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It’s hard to believe, but we’ve already reached May on our UltraRunning Calendar and this weekend there are over 50 events to choose from. Highlights include a 40-miler in Tennessee, a 100k just north of San Francisco, a 50-miler in Oregon with a large prize purse and a three-day race starting on Monday, May 8, in New Jersey.
Kicking things off is a race that has endured for over four decades: the 45th annual Strolling Jim™ 40-miler in Wartrace, Tennessee, on Saturday, May 6 at 7 a.m. The single-loop course is hilly and features paved and dirt roads. There are 209 entrants, but most notably, Dink Taylor from Huntsville, Alabama, is going for his 37th consecutive finish, dating back to 1987.
Next, we hop over to the West Coast to the Miwok 100k in Stinson Beach, California, starting on Saturday at 5 a.m. Featuring the pristine trails of Mount Tamalpais, the Marin Headlands and views of the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay Area, the race boasts nearly 12,000 feet of elevation gain. This historic 100k is still fairly runnable. Read: Miwalking by Drew Dinan.
At the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, New Jersey, the 3 Days at the Fair offers six different race distances on a USATF-certified, 1-mile, flat loop on pavement with approximately 5% crushed gravel. The 144-hour race begins on Monday, May 8, and the remaining events start Thursday through Saturday and include 6/12/24/48/72-hour options. There are still spots left on RunSignup.
In Timber, Oregon, the Tillamook Burn 50-miler point-to-point is offering a $6,000 prize purse on Saturday. “The Burn” is a festive Pacific Northwest springtime trail running tradition, staged at historic Reehers Camp in the lush and rugged Tillamook State Forest, halfway between Portland and the Oregon coast. Participants will be treated to waterfalls, stream crossings and various shades of green, as brilliant spring foliage lines every inch of the course. There are also 50k and 100-mile stage race options that start on Friday, with a 20-mile prologue.
Additional events on our UltraRunning Calendar include, but are definitely not limited to, the Collegiate Peaks Trail Run 50-miler in Buena Vista, Colorado, the Quad Rock 50-miler in Fort Collins, Colorado, the Heartland 50-miler in Cassoday, Kansas, the Island Time 6/12/24-hour races in Brighton, Michigan, and the Riverlands 100-miler in Turner, Maine, all on Saturday, May 6 as well. Starting on Friday, May 5, is the Salt Flat Endurance Runs 50k/50-miler/100-miler in Wendover, Utah.
Where are you racing this weekend? Be sure to drop a note in the comments so everyone can follow along with What’s Up in Ultra in your local community.