kansas and complete out-and-back courses that turn around at various points that correspond with their race distances. The flat and fast terrain, combined with a friendly atmosphere and an easy-to-crew course, makes this an ideal event for ultra beginners looking to tackle a new distance. Read more.
Other Midwest Events:
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- Skunk Ape 806 (Dixon, IL)
- OPSF5050 (Spencer, IN)
- Three Creeks Torrent Trail Runs (Columbia, MO)
- Ohio’s Backyard Ultra (Lucasville, OH)
Featured: The Barkley Marathons (Frozen Head State Park, TN)
The much anticipated Barkley Marathons kicked off Tuesday in Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. After last year’s race saw the most finishers in the race’s history (five), it will be interesting to see what Laz throws at this year’s participants. We can be sure he won’t be making the course any easier! For a quick review, Barkley runners will attempt to complete five 20-mile off-trail loops on incredibly gnarly terrain without the assistance of course markings or GPS. Runners have 12 hours to navigate each loop; while tearing out pages from books along the way to prove they completed the route. Only 20 runners have completed all five laps since the inaugural race in 1986. Read more.
*Update: The Barkley Marathons has ended. There are no finishers.
Other South Events:
Southwest
- Crown King Scramble (Phoenix, AZ)
- Ramble In The Brambles (Muenster, TX)
Southeast
- Hungryland 100 (West Palm Beach, FL)
- Loopapalooza (Jacksonville, FL)
- Diamondback 8 hour ultra (Estero, FL)
- Yeti 7-11 Hour Endurance Challenge (Lithia Springs, GA)
- 3 of 7 Project Trail Race (Summerville, GA)
- Southern States 200 (Rocky Face, GA)
- HAT Trail Run (Havre de Grace, MD)
- Badwater Cape Fear (Bald Head Island, NC)
- Blackbeard’s Revenge 100 (Corolla, NC)
- Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker (Old Fort, NC)
- Mosquito Endurance Run (Atlantic Beach, NC)
- The Swamp Fox Ultra (McClellanville, SC)
- Camp Croft (Spartanburg, SC)
- Pistol Ultra Run (Alcoa, TN)
- Big Buffalo 50 (Memphis, TN)
- Terrapin Mountain (Big Island, VA)
- Dogwood Ultra Marathons (Chesterfield, VA)
- Canebreaker 200 (Atlanta, GA)
Featured: The MT TAMMANY 10 (Delaware Water Gap, NJ)
The MT TAMMANY 10 challenges runners to complete 10 summit loops of New Jersey’s Mt. Tammany, totaling over 40 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation gain. Runners will start at 6 a.m. on Saturday at the Kittatinny Parking Lot Pavilion, before setting off for one of the most scenic and challenging sections of the Delaware Water Gap. On the trail, runners can expect technical trails, steep climbs and descents, river crossings, waterfalls and great mountain views. Entrants have 12 hours to complete the race. Read more.
Other Northeast Events:
- TARC To Hale and Back (Westwood, MA)
- Terror of Tammany! (Columbia, NJ)
- March Madness (April Foolish 10 HR) (Birdsboro, PA)
- The Bullshit Backyard Ultra (Lenoxville, PA)
