What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — March 29

In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we list upcoming races by region, including events in Utah, Illinois, Georgia and Connecticut. You can view all 28 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: Antelope Island Buffalo Run (Syracuse, UT)

The 20th edition of the Antelope Island Buffalo Run kicks off Friday on Antelope Island, near Salt Lake City. Encompassing 42 square miles, Antelope Island is the largest of 10 islands within Utah’s Great Salt Lake and home to an abundance of wildlife including bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, badgers, porcupines and a variety of waterfowl. The event features three ultra distances, including a 100-miler, 50-miler and 50k. The 100-mile runners will run the 50-mile course twice and have 34 hours to navigate 9,200 feet of climbing. The 50-milers have 33 hours to finish and 50k participants must tackle close to 4,000 feet of elevation gain in under 32 hours. Read more.

Other West Events:

Pacific

• Montana de Oro (Los Osos, CA)
• Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 50k (Los Gatos, CA)
• Rattlesnake Dick (Cool, CA)
• Mauna Mana HMR Club Run (40-Miler) (Waimea, HI)
• Dizzy Daze (Seattle, WA)

Mountain

• Cappy’s Backyard Ultra (Panaca, NV)

Featured: Clinton Lake Ultra (De Witt, IL)

First run in 2007, the 30-mile Clinton Lake Ultra challenges runners to complete three 10-mile loops through the Clinton Lake State Recreation Area in east central Illinois. Each loop features 1,500 feet of elevation gain on almost entirely single-track trails. Race highlights include running scenic trails alongside the lake and through forests and meadows, two fully stocked aid stations per loop and a great post-race after-party. Each year, the race has donated most of the race proceeds to a variety of organizations including the Red Cross, Warrior Hike and Kickapoo Rail Trail, with this year’s event benefiting maintenance of the Clinton Trail. Read more.

Other Midwest Events:

• • Chicago Lakefront: Spring Version (Chicago, IL)
  • Schon Park 3/6/9 Endurance Runs (Glen Carbon, IL)
  • Vernal Equinox 24-12-8 Hour Run (Batavia, OH)

Featured: The Georgia Death Race (Blairsville, GA)

The Georgia Death Race takes runners on a 74-mile tour of north Georgia’s rugged and scenic mountains. The race begins in Vogel State Park, the second-oldest state park in Georgia, before traveling west and then south to the finish line in Amicalola Falls State Park in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The race begins at 5 a.m. Saturday, and runners have 25 hours to complete the course for an official finish. On the trail, runners can expect relentless climbs and descents, technical single-track trails, and around 16,000 feet of elevation gain. If that wasn’t enough, per race rules, runners must carry a one-pound railroad spike throughout the race and deposit it in a coffin at the finish line to earn their engraved finisher’s spike. Read more.

Other South Events:

Southwest

• Austin Falls Ultra (Austin, TX)
• Ricochet’s Riot (Killeen, TX)
• 3 Chaparrals 3/6 Hour Endurance Trail Run (Canyon, TX)

Southeast

• Oak Mountain (Pelham, AL)
• Blue Heron Hundreds (Mooresville, AL)
• Bourbon Country 25K/50K (Shepherdsville, KY)
• Big Racks Ultra Run (Elkhorn City, KY)
• Miocene Epic Endurance Challenge (Lusby, MD)
• Genesee Valley Ultra (Parkton, MD)
• Daufuskie Island 100 (Daufuskie Island, SC)
• Hone Quarry 40 Miler (Dayton, VA)

Featured: Sleeping Giant Trail Runs (Hamden, CT)

The inaugural Sleeping Giant 50k will take place on Sunday, March 30 in Connecticut’s Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, Connecticut. Home to over 32 miles of backcountry trails featuring woodlands, traprock ridges and scenic vistas, Sleeping Giant is a premier destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Touted as “one of the toughest, gnarliest races in the Northeast,” 50k participants will run a rugged 25k loop course twice, with over 3,000 feet of vert per loop and a 500-foot rock scramble over a 0.3-mile section. Entrants have 12 hours to finish two laps for an official finish. A portion of all race registrations go to the Sleeping Giant Park Association. Read more.

Other Northeast Events:

• Enchanted Forest Ultra Run (Stratford, CT)
• MCW Lenape Runventure (Milburn, NJ)
• Spring On The Trails Endurance Runs (Lagrangeville, NY)
• The Long Run – Spring Forward (Wind Gap, PA)

No events this weekend.