Big Bend Ultra Run Date Announced

Ultra Marathon Returns to Big Bend National Park in 2011

The Big Bend Ultra Marathon, will return Sunday, January 16, 2011. This time the race will include 50K and 25K trail races and introduce a new Rio Grande Village–Hot Springs 10K race.

Other dates were considered, and we appreciate everyone who responded to our survey and call for comments.

However, the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend allows extra travel time to the remote, far West Texas location. This unique race continues to draw its own participation and interest in spite of other events on the race calendar.

The date also avoids larger park visitation times and other park activities.

Proceeds from the Big Bend Ultra go to the Friends of Big Bend National Park, which works to raise funds for park preservation and improvement.

Information on entry fees, deadlines, final courses and more will be available soon. We also will be posting information on area lodging and other logistical details. The best way to receive our updates is to sign up for our newsletter. However, we will be regularly updating our web page (http://bigbend50.com) and the Big Bend 50 Ultra Run Facebook page.

The Big Bend Ultra is held in a national park, and participants need to be aware of that all the time. To minimize the impact on the park, there is a limited number of participants. Also, everyone involved must follow strict rules, including a zero-tolerance, anti-litter policy. Aid stations and backcountry privies will be located on the remote backcountry, park courses.

The BB50 race is not run at altitude. It starts at 3,200 feet (975 meters) and drops to 1,900 feet (579 meters), so it's a steady downhill race on the park dirt roads. The 50K course goes down Black Gap Road, which many park visitors have not seen, then on to River Road, and back past the Mariscal mercury-cinnabar mines to Glen Spring Road.

Weather can be windy, cold, light rain, snow, perfect, but normally it's beautiful, dry, cool, and the roads are easy to run, You will have Elephant Tusk, the Chisos Mountains, Mule Ears peaks, and the Mariscal mines to look at on the way, it's easy to get your eyes off the road. All you hear are natural sounds, overlaid with the sound of your feet on the road and your heart beating in this unique quietness.

There is a young tradition to take the short drive to Hot Springs from Rio Grande Village/Race Headquarters, to soak tired muscles Sunday night. We hope everyone can enjoy this experience.