What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — March 4

Despite some bitter cold temperatures around the country, What’s Up in Ultra warmly welcomes March to our UltraRunning Calendar with the West Coast’s largest 50k, the USATF National Road 100-mile Championships as well as a collection of other events crisscrossing the country.

In the Sierra foothills in Cool, California, we kick things off with the 33rd Way Too Cool 50K on Saturday, March 4. This is a race known to serve up a helping of early season 50k personal records to some 500 or so runners the first weekend of March each year. In 2022, Way Too Cool had the third highest number of finishers across all ultramarathons in North America with 541, and the field looks similarly deep for 2023. The course consists of two loops and spends time on the Western States Trail. Runners to watch out for include:

Lindsay Allison of Telluride, Colorado: first, 2022 Woodside Ramble 50k

Katie Asmuth of Mammoth Lakes, California: ninth, 2022 Western States 100

Addie Bracy of Denver, Colorado: first, 2022 Speedgoat 50k

Emma McCune of San Francisco, California: first, 2022 Quad Dipsea

Kristina Randrup of Berkeley, California: fifth, 2023 FOURmidable 50k

Natalie Sandoval of Phoenix, Arizona: fourth, 2022 JFK 50

Katherine Short of Lahaina, Hawaii: fifth, 2023 Bandera 100k

Sophia Steffens of Larkspur, California: third, 2022 Quad Dipsea

Leah Yingling of Salt Lake City, Utah: sixth, 2022 Western States 100

Ryan Becker of Mountain Village, Colorado: third, 2022 Way Too Cool 50K

Preston Cates of Flagstaff, Arizona: third, 2022 JFK 50

Craig Hunt of Flagstaff, Arizona: second, 2023 FOURmidable 50k

Gabriel Kline of San Diego, California: first, Mt. Tam 50k

Elan Lieber of Richmond, California: 10th, 2022 JFK 50

Chris Myers of Los Angeles, California: fourth, 2023 Bandera 100k

Rajpaul Pannu of Hercules, California: first, 2022 Tunnel Hill 50

Sam Robinson of Oakland, California: second, 2022 Dick Collins Firetrails 50

Check out the full entrants list here and read: Way Too Much Fun at the 25th Running of Way Too Cool 50k by UltraRunning publisher Karl Hoagland.

Down in Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada, the 10th annual Jackpot Ultra Running Festival not only offers  6/12/24/48-hour and 50-mile race options, but it’s also playing host again to the USATF National Road 100-mile Championships starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 3. There will be 67 athletes tackling a 1.17-mile road loop at Cornerstone Park for year-long bragging rights. We expect Sally McRae of Huntington Beach, California, Heather Huggins from Monrovia, California, Megan Eckert out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Pam Reed of Jackson, Wyoming, to lead the charge for the women. In the men’s race, keep your eyes on Zach Bitter of Austin, Texas, Zach Merrin from North Canton, Ohio, Pete Kostelnick out of Phoenix, Arizona, and Sam Skeels of Adrian, Michigan

In Laurel, Mississippi, check out the Carl Touchstone Memorial Mississippi Trail 100-miler starting on Friday, March 3, as well as the accompanying 50k/50-mile races beginning on Saturday, March 4. Don’t miss the Delano Park 12-hour and 50-mile races in Decatur, Alabama, the Monument Valley Ultra 50/50 in Monument Valley, Utah, and the Foothills Ultra (Conquer the Rock) 50k in Pickens, South Carolina, all on Saturday. If you’re south of the border, get to Urique, Mexico, for the Ultra Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra 50-miler on Sunday, March 5.  

Now’s your chance — where are you lining up this weekend? Let us know below. Come on back to the “voice of the sport” on Sunday for our Ultra Weekend Recap and subscribe to our Thursday newsletter for even more content on your favorite sport.