What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — October 18, 2025

The third weekend of October features 75 North American ultramarathons on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we highlight events in California, Minnesota, Tennessee, New Hampshire and Quebec, Canada. If you’re a race director and would like your event to be featured in the calendar, register here.

Featured: California Fall Classic (Healdsburg, CA)

The California Fall Classic 100K (formerly known as Lake Sonoma 100K) features 100k and 55k races on the shores of beautiful Lake Sonoma in the heart of California wine country. The 100k runners will set off at 5 a.m. on Saturday to complete a mostly out-and-back course on a roller coaster of ups and downs, totaling over 13,250 feet of elevation gain. Participants who finish in under 18 hours will snag a late-season 2026 Western States qualifier. The 55k runners will also start at 5 a.m. and attempt to navigate almost 7,000 feet of elevation gain. Other race highlights include free camping, live music on the course and delicious local food, wine and beer. Proceeds from the event help support the Children of Vineyard Workers Scholarship Fund. Read more.

Other West Events:

Pacific

• Tahoe Midnight Express Ultra 72 (Lake Tahoe, CA)
• Lake Hodges Trail Fest (San Diego, CA)
• Cahuilla Rez Ultra (Anza, CA)
• The Jackalope Lope (Redding, CA)
• rnnr FAT ASS 2/4/6 Hour (Redlands, CA)
• Rogue Gorge (Union Creek, OR)
• Larch Madness (Twisp, WA)
• RIVER RIDGE ULTRA (SPOKANE, WA)

Mountain

• Indian Creek Trail Runs (Sedalia, CO)
• Bobcat Trail Races (Colorado Springs, CO)
• Sheriff’s Shootout (Mancos, CO)
• City to Sky 50K (Missoula, MT)
• Pony Express Trail Run (Faust, UT)
• Antelope Island 50K (Syracuse, UT)
• Jordan River Backyard (South Jordan, UT)

Featured: Wild Duluth Races (Duluth, MN)

Founded in 2009, the Wild Duluth Races (100k and 50k ultra distances) take place on Northern Minnesota’s rocky and rugged Superior Hiking Trail. The 100k begins at 6 a.m. on Saturday at Bayfront Park in Duluth. Participants will have 18 hours to finish a technical and challenging out-and-back course that features around 10,000 feet of climbs and descents and offers runners scenic views of Duluth, the St. Louis River and the gorgeous fall scenery. The 50k athletes will begin at 8 a.m. and run a point-to-point course gaining close to 5,000 feet of elevation. After the race, runners can warm up and recover with the local restaurant Grandma’s “famous chicken wild rice soup and vegetarian tomato red pepper soup.” Read more.

Other Midwest Events:

• • Mines of Spain 100 (Dubuque, IA)
  • Meyerhoff’s Mayhem (Cedar Falls, IA)
  • Shake Your Trail Feather Trail Run (Charleston, IL)
  • St. Pats 24 Hour Race (South Bend, IN)
  • Tecumseh Trail Challenge (Nashville, IN)
  • The Unbridled 50 Mile (Hillsdale, KS)
  • Surf the Murph (Savage, MN)
  • Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ Loopet Loppet (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Minnie Ha Ha 6 & 12 hour run (St. Louis, MO)
  • Lion King Backyard Ultra (Rolla, MO)
  • Busiek Crazy 8s (Highlandville, MO)
  • GOATZ Trail Runs (Omaha, NE)
  • Bohemian Alps 50K (Brainard, NE)
  • Rule the Roost (Chillicothe, OH)
  • The Ceely Rose Twelve Hour Survival Run (Lucas, OH)
  • Double Days 48 Hour Race (West Alexandria, OH)
  • Black River Trail Classic (Black River Falls, WI)

Featured: Big’s Backyard Ultra (Bell Buckle, TN)

The top backyard endurance athletes from around the world will gather this weekend in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, for Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, the 2025 Backyard Ultra World Individual Championship. As with all official backyard ultras, runners will set off to complete a 4.167-mile loop every hour on the hour, alternating between the trail in the daytime and roads at night, until only one runner remains. This year’s field includes 75 runners representing an impressive 40 different countries. While it’s impossible to predict which one of these amazing endurance athletes will go farthest, some top names to keep an eye on include Megan Eckert, Phil Gore, Scott Snell, Lukasz Wrobel, Harvey Lewis and Frank Gielen. Read more.

Other South Events:

Southwest

• Man Against Horse (Prescott, AZ)
• Cactus to Cloud Sky Race (Cloudcroft, NM)
• Gila 100 (Silver City, NM)
• Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd (Tahlequah, OK)
• Palo Duro Trail Run (Amarillo, TX)
• Oktoberfest Trail Run Festival (Farmersville, TX)
• Hula Loop 6-Hour Sunday Series – Race 4 (Hurst, TX)
• Death by 5k Tyler (Tyler, TX)
• Inks Lake Trail Run/Ruck (Burnet, TX)
• Big Tex Backyard Ultra (Houston, TX)

Southeast

• Yo Amo Amarillo (Pelham, AL)
• Delaware Trail Fest (Bear, DE)
• The Itch (Ocala, FL)
• Commodore 24 Hour Challenge (Panama City, FL)
• Chattabrewchee Invitational (Columbus, GA)
• The New Orleans Ultramarathon (New Orleans, LA)
• Clear Creek Ultra (Crystal Springs, MS)
• Uwharrie 100 Mile and 100K Trail Run (Troy, NC)
• Uwharrie Gold Rush (Mt Gilead, NC)
• Viewpoint Endurance Challenge 24.12.6.3hr (Cherokee, NC)
• Delirium Ultra 24 Hour Run (Beaufort, SC)
• Walking Tall 50/25K (Pocahontas, TN)
• Cotton Pickin 50K (Mercer, TN)
• Piedmont 8 Hour Run (Powhatan, VA)
• Bivanna trail extravaganza (Charlottesville, VA)

Featured: Ghost Train Trail Races (Brookline, NH)

The festive Halloween-themed Ghost Train Trail Race is back for its 17^th season. The popular event includes a 30-mile “haunted” night race, as well as the flagship event, a 30-hour ultramarathon, in which runners attempt to complete as many 15-mile out-and-back sections as possible before the clock runs out. Both races take place in Brookline, New Hampshire, on the flat, fast and potentially spooky Granite Town Rail Trail, a historic railroad bed that was scrapped for metal during World War II. Ghost Train Trail Race is proud to be a Pride on Foot partner and has raised $285,000 for trail improvements in New Hampshire. Read more in the Ghost Train Trail Race handbook.

Other Northeast Events:

• Bimblers Bluff (Guilford, CT)
• WWII Veterans Memorial Trail Weighted Race (Mansfield, MA)
• Frost Fixed-Time (Orono, ME)
• BadgerPalooza (Williamston, NJ)
• Tesla Hertz Run (Rocky Point, NY)
• Nocturnal 12 (Greece, NY)
• Presque Isle Personal Endurance Classic (Erie, PA)
• Sinnemahone Ultra Marathon (Emporium, PA)
• Call of the Wilds Mountain Fest (Waterville, PA)
• MuleSkinner Endurance Races (Upper Black Eddy, PA)

Featured: Bromont Ultra (Bromont, QC)

Established in 2014, the Bromont Ultra takes place amidst the beautiful fall colors in the southern Quebec City of Bromont, at the base of Mont Brome. The multi-sport event features three ultramarathon distances (160k, 80k and 55k), shorter run distances and a bike race. Participants in the 160k (Quebec’s first 100-mile race) have 35 hours to tackle 6,666 meters of elevation gain and loss, with the men’s and women’s winners receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to race in the Italian Alps in 2026. The 80k runners have 17.5 hours to complete a course with 3,333 meters (10,935 feet) of vert, and 50k athletes must navigate 2,382 meters (7,814 feet) of ups and downs in under 11 hours. Since 2014, Bromont has raised over $4,000,000 for various causes. Read more.

Other Events in Canada and Mexico:

• Salomon Bay 50/50 (Halifax, NS)
• Creemore Vertical Challenge (Creemore, ON)
• Phoenix Trail Races (London, ON)

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