Run an Ultra: 10 Amazing Trail Races + Advice From Finishers

Want to run an ultra?

You know...give the 26.2-mile marathon a little wave as you keep right on going.

If you think you’re up for the challenge to run an ultra, what race are you going to run? (This is a good place to start...)

With the 2021 ultra-season winding down in a lot of places, now is a great time to take a look at your calendar and sign up for a race in 2022.

Why? Ultramarathon running is a rapidly-growing sport. And it’s not uncommon for popular races to sell out...months before runners step up to the starting line.

👉 Are you making plans to run an ultra in 2022?

Runners always want to know the give-me-the-facts stuff like:

• Location
• Course
• Logistics
• Weather
• Aid Station Support
• Awards
• Swag
• Post-Race Party

But there’s at least ONE other big question runners always have before signing up to run an ultra...

What’s it like?

Check out these 10 amazing trail races and find out what it’s like from WeeViews runners to go the distance...

• Date: April 10, 2022
• Location: Oregon
• Website: http://www.runlikeardy.com/races/peterson-ridge-rumble/
• What's it like?: After struggling to run a marathon, runner Aaron Heard decided to try something different...run an ultra. Check out his first-timer experience running the Peterson Ridge Rumble.
• Ultramarathon Training: A Newbie's Plan to Conquer 40-Miles

• Date: April 23, 2022
• Website: https://www.daybreakracing.com/tillamook-burn
• Location: Oregon
• What's it like?: When ultrarunner Anne Crispino-Taylor learned the 100-mile ultra in California she was training for was cancelled, she decided to put all that hard work to the test by running two ultras in a weekend. Here's what happened...
• Tillamook Burn: One Runner's Weekend Quest of Trail Races

• Date: April 2022
• Website: http://va24hourrunforcancer.com/
• Location: Virginia
• What's it like?: Nikki Niemeyer and Connie Gardner stepped up to the starting line of the Virginia 24-Hour Ultra Run & Relay to see just how many miles they could cover. Find out what happened when these two friends pushed each other to go the distance and run for a cause.
• Run for Cancer: Two Runners Test Their Limits in 24-Hour Run 

• Date: June 2022
• Website: https://www.greatlakesendurance.com/michigan-races/two-hearted-trail-run/race-information.html
• Location: Michigan
• What's it like?: Thinking about running your first 50K? WeeViews founder David Moore picked this race to see if he could make it to the finish line. But first...fishing, camping, and dark chocolate.
• Great Lakes Endurance: How to Finish the Two-Hearted Trail Run 

• Date: June 2022
• Location: Pennsylvania
• Website: http://www.laurelultra.com/
• What's it like?: WeeViews Ambassador Brynn Cunningham knows what it's like to dig deep to run an ultra. And she's no stranger to the Laurel Highlands Ultra, a low-key and runner-friendly ultra in Pennsylvania. But the last time she ran this race...something a little crazy and unexpected happened.
• Laurel Highlands Ultra: You Won't Believe How This One Ends 

• Date: July 9, 2022
• Location: Colorado
• Website: https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/run/silverrush50run/
• What's it like? When runner Lucie Hanes stepped up to the starting line of the Silver Rush 50-Miler Ultra with 472 other runners, she wasn't sure what ticking off 50 miles would look like. But she was determined to find out...
• Silver Rush 50: 6 Rules You Can Only Learn Testing Your Limits

• Date: Aug. 20, 2022
• Website: https://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/run/leadvilletrail100run/
• Location: Colorado
• What's it like?: Ultrarunner Genevieve Harrison showed up to run the Leadville 100 with a solid game plan, support crew, and pacers to climb 11,000 feet over the 100-mile course in the Colorado Rockies. It turned out even better than she had planned, and pacer Lucie Hanes learned a few things along the way about what it takes to run an ultra...
• Leadville 100 Ultra: 4 Behind-the-Scenes Lessons from a Pacer

• Date: August 2022
• Location: Pennsylvania
• Website: https://www.cookforesttrailracing.com/
• What's it like?: Got plans to run an ultra? Not sure what to expect? Runner Brynn Cunningham shed some light on something runners new to ultrarunning sometimes overlook when she ran the Cook Forest Trail Challenge. If you're planning to run an ultra, there's always the possibility for a DNF, no matter how well you train.
• Cook Forest Crush: When a Race Doesn't Go as Planned…

• Date: Sept. 24-25, 2022
• Location: Oregon
• Website: https://gobeyondracing.com/races/mountain-lakes-100/ 
• What's it like?: Runner Evan Jensen holds the record for the most finishes at the Mountain Lakes 100. But with a major course change and rainy weather, finishing wasn't a guarantee. Check out his training plan and race strategy to run an ultra...
• Mountain Lakes 100: Use the Vomit Method to Go the Distance

• Date: Sept. 29, 2022
• Location: Ohio
• Website: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=88015
• What's it like?: Want to run an ultra, but worried it might be too hard? Tim Adkins shows you what it means to never give up when he takes on the Buckeye Ultra 200-Mile Road Race.
• Run Far: A Runner's 'Impossible' Goal After Near-Drowning

What's your favorite ultramarathon or trail race? Tell us about it in the comments.