What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — May 24

We begin this week’s column by taking a moment to honor and remember the men and women who lost their lives serving in the US military. The Memorial Day weekend edition of What’s Up in Ultra features races in Oregon, Wisconsin, Virginia, Maine and Ontario. Be sure to check out all 38 upcoming races on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar.

Featured: Stumptown Trail Runs (Portland, OR)

Stumptown Trail Runs feature the only 50k trail ultramarathon held in Portland, Oregon. It takes runners on a tour of popular Forest Park, home to over 80 miles of densely forested trails set in the west hills above the city. First held in 2012, the race has hosted many local speedsters over the years who have sought to battle some of the Pacific Northwest’s best trail runners. The 50k participants will set out on Monday to navigate over 4,000 feet of vertical gain on a route that includes the iconic Wildwood Trail as well as lesser-known trails deep inside the park. Race proceeds benefit the Forest Park Conservancy. Read more.

Other West Events:

Pacific

• Cline Buttes 3/6/12hr & Last Person Standing (Redmond, OR)
• Pigtails Challenge (Renton, WA)
• Sri Chinmoy 7 & 13 Hour Races (Seattle, WA)
• Leavenworth Trail Fest (Leavenworth, WA)
• The Freedom 50 (Buckley, WA)

Mountain

• Weld Your Mettle Running Festival (Windsor, CO)
• The Ol’ College Try 24 Hour Ultra (Denver, CO)
• Rocky Mountain 50K (Laramie, WY)

Featured: The Sugar Badger 50/50 (Belleville, WI)

The Sugar Badger trail races (50-mile and 50k ultra-distances) begin and end at Belleville Community Park in Southwestern Wisconsin. Both races feature out-and-back courses that take place on the Badger and Sugar River State Trails. Runners can expect a flat, fast and soft course featuring minimal elevation gain, 99% rail trail and only 1% asphalt paths. Race highlights include scenic trails that traverse prairies, meadows, farmlands and trestle bridges, well-supported aid stations, free camping at Belleville Community Park and complimentary beer and pizza for all runners after the race courtesy of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. This is a great event for first-timers looking to enter the sport, or experienced ultrarunners gunning for a 50-mile or 50k PR. Read more.

Other Midwest Events:

• • Hawthorn Half Day Relay & Ultra (Terre Haute, IN)
  • Back 9 Endurance Run (Copper Harbor, MI)
  • Crown of the Crest (Fremont, NE)
  • Fools 2-4-8 Hour Trail Run (Peninsula, OH)
  • Bunk House Trail Runs (Dousman, WI)

Featured: Capital Backyard Ultra (Lorton, VA)

The sixth annual Capital Backyard Ultra kicks off Saturday at Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area in Lorton, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC. Designed to give runners their best shot at earning an at-large entry into the 2025 Big’s World Backyard Ultra Championships, Capital Backyard Ultra features runnable day and night courses built for high mileage performances, a professional kitchen fueling runners after each loop, and an experienced group of backyard ultra volunteers helping to push runners as far as they can go. As with all official backyard ultra events, competitors will run a 4.167-mile loop that will begin on the hour, every hour until only one runner remains. Read more.

Other South Events:

Southwest

• Ultra Cheii 100 Mile, 50 Mile, Marathon, and Relay (Tijeras, NM)
• High Hope Endurance Run (Glen Rose, TX)
• River’s Edge Trail Race (Georgetown, TX)
• Austin’s Backyard Marathon (Lago Vista, TX)
• Flagstaff Doggie Dash & Ultra Bash! (Flagstaff, AZ)

Southeast

• Feel The Burn Trail Runs (North Little Rock, AR)
• The Underground Circus 100 (Atlanta, GA)
• Run Across Georgia (Tybee Island, GA)
• Southern Chicken Fried (Louisville, GA)
• May Madness 50k (Hoffman, NC)
• Johnston Woods Trail Festival (Cleveland, TN)
• Coalfields Backyard Ultra (Williamson, WV)
• Sweat, Swat ‘n Swear! (Inverness, FL)

Featured: Trail Festival at Pineland Farms (New Gloucester, ME)

The fifth annual Trail Festival at Pineland Farms takes place at Pineland Farms, a 5,000-acre working farm, business campus, educational and recreational venue located in New Gloucester, Maine. The event includes three ultra distances, including a 50k, 100k and 30-hour race, all featuring mostly rolling double-track trails set in a beautiful rural landscape. The 50k and 100k entrants will run a 25k loop, while 30-hour runners will complete as many laps as they can on a 10k loop. Race highlights include a kids’ race, beer garden, fresh local food and live music. Read more.

Other Northeast Events:

• Manchester to Monadnock Ultramarathon (Manchester, NH)
• Highland Forest 1-2-3 (Fabius, NY)
• Bubbletown What The Duck Ultra (Boiling Springs, PA)
• Holy Cowan’s Gap 50K (Fort Loudon, PA)

Featured: Sulphur Springs Trail Race (Hamilton, Ontario)

Ontario’s longest-running ultramarathon, Sulphur Springs Trail Race (50k, 50-mile, 100k and 100-mile ultra distances) takes place on a 20k loop course on the scenic trails of the Dundas Valley Conservation Area in Hamilton, Ontario. Each loop includes a beautiful forest setting, waterfalls, a variety of plants and wildlife and 490 meters of elevation gain. Thanks to the great turnout and performances from runners in 2024, the Sulphur Springs Trail Race became the first Western States qualifying race in Ontario. Both the 100k and 100-mile races earned qualifying spots for the 2026 Western States lottery. The 100-mile lottery hopefuls must complete their races in under 30 hours, while 100k runners have 18 hours. Read more.

Other Events in Canada and Mexico:

• Selkirk Slacker 12hr Ultra Trail Run & Relay (Golden, BC)
• Paradise Backyard Ultra (Paradise, NL)

Email corys@ultrarunning with questions about adding your event to the UltraRunning Magazine calendar.