What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — September 28

The first weekend of fall kicks off with 59 events on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar. In this week’s What’s Up in Ultra, we feature races in Utah, Virginia, Vermont and New Mexico. Let’s hit the trails.

The Bear 100

We begin in Logan, Utah, for the 26^th consecutive running of the Bear 100. While I’m still haunted by memories of my first DNF at this race (shoutout to my pacer Cean for helping us escape the porcupine encounter), I can’t think of a better event to kick off the fall ultramarathon season. The point-to-point race begins in the Logan Dry Canyon and finishes in Fish Haven, Idaho, at Bear Lake. Along the way, runners will travel through the Wasatch-Cache National Forest where they’ll be challenged with over 22,000 feet of elevation gain and rewarded with the bright fall colors. The race begins on Friday morning and runners will have 36 hours to complete the challenging course and earn their Hardrock 100 qualifier. Special buckles are awarded to athletes based on their finish time. The 30-36-hour runners receive a black bear buckle, 24-30-hour runners take home a grizzly bear buckle and sub-24-hour runners earn the coveted wolverine buckle.

Yeti 100

Our second stop takes us to Abingdon, Virginia, for the 10^th annual Yeti 100 Mile Endurance Run. An East Coast favorite, the Yeti 100 is described as the perfect event for 100-mile newbies as well as runners looking for their first sub-24-hour finish. The race begins Friday and takes place on the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail, the country’s only national scenic rail-to-recreation trail, and showcases the beautiful countryside of southwest Virginia. During their journey, runners will pass by farmlands and fields, dense forests, numerous streams and creeks and too many trestle crossings to count. This is a fast course, with over 3,000 feet of ascent and nearly 11,000 feet of descent. Participants will have 30 hours to finish the race and get their Western States 100 qualifier, with sub-24-hour finishers earning a special Yeti buckle.

Vermont 50

Heading north, we journey to West Windsor, Vermont, for the 31^st annual Vermont 50 (50-mile and 50k races). Established in 1993, VT50 has earned a reputation for not only the stunning scenery, but also for the community of runners and volunteers that gather each year at Mount Ascutney. In addition to the two ultramarathons, the weekend’s events include a 50-mile mountain bike race, team relay, kids race and a variety of family-friendly activities, with proceeds benefiting Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. Both ultra races kick off on Sunday with 50-mile participants having 12 hours to navigate 8,900 feet of rolling vertical gain, and 50k runners allowed 10 hours and 30 minutes to tackle 5,600 feet of climbing.

Wildcard: Mt. Taylor 50k

In this week’s Wildcard race, where we feature an event you may not be familiar with, we travel to Grants, New Mexico, for the 13^th annual Mt. Taylor 50k. Race participants will join in the Navajo tradition of “waking up before dawn and running east to greet the sunrise from La Mosca Lookout,” before attempting to complete the challenging course in under 11 hours and 30 minutes. The entirety of the race takes place above 9,000 feet in altitude, with over 7,000 feet of vertical gain that includes a climb to the summit of 11,305-foot Mt. Taylor. Mt. Taylor 50k is proud to support the Navajo YES organization.

Other events this weekend include Hinson Lake 24 Hour Ultra Classic (Rockingham, NC), Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock Ultra (Pinnacle, NC), 24 Hours of Palmer Lake (Palmer Lake, CO), Sawatch Ascent (Nathrop, CO), West Line Winder (Buena Vista, CO), Bogus 50/50 (Boise, ID), Dick Collins Firetrails (Castro Valley, CA), Run the Red Desert (Rock Springs, WY), Miami 100 (Miami, FL), The Bear Chase (Lakewood, CO), Piney Woods Ultra (Tyler, TX), Crested Butte Ultra (Crested Butte, CO), and Sky Island Race (Fort Davis, TX).

Check out the full list of upcoming races here and good luck to everyone racing this weekend.