Ultra Running Hub Ida Grove, IA, United States · Saturday, August 1, 2026
Trail of the Dragon 50 Km
Calculated from 50 km alone — the organiser has not published an elevation profile. Read 2.5 as a floor, not a verdict.
What the course asks
DUV results for the 2025 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, August
Regional 2001-2020 average for August — NASA POWER, grid elevation 402 m. Not a forecast.
Results history
| Year | Race | Finishers | Men's winner | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 50km | 18 | Brad Hansen · 06:06:32 | Jolene Smith · 07:22:38 |
| 2024 | 50km | 15 | Jeff Hambrecht · 05:56:20 | Sarah Rosenau · 07:44:21 |
| 2023 | 50km | 20 | Christopher Burcal · 05:35:05 | Mandi Pralle · 06:57:45 |
| 2022 | 50km | 14 | Joshua Phifer · 07:08:17 | Marisa Wurth · 07:27:52 |
| 2021 | 50km | 5 | Paul Noble · 09:13:08 | Lauren Cronbaugh · 13:43:59 |
| 2020 | 50km | 24 | Cory Logsdon · 04:27:41 | Constance Garro · 06:32:20 |
| 2019 | 50km | 20 | Joshua Thiemann · 05:35:24 | Kaci Lickteig · 04:14:22 |
| 2018 | 50km | 21 | Todd Nott · 04:37:02 | Summer Morgan · 06:09:49 |
| 2017 | 50km | 17 | Todd Nott · 04:43:22 | Rachel Bellinghausen · 05:41:59 |
The field grew 20% between 2024 (15) and 2025 (18). 50% of the 2025 field were women.
DUV results for the 2025 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
With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.
Gear for this race
Chosen for 50 km of trail.
- Trail Running Shoes 50 km of trail — cushioning that is still there in the last quarter.
- Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
- Hydration Vests Flask capacity for 50 km, without the bounce.
- Headlamps A 15 h limit puts you out there after dark.
- GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.
Overview
The Trail of the Dragon 50 Km is a fixed-distance trail race held in Ida Grove, IA, United States, with its next edition on August 1, 2026. This 50-kilometer event has been run 9 times, first in 2017, and most recently in 2025.
With a time limit of 15 hours, this race has a comparatively generous cutoff, being tighter than only 8% of 1022 peer 50k races. This allows for a steady pace of 18 minutes per kilometer. The course consists of 10-mile loops through the rolling hills of Moorehead Park, utilizing well-marked and maintained single-track dirt trails and mowed meadow trails. The race has a smaller field size, being bigger than only 28% of 2664 peer 50k races.
Similar races
Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.