What the Duck Is Up with Trail Running?

olaf@wundersolutions.com (Olaf Alders) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’m trying to add as many races as possible to My Mind is Racing and the trail and ultra races have pretty consistently stood out as cleverly named. There’s a lot of wordplay and a lot of dark humour. I’ve never actually run a proper trail race, but these events tend to strike me as particularly punishing. If you’re trying to sell me on a trail race, you may as well embrace the fun or the pain. Or both.

"Trail Run - Lava Beds National Monument" by Michael "moik" McCullough is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

If you’re looking for a cleverly named trail or ultra race to add to your racing calendar, why not start here? I’ve compiled a list to get you started.

#Puns and Wordplay

Bubbletown What The Duck Ultra — PA, US
Cereal Killer 15k Trail Run — IN, US
Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultra — PA, US

#Rolls Off the Tongue

Croom Zoom — FL, US
Frigid Beast Feast — LA, US
Pilot Mountain Salamander Scamper — NC, US
Punk Panthers Skipton Skedaddle — ENG, GB
Run for the Pumpkins Trail Run — RI, US
The Mighty Mosquito Trail Fest — NY, US
Trail Trot on Turkey Ridge — MO, US
Tupelo Trail Shuffle — MS, US

#The Hobbit

#Pop-Culture References

Blazing Saddles — PA, US
Cannonball Run — SC, US
Coyote Ugly 30k & 50k — GA, US
Hellz Bellz Ultra — WA, US
Kessel Run Ultra — CO, US
Lion King Backyard Ultra — MO, US
Regal Beagle Ultra — OH, US
Run Forrest Trail Run — VIC, AU
Smurf’s Backyard Ultra — QLD, AU
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 50k — CA, US
Thunder Kiss 100M/100K — AL, US

#Going to a Dark Place

Black Lung Ultra Marathon — AB, CA
Death at DuPuis (A Backyard Event) — FL, US
Death by 5k Oak Mountain — AL, US
Death by Staircase Trail Running Festival — NY, US
Devils Shadow Winter Trail Races — NY, US
Die to Run Backyard Ultra — OK, US
Hells Hills Trail Race — TX, US
Hotter N’ Hell Trail Run — AL, US
Murderkill Ultramarathons — DE, US
NYC 50k - Stair Set of Doom Ultra — NY, US
Pain Is Currency Backyard Ultra — VA, US
Prairie Nightmare Backyard Ultra — SK, CA
Punisher Night Trail — AZ, US
Ridge Reaper Trail Runs — NY, US
The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon — TN, US
The Bullshit Backyard Ultra — PA, US
The Devils Race Track Backyard Ultra — AL, US
The Endless Pit Backyard Ultra — ON, CA
The Yeti Snakebite 50/50 — GA, US
Trail of Terror — NV, US
Zero Dark Ultra — WA, US

#I Beg Your Pardon?

Bad Ass Backyard Ultra — CA, US
Dunns Ultra Marathon Badasses (D.U.M.B.) — FL, US
Frosty Cox 6 Hour Trail Race — NC, US
Furbutt After Dark 12-Hour Ultra — VA, US
Furbutt’s 24-Hour Backyard Ultra — VA, US
Haul Ass Ultra Running Festival — CO, US
Hot Mess Trail Races — NJ, US
Jingle Balls Backyard Ultra — Cordillera, PH
Naked Mountain Ultra — NC, US
The Sweaty Backyard Cox Ultra — NC, US

#Animal Kingdom

Bound for the Hounds 6 Hour Ultra — NY, US
Doggone Tired Ultra — IA, US
Fat Dog 120 — BC, CA
Hog Crazy Trail Run — TX, US
Sasquatch Ultra Trail — BC, CA
Vero Beach Octopus Ultra — FL, US
Wild Hare Trail Race — TX, US

If you know of a fun event I missed, send it over to me. You can even add new events to the site yourself. And, of course, you can use My Mind is Racing to curate your own race calendar and sync it to your devices. Have fun with it!

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