Runners ascend Misery Ridge at the 2024 Run the Rock in Oregon. Photo: James Holk

What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — November 8, 2025

Drew Dinan
Drew Dinan

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Veteran’s Day weekend features 65 North American ultramarathons on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we’d like to take a moment and thank all the men and women who have served or are currently serving in the US Armed Forces. Upcoming events include Run the Rock, Tunnel Hill 100, Stone Mill 50, Veterans Trail Festival and CSB Backyard Ultra. If you’re a race director and would like your event to be featured in the calendar, register here.

Featured: Run The Rock (Terrebonne, OR)

The ninth annual Run the Rock kicks off this weekend in Central Oregon’s geological wonderland and rock-climbing mecca, Smith Rock State Park. The 50k participants will tackle some of the park’s best trails, including the steep ascent and descent up and over Misery Ridge, and single-track trails that run alongside the Crooked River and under towering spires, steep canyon walls and the famous Monkey Face rock formation. Runners will set off at 7 a.m. and have 10 hours to complete a course with 5,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. After the race, they can refuel with a burrito and beverages from Cascade Lakes and Athletic Brewing. Race proceeds help benefit the Ridgeview High School cross country team. Read more.

Other West Events:

Pacific

Mountain

Featured: Tunnel Hill 100 (Vienna, IL)

A frequent name on UltraRunning Magazine’s list of top performances, the Tunnel Hill 100 (100-mile, 100k and 50-mile ultra distances) features a flat and fast course built for setting records. All events are held on the Tunnel Hill State Trail in Vienna, Illinois, a 45-mile rail-to-trail path that passes through farmlands, forests, wetlands and quaint rural towns. This year’s race will serve as the 2025 USATF National Championship for 50 miles. The top 10 men and women will receive championship medals, with prize money up for grabs for the top three female and male finishers in both the 50-mile and 100-mile competitions, as well as anyone who sets a new world or course record. Read more.

Other Midwest Events:

Featured: Stone Mill 50 (Montgomery Village, MD)

The Montgomery County Road Runners Club (MCRRC) Stone Mill 50-mile trail run takes place on Saturday, November 8, at Stedwick Elementary School in Montgomery Village, Maryland. First run in 2010, the race has become a local favorite for its great trails, affordable entry fee, dedicated volunteers and supportive community vibe. Participants will run a large loop, a small loop, and an out-and-back section on the Seneca Greenway and Muddy Branch trails, where they will have to navigate plenty of rolling hills and over 4,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. The MCRRC Stone Mill 50 helps raise money for local organizations and trail stewardship. Read more.

Other South Events:

Southwest

Southeast

Featured: Veterans Trail Festival (Hookstown, PA)

The Veterans Trail Festival was established in 2022 to support veterans through Outdoor Immersion, a nonprofit organization that helps service members rebuild physical, mental, spiritual and social resilience through outdoor adventures. The event is held at the beautiful 7,572-acre Raccoon Creek State Park in Hookstown, Pennsylvania, just 30 miles outside Pittsburgh. Participants in the 50k ultramarathon distance will run a challenging loop through the park’s diverse trail systems, where they’ll traverse rocky and rooty single-track, steep ridges, deep stream valleys and over 4,500 feet of climbs and descents. Read more.

Other Northeast Events:

Featured: CSB Backyard Ultra (Montreal, QC)

Hosted by the social running club Courir Sans Ballon (CSB), the CSB Backyard Ultra is a last-person-standing event held in Frederic Back Park in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Now in its third season, the community event features a single 6.7-kilometer loop that participants will run every hour on the hour until only one runner remains. In addition to race entry, all runners will enjoy complimentary food throughout the day, on-site physiotherapy and participation prizes. The CSB Backyard Ultra helps raise funds for the Head2Core Foundation, who help bridge the gap between mental health and physical activity. Read more.

Other Events in Canada and Mexico:
  • No other events scheduled

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

Drew Dinan traded the tropics of the Florida Keys for the trails of Bend, OR. Once living the Jimmy Buffett lifestyle, working on fishing boats and owning only a single pair of flip flops, he now has way too many running shoes in his closet and never hears the end of it from his loving wife. He is on a constant quest to find the best happy hours, likes to complain when it’s cold outside, and one day hopes to travel the country writing reviews on chicken wings.

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