Custer, SD, United States · Saturday, July 31, 2027

Fixed Distance 50 mi

Lean Horse Ultra-Marathon 50 Mile

304 days away

80 km Distance

1,200 m Climbing

5.8 Grit · Challenging

43.7666° N, 103.5988° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 15 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Time limit 15 hours 11:15 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. About average for a 50 mi. Measured against 471 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~54 Small. Long stretches with nobody in sight.

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

Typical conditions, August

Daytime high 27°C

Night low 12°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 14 h 40 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for August — NASA POWER, grid elevation 1592 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2026	50mi	54	David Berardi · 06:56:33	Courtney Kakes · 07:24:15
2025	50mi	71	Austin Baade · 06:52:54	Amy Feit · 07:34:27
2024	50mi	53	Tim Fryer · 07:18:32	Karlee Hepp · 08:08:04
2023	50mi	64	Jessop Keene · 07:35:01	Ashley Schurman · 08:10:04
2022	50mi	41	Ryan Smith · 07:52:05	Ida Narbuvoll · 06:23:27
2021	50mi	34	Austin Baade · 07:16:58	Mandy Pochobradsky · 10:01:23
2019	50mi	60	Peter Marsted · 06:12:31	Kelly Hoover · 08:25:21
2018	50mi	42	Joshua Simkins · 06:58:41	Lauren Hendrix · 07:50:20
2017	50mi	52	William McGinnis · 06:52:15	Jennifer Freeman · 07:26:43
2016	50mi	49	Cory Logsdon · 06:58:49	Neela D'Souza · 07:21:05

The field shrank 24% between 2025 (71) and 2026 (54). 44% of the 2026 field were women.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50mi) — 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 80 km of trail with 1,200 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 80 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
Race Nutrition 80 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 80 km, without the bounce.
Headlamps A 15 h limit puts you out there after dark.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 80 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Brooks

Catamount 3

RunRepeat found the Brooks Catamount 3 to have a cozier upper that enhances the overall fit, though breathability and durability could be better. iRunFar noted…

★★★★★ 4.5

Salomon

Awesome Sauce

Real food gel with 180 calories. Rice-based with natural flavors.

$4 ★★★★★ 4.6

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

Industry-standard 12L race vest with front flask pockets and minimal bounce.

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

Nitecore

UT32

Dual-beam trail running headlamp (1100 lumens) with spot and flood beams.

$100 ★★★★★ 4.5

Garmin

Enduro 3

Ultra-endurance GPS watch with solar charging and 300+ hour battery in GPS mode.

$900 ★★★★★ 4.8

All gear guides →

Overview

The Lean Horse Ultra-Marathon 50 Mile is an August trail race in Custer, SD, run over 80 kilometers on an out-and-back course. The 1200 meters of elevation gain mean 15 meters of climb per kilometer, making it a moderately hilly course for its distance.

With 54 finishers in its latest edition, this race has a bigger field than 54% of 50-mile races. The 15-hour time limit corresponds to an 11.3 minutes per kilometer cutoff pace, which is tighter than 45% of 50-mile races, offering less margin than many comparable events.

Similar races

Other 50 mi trail ultras, closest in distance first.