How we rate ultramarathons
Each race is scored from what runners wrote about it, checked against the facts on the official race site. Scores are computed from the ratings below, never typed in by hand.
Why ultras are rated differently
Triathlons are rated on the swim, bike and run. Ultras are run-only, and runners pick them on different things: how far, whether the course loops back to your crew and drop bag, how rocky the footing is, how the climbing is spread out, and whether the cutoffs leave room for a run-walk finish. So ultras have their own six categories and are ranked only against other ultras. A 4.0 here is not comparable with a 4.0 for an IRONMAN.
Every score runs from 1 to 5, and 5 is always the better, easier or more generous end. A 5 for intermediate cutoffs means they rarely bite. A 5 for footing means smooth.
Categories and weights
Weights come from a count of what race-selection guides, first-100 lists, race-review sites and DNF reports talk about most. Aid stations and support came up more than anything except terrain, and terrain is a matter of taste, so support carries as much weight as the race itself.
- Race25%How runners feel about it, how well it is run, and the community around it.
- Support25%Aid stations, crew access, drop bags and pacer rules.
- Course15%Course marking, scenery, and how runners rate the trail itself.
- Conditions14%Race-day temperature and how predictable the weather is.
- Cutoffs13%How generous the overall and intermediate cutoffs are for the terrain.
- Stay and travel8%Getting there, places to stay, race-day logistics and value.
The overall is 55% the weighted categories and 45% runner satisfaction. Many ratings reward an easier day (generous cutoffs, mild weather, close aid), so the runners' own verdict carries extra weight. Otherwise the easiest races would always win, and races runners love because they are hard, like Hardrock or Hellgate, would sink.
Every rating, defined
What a 1, a 3 and a 5 mean for each rating. Scores in between use tenths.
Race 25% of the overall
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runner satisfaction40% of the category | Widely disliked | Mixed, fine | Near-universal praise, bucket list |
| Organization35% of the category | Course errors, aid shortages, poor communication | Adequate, some hiccups | Flawless, a race director known for it |
| Community and vibe25% of the category | Cold or indifferent | Friendly enough | A legendary community feel |
Support 25% of the overall
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aid stations50% of the category | Gaps over 16 km (10 mi), thin stock | Every 8 to 12 km (5 to 7 mi), basic food | Close together, real food, superb volunteers |
| Crew access20% of the category | No crew access | A few crew points, long drives between | Crew every lap or at many easy points |
| Drop bags15% of the category | None allowed | At a few stations | Every lap or most stations |
| Pacers15% of the category | Not allowed | Allowed late in the race | Allowed for much of the race |
Course 15% of the overall
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course marking35% of the category | Runners get lost every year | Mostly clear, a few known wrong turns | Impossible to get lost |
| Scenery35% of the category | Dull | Pleasant | Spectacular |
| Trail experience30% of the category | Monotonous or unpleasant | Fine | Runners rave about the trail itself |
Conditions 14% of the overall
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Race-day temperature60% of the category | Over 32 °C (90 °F), very humid, or freezing | Warm 27 to 30 °C (81 to 86 °F), or cold | Ideal 10 to 21 °C (50 to 70 °F), low humidity |
| Weather reliability40% of the category | Storms, snow, heat waves, past cancellations | Some variability | Very predictable |
Cutoffs 13% of the overall
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall cutoff55% of the category | Tight for the terrain: mid-pack runners worry | Normal for the course | Very generous: a run-walker finishes comfortably |
| Intermediate cutoffs45% of the category | Tight early or mid-race cutoffs pull many runners | Some cutoffs, reasonable | None, or they rarely bite |
Stay and travel 8% of the overall
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel ease30% of the category | Remote, several legs | One connection or a long drive | Big airport close by |
| Places to stay25% of the category | Scarce or far from the start | Book early | Plentiful, close, or cabins on site |
| Logistics20% of the category | Point to point with early shuttles, complex | Some complexity | One start and finish, park and run |
| Value25% of the category | Expensive for what you get | Fair | Great value for the support |
Course traits
These describe the course and are shown on every race page, but they are not part of the score. One runner wants a rocky mountain 100, another wants a runnable loop. Use them as filters instead. Getting in (lottery or open entry) sits here too, so a hard-to-enter race like Western States is not marked down for being popular. First-timer friendliness is here as well, because it mostly restates the cutoffs, support and footing.
| Rating | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First timer friendly | Experienced ultrarunners only | Doable with good prep | Ideal first race at this distance |
| Getting in | Lottery with long odds, plus a qualifier | Sells out fast, or a qualifier is needed | Open entry, rarely sells out |
| Footing | Rock scrambles, boulder fields, talus | Roots and rocks, some rocky sections | Gravel, road, towpath or smooth singletrack |
| Runnability | Mostly power-hiking | A mix of running and hiking | Runnable almost all the way |
| Climbing | Over 50 m per km (265 ft per mi) | About 25 m per km (130 ft per mi) | Under 8 m per km (40 ft per mi) |
| Altitude | Above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) much of the race | Peaks around 1,500 m (4,900 ft) | Near sea level |
Climbing bands used by the filter
- Flat: under 40 ft per mi (7.6 m per km)
- Rolling: 40 to 115 ft per mi (7.6 to 22 m per km)
- Hilly: 115 to 200 ft per mi (22 to 38 m per km)
- Mountain: over 200 ft per mi (38 m per km)
Distance groups
50K, 40 to 60 mi, 100K, 100 mi, 200 mi+, Timed. Timed and backyard races are grouped on their own.
Facts we check
Distance, course shape and laps, elevation gain, high point, the overall cutoff and every intermediate cutoff the race publishes, aid station count and the longest gap, drop bags, crew access, pacer rules, entry method and qualifiers, field size and date come from the official race site or runner's manual. Each race page says which edition we checked. When a race does not publish a figure, we leave it blank rather than guess. Finish rates are finishers divided by starters for the year shown.
The pace to make the cutoff is the overall cutoff divided by the distance. It is an average: on a mountain course most of that time goes on the climbs.
Evidence and calibration
Small races have few written race reports, so a race with little evidence is pulled toward the average: fewer than 5 separate reviews, so the score is pulled toward the average. Strong evidence is 10 or more separate reviews and reports; moderate is 5 to 9 separate reviews and reports.
The overall is then spread against the 51 rated ultras so the average race shows 3.4 and each standard deviation is worth 0.55 points. That keeps scores from bunching near 4.5 and makes the percentile on each page meaningful.
Races like this
Every race page lists the races most like it. Closeness counts the same distance group most, then the same course shape (loops, out and back, point to point), similar climbing per mile, similar footing, the same region and the same time of year, with a small nudge for similar cutoffs. You can rank the whole list by likeness to any race.
The quick searches on the list page are built the same way.
- Looped, rolling 100s in the East: 100 mi loop courses in the eastern US with rolling climbing (40 to 115 ft per mi, 7.6 to 22 m per km) and footing no worse than roots and rocks. Crew and drop bags every lap.
- First 100 miler: 100 mi races rated friendly to a first-timer: generous cutoffs, good support, few surprises.
- Generous cutoffs: Overall and intermediate cutoffs both rated generous (3.6 or higher), so a run-walker is not chasing the clock.
- Repeated laps: Loop and timed courses: see your crew and your drop bag every lap.
- Smooth footing: Gravel, towpath, road or smooth singletrack. No rock gardens.
- Big mountain races: Over 200 ft of climbing per mi (38 m per km).
- No lottery: Open entry races that rarely need a lottery or qualifier.