Texas Ultramarathon Calendar for 2011-2012

The El Scorcho 50K/25K race takes place in Trinity Park in Fort Worth. This summer race is unique because of the format - the race starts at midnight and runs on a 5K (3.1 mile) loop on mostly crushed stone trail, but also pavement, sidewalk, and a basketball court.

In the middle of the summer, night time is often a great time to run, but the humidity levels can really increase over the day, making it tough to do well in a night race. El Scorcho offers a very unique challenge to runners who want to try night running.

The final race in the Captain Karls trail run series in 2011 is the SHOE, held out at Muleshoe Bend on Lake Travis. The 10K is held in the morning at 8am, and the 30K and 60K distances are held at night at 7pm. 60K runners have until 7am the next morning to finish their 37 mile race.

The Palo Duro Trail Races are held in Texas' Grand Canyon, Palo Duro Canyon. The Palo Duro Canyon State Park hosts the trail races every year in October. The course is a 12.5 mile loop - the 50-mile runners do four loops, 50K runners do a short loop and then two big loops, and the 20K runners do one loop.

Cactus Rose is put on by Joe and Joyce Prusatis of Tejas Trails out at Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera, Texas, northwest of San Antonio.

New for 2011 - Cactus Rose has a 4-person, 100 mile relay!

The race has aid stations, but you are responsible for providing everything you need except ice and water. There won't be any volunteers at the aid stations unless you bring a crew. Anything you need to eat, any sports drink or supplements, you will need to drop them off at the aid stations before the race.

The November Rocky Raccoon trail race has 50k/25k/10k distances, so it's affectionately called "Little Rocky" to differentiate itself from the February "Big" Rocky Raccoon race with 100 mile and 50 mile trail races. Both are held in Huntsville State Park on the singletrack and dirt roads inside the park, but the courses are different. Paul Stone directs this race, and Joe Prusatis with Tejas Trails directs "Big Rocky".

The Rockledge Rumble is the North Texas Trail Runners club race. It's always held near Veteran's Day in November, as the race honors America's veterans.

The race offers 50K, 30K, and 15K distances - the longer distance for ultramarathoners who want to test themselves on the only trail ultra in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area.

The Wild Hare trail race is a 10K/25K/50K/50 mile run, all held on the same course, a 7.5 mile loop of mountain biking trails. The race is put on by Tejas Trails out of Austin, and it's a lot of fun. November is usually a good month for running, and with all the different distances and races, there's something for everyone. You can camp out at Bluff Creek Ranch, the private mountain biking ranch where the race is held the night before or the night afterwards. You can also pay for a cot in the barn if you want to sleep there.

Rogue Running put on the Ranch 10K and 30K in 2011 out at Reveille Peak Ranch, and now they are planning to put on a 25K, 50K, and 50 mile ultramarathon in December at the same race venue. There were some course control issues at the Ranch 30K that hopefully won't be an issue this time, as it looks like all races share the same course loop.

The Sunmart Texas Trail Races at Huntsville State Park were some of the biggest trail races in the country - with all the best schwag at a reasonable entry fee. Unfortunately, the last Sunmart trail race was in 2008 and the 50-mile race is now history, but we do have the Texas Trail Races with a 50K and a 12.5 mile option.

For several hundred runners, January trail racing in Texas means the Bandera Trail Races northwest of San Antonio in Hill Country State Natural Area. The race has three different distances, all of which have a 24 hour cutoff - the 100K, 50K, and 25K.

Finishers of the 100K get a great belt buckle, and the 50K and 25K finishers get nice medals. Before and after the race, you'll see a few grizzled trail runners wearing "Bandera 500K" fleece jackets - they've gotten over 300 miles in on the Bandera trails during the race, in any combination they want.

This race is being held again in 2012 after a successful comeback in 2011. The race is held completely within Big Bend National Park in far West Texas. In 2011, the race sold out at the 50K and 25K distances.

The second year for the Brazos Bend Trail Races will be 2012. There will be a 13 mile loop on gravel paths in Brazos Bend State Park that half marathoners will do once, and full marathoners will do twice. 50K'ers will do a 5 mile loop with 1.5 miles of dirt trail first, then do the two 13 mile loops of the marathon.

The Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile and 50 Mile trail races are some of the best organized in the country. The 100 mile race is 5 loops, and the 50 mile is 3 loops in Huntsville State Park. Each aid station is staffed by lots of ultra running volunteers, most of which have done 100 mile trail races.

The Surfside Beach Marathon is a great little run that is unique in North America for being the only marathon run completely on a beach. The new Destin 50 mile race will be run on sand as well in Florida, but Surfside Beach was first.

The Cowtown Marathon is Fort Worth's biggest marathon, usually held in late February. Cowtown offers the 50K ultramarathon distance on road, which is pretty rare in Texas. For the 2011 race, there will also be a 10K race held on Saturday the day before the half marathon, marathon, and ultra marathon.

The San Antonio Road Runners put on a great trail race in San Antonio in McAllister Park by the airport in March. It used to be held in May, but that must have been extremely hot.

The 10-mile loop course is a windy maze of mostly singletrack mountain biking trails, with about 3/4 of a mile on top of a dam/flood control structure that is completely exposed. The rest is pretty shady. 50K runners do three loops. The course has mile markers, which is a nice touch for a trail race.

Hells Hills 50 used to be known as the Rocky Hill Ranch 50, after the private mountain bike ranch the race is held on. Because the race is run on mountain bike trails, it's a lot of fun to run there. The course is almost all singletrack, and most of it is shaded with pine trees.

The Hog's Hunt trail race through Huntsville State Park is a 50K/25K trail race on singletrack and dirt roads. The 50K race is two loops of the 25K course. Both circle Lake Raven.