USATF MUT Council Announces 2017 National Championship Races

The USA Track & Field (USATF) Mountain/Ultra/Trail Council has announced the schedule for 2017 National Championship races. Looks like a few favorites, plus a couple of new races. These championship races have been great for pushing me to new personal bests, since I can count on lots of fast runners and a well-marked course. Be sure to check them out as you plan for 2017!

• January 7 – 100K Trail – Bandera 100K  – Bandera, TX. Returning for 2017, this technical Texas favorite is also a Western States Golden Ticket race, so you can be sure there will be lots of fast runners. But you better be fit now...it's in a few weeks!

• February 4 – 100 Mile Trail – Rocky Racoon 100 Mile – Huntsville, TX. A fast five loop course around a gator-infested park, this race has been known to host some fast sub-14 hour finishes. I clocked my 100-mile PR here in 2015.

• February 18 – 50K Trail – Fourmidable 50K – Auburn, CA. New for 2017, the Fourmidable is named for the four steep climbs on a course with 6,000' of climbing. It may be the toughest 50k championship course ever!

• March 5 – 50K Road – Caumsett State Park 50K – Lloyd Harbor NY. A long-time favorite for USATF, this 10-loop of 5k course out in Long Island always draws a wicked fast crowd. My 50k PR of 3:20 was here in 2010. 

• April 8 – 100K Road – Mad City 100K – Madison, WI. A perennial favorite of the USATF circuit, Mad City is 10 x 10k loops through an Arboretum. 

• June 3 – 50 Mile Trail – Cayuga Trails 50 Mile – Ithaca, NY. Race Director Ian Golden and his team put on this race which I think is a MUST DO for anyone wanting to see the beauty of the northeast. Check out the pics - it is spectacular!

• June 3 – Mountain – Cranmore Mountain Race – North Conway, NH. This has been the race for selecting Team USA for more years than I can remember. 

• September 9 or 16 – 24 Hour – North Coast 24 Hour – Cleveland, OH. Come run the 0.9 mile loop near Lake Erie until you are dizzy! 

• September 30 – Half Marathon Trail – Birkie Trail Run – Hayward, WI. New for 2017, the "Birkie" is mostly wide grassy trails with a few sections of single track, so likely a good one for your road fiends. There are eight events from the 5k to the 100k, so bring your friends!

• October 8* – 50 Mile Road – Tussey MountainBack – Boalsburg, PA. Another favorite of USATF, the Tussey is about the most trail-like road race you will find with it's long stretches of fire road. I really enjoyed my race here in 2013.

• November 4 – Marathon Trail – Moab Trail Marathon – Moab, UT. Steep and technical, the Moab Marathon returns for 2017 and tends to favor the high elevation mountain adventurers over the flat fast runners. Be prepared to grab a climbing rope for some sections.

* Saw this date in their ad in Ultrarunning Magazine, but the web site hasn't been updated...don't book those flights yet!