Based near Knoxville, Tennessee, The Pistol Ultra includes distances ranging from 50k to 100 miles. With multiple loops of approximately 10 miles, runners have the opportunity to see friends and family along the flat and fast course.
With over 200 finishes each, Ed “The Jester” Ettinghausen and Mike Smith are the top two runners in the world with the most 100-mile race finishes under their belt. Both men are in their sixties and setting records while also notching sub-24-hour finishes. But what keeps them going is not the records or the finish times.
Mammoth Cave 50k and 25k run along the Mammoth Cave Railroad Hike and Bike Trail, an old rail line that runs from the ruins of the historic Bell’s Tavern in Park City to a turn-around point near the Mammoth Cave National Park visitor center. One of the few races held within a national park, the entire weekend showcases all that the area has to offer.
The unique format of the backyard ultra means runners have one hour to complete each loop throughout the event. Each hour includes a start, finish and whatever rest and refresh time the runners can achieve at their aid stations. If a runner fails to complete the loop within the allotted hour, they receive a “did not finish” (DNF) designation and are eliminated from the race.
In their 18th consecutive year, The Old Men of the Mountains relay team – all age 65 or older – covered the 50-mile loop with spirit and smiles. The team’s captain, George Etzweiler, 104, took on the course’s fifth segment, a gently rolling 3.5-mile section, taking four pre-planned 6-minute breaks along the way.
The 2025 FroMoMoFo lived up to its name. We had frozen, we had Morgan, we had Monroe and we had forest. To top it off, we had snow, so maybe they should tack “sno” onto the race name, too. Snow arrived in two significant storms during the week leading up to the race, leaving 10 inches of fluffy powder blanketing the 10-mile course on the Three Lakes Trail.