At 8 a.m. on April 18, 2026, 125 runners gathered in the shadow of the Sunsphere for the inaugural World’s Fair Ultras. The 1982 World’s Fair is long past, but the energy on that morning felt brand new.
Directed by myself, Chris Compton and Micah Morgan, participants faced a 0.5724-mile loop of flat, fast, USATF-certified asphalt through World’s Fair Park in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Competitors ran the loop as many times as possible in nine events ranging from 3-24 hours. There were no mountains or technical descents, just a clean line of pavement, city skyline and whatever each runner brought to the start line.
The course offered something rare, locally: a legitimate shot at state and American records. East Coast Adventures, founded by David Compton and Mike Taylor, built the event with a dual purpose: to create an inclusive race where anyone could test their limits, and a place where fast runners could throw down on a certified course.
The day’s defining story belonged to Mary Cates of Madisonville, Tennessee. A 45-year-old, two-time cancer survivor, Cates crossed the 100-mile mark in 17:35:27 – just past 1:35 a.m., with 6.5 hours remaining. She was the second runner out of 36 overall to reach 100 miles in the 24-hour event. Only Philip Sebastiani of Canyon, Texas, was ahead of her (16:12:27).
By the finish, Cates had broken 10 records in a single race – four overall Tennessee state records (3-hour, 12-hour, 50-mile and 100-mile) and six Tennessee age-group records (3-hour, 50k, 50-mile, 6-hour, 12-hour and 100k). Cates credited the course’s accessible layout:
“Running 100 miles is so simple, but simple and easy are very different things. But this course and this setup made ‘simple’ achievable for myself and so many other runners. When you can nail the simple stuff, you can have a pretty successful day.”
Other notable performances included Sho Gray (72.12 miles, 12-hour win), Burton (50k in 4:18:30), Alec Vetrano (50-mile in 8:16:36) and Addison Hendricks (108.18 miles, 24-hour win). The 50-mile saw two generations on the same loop: Dexter Padgett finished second overall, while his 11-year-old son, Alex, completed 17.17 miles in the 3-hour. Michael Montgomery, 79, covered 31.48 miles in the 12-hour despite learning he had a fractured collarbone just the day prior.
For co-founder David Compton, the day’s meaning was deeply rooted in place:
“We brought World’s Fair Ultras to life because this World’s Fair Park is the heart of Knoxville – our hometown, the ‘Scruffy Little City.’ There’s something special about sharing miles under the Sunsphere; it’s the perfect backdrop for people to show up and challenge their limits, whether they’re chasing a PR or an American record. This first year was a huge success, but the best part was witnessing the heart and grit of this community. We’re just honored to be a small part of their story and journey.”
Year two is coming.
Full results here.