Grand Island 50 km Race

Race completed

50 km Distance

1,135 m Climbing

4.2 Grit · Challenging

46.4112° N, 86.6493° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 23 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Time limit 7.5 hours 9:00 min/km average. Comfortable. Room to walk the climbs and stop at aid. Among the tightest 50K cut-offs we track. Measured against 1034 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~139 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, July

Daytime high 20°C

Night low 13°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 15 h 09 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for July — NASA POWER, grid elevation 221 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2026	50km	139	Nick Dunkle · 04:05:38	Stephanie Cloutier · 04:11:55
2025	50km	67	James Lilly · 04:02:29	Natalie Anderson · 04:17:47
2024	50km	92	Tyler Stark · 03:56:05	Natalie Anderson · 04:21:23
2023	50km	88	A.J. Eckstein · 04:24:54	Tarin Lachowitzer · 04:38:01
2022	50km	91	Benjamin Holland · 03:44:00	Alex Bott · 04:37:32
2021	50km	93	Trevor Denton · 04:00:22	Debi Haas · 05:08:18
2019	50km	95	William Cadwell · 03:18:39	Kathleen Pallardy · 03:43:03
2018	50km	83	Patrick Morris · 04:30:35	Rebecca Yurgens · 04:59:34
2017	50km	79	Samuel Plotkin · 04:13:18	Rachel Gibson · 04:21:20
2016	50km	62	Mike Wasson · 04:08:20	Kimberly Stoutenburg · 04:12:26

The field grew 107% between 2025 (67) and 2026 (139). 33% of the 2026 field were women.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

⛰️ terrain

This is a rolling course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.

By UltraHub Expert

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail with 1,135 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 23 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 1,135 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

RunRepeat found the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro to have a secure, locked-in fit due to its premium upper, and also praised the shoe's energetic ride, particularly…

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

Adidas

Terrex Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra to have a grippy outsole and great lockdown, while iRunFar noted that the shoe works on a variety of trail conditi…

★★★★★ 4.5

Skratch Labs