What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — October 14

Welcome to the heart of fall when our UltraRunning Calendar seems to pick up the pace. This week we have 60 events happening across the country. In San Francisco, there’s a 50/50 where a world record went down last year, a 240-miler in Moab, Utah, a triple header in the heart of Central Appalachia and more.

Last year at the Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance Run in San Francisco, California, Fresno native CJ Albertson called his shot and established a new 50k World Record. The race, named after pioneering ultrarunner Ruth Anderson, returns for its 36th year on Saturday, October 14. The course is roughly seven 4.5-mile loops around Lake Merced with approximately 100 feet of gain/loss per lap. While no world records are expected to be broken, there’s still likely to be some fast times. Read: Record at The Ruth from the December 2022/January 2023 issue.

The staggering red rocks of Moab, Utah, and the surrounding landscape are where we find the final event of the Triple Crown of 200s: the Moab 240. The race begins in Moab on Friday, October 13, and runs west through the Colorado River canyons to the Abajo Mountains, and then north to the La Sal Mountains, along the Porcupine Rim back into Moab — one huge 240-mile loop collecting nearly 30,000 feet of elevation gain and descent. Read: A Win at Moab 240 by Jessi Morton-Langehaug about her title from 2020.

Heading east to Norton, Virginia, the Cloudsplitter 100 also takes place on Saturday. Whether entrants are lining up at the 50k, 100k or marquee 100-mile event, each out-and-back course provides plenty of vertical gain and loss along rugged, rocky and remote trails within the Jefferson National Forest. Purportedly, on a clear day, four other states including West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, can be seen from the high point on the course: the 4,223-foot High Knob of the Cumberland Mountains. Read: Mountains in the Mist by Ryan D. Kerin about the 2018 race.

The UltraRunning Calendar has other races to check out wherever you are on the continent. Check out Rogue Gorge 50k in Union Creek, Oregon, the Cape Fear 24 Hour in Lillington, North Carolina, the High Bridge Ultra 50k in Pamplin, Virginia, the Euchre Bar Massacre 50-miler in Foresthill, California, the Canyon De Chelly Ultra 55k on the Navajo Reservation, Arizona, the Sage Burner 50k in Gunnison, Colorado, the Indiana Trail 50/75/100-milers in Albion, Indiana, and the Ghost Train Trail Races (seven distances to choose from) in Brookline, New Hampshire. 

Keep your eyes peeled on Sunday evening for results from the above races and more. If you haven’t already, subscribe to our Thursday morning newsletter to get more from UltraRunning. What race are you attending that we forgot to mention? Leave a link and comment below.