Welcome to my blog. I hope you get some inspiration to run somewhere new from my log of Ultra Running Destinations. These are all places I’ve visited, so can personally recommend them for an ultra adventure. Hope you have a nice stay!
The United States is home to some of the most iconic ultramarathons in the world such as the Badwater 135 and Western States. Beyond these races that take qualifying and luck to enter, there are 100s of ultrarunning destinations you can explore on your own. I’ve had a chance to explore a few of them, and hopefully can complete a run in all 50 states.
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
New York
Nevada
Ohio - Enjoy an ultramarathon made up of nearly 100% singletrack through dense wooded terrain just minutes from downtown Athens, Ohio.
Kentucky - Explore 50k (31 miles) of trails in the Red River Gorge at the well run Red River Gorge Ultramarathon.
Alaska - A combination of runs with views of named glaciers in the Chugach National Forest. And, also see the Turnagain Arm from one it its best vantage points.
Alaska - Explore remote runs in the Kachemak Bay State Park, as well as travel to the Katmai peninsula to see grizzly bears in their native habitat.
Hawaii - Island of Lanai - Explore Lanai on one, or all, of these 4 challenging trails that offer seclusion, beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding islands, as well as wide sand beaches and rocky shores.
Hawaii - Big Island - Run up a cinder cone or through a lava field, and if the weather is just right, the tallest mountain on earth, Mauna Kea
Nebraska - Have a run in the largest hand planted forest in the world in one of the most remote places in the United States, the Sand Hill region of Nebraska.
Iowa - Find some hills in a land where most think there are none. The Loess Hills offer up steep hills in rolling, forested terrain. While you are there, stop by Le Mars, Iowa to have a scoop of ice cream in the Ice Cream Capital of the World.
Colorado - Explore the trails of the Browns Canyon and Midland Hill directly from the town of Buena Vista.
Louisiana - The Tammany Trace is a 31 mile (50k) paved trail running from Covington, LA to Slidell, LA on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain that is a great option for a first time solo ultrarunning destination.
South Dakota - Running the Black Hills ultramarathon and exploring Devils Tower and the Homestake Mine make for an excellent ultrarunning destination weekend.
Tennessee - Nashville, Tennessee is a great destination for their well run road Marathon, or for trails conveniently located near the city center.
Kansas - Wander the rolling dirt roads through the Flint Hills of Kansas at the Heartland 50 ultramarathon.
Arkansas - Right outside of Little Rock, Arkansas you can run a race, such as the Ouachita Trail 50, the oldest Arkansas Ultra Running Association event, or just run part of the 192 mile (308km) Ouachita National Recreation Trail that crosses the Pinnacle Mountain State Park
North Dakota - Run the most unique Ironman distance triathlon in the world in the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area near Walhalla, North Dakota.
Tennessee - Experience the course of one of the most well known ultramarathons in the world, The Barkley Marathons, at the Frozen Head State Park near Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Ohio - Ultrarunning through a reclaimed strip mine and parts of the Buckeye Trail at the AEP Recreation Land in Caldwell, Ohio
New Hampshire - Trail run on the the western edge of the White Mountains in New Hampshire
Washington - Experience 50k of forested and coastal single track in the pacific northwest
Florida - Hot, humid and sandy single track through the Point Washington State Forest on Florida’s gulf coast.
