The Best First Ultramarathon for Every Month of 2027

The short answer

A beginner-friendly 50K for every month of 2027: Jan: Pemberton Trail 50K, Feb: Black Canyon 50K, Mar: The Pistol 50K, Apr: Brazos Bend 50K, May: Sugar Badger 50K, Jun: Summer Trail Fest 50K, Jul: Mt Hood 50K, Aug: Lean Horse 50K, Sep: Runningman, Oct: Chicago Lakefront 50K, Nov: Austin Rattler 50K, Dec: Dallas 50K.

The most important factors to look at when choosing your first ultramarathon are elevation gain, temperature and terrain. Less climbing, mild weather and smooth trail or road make your first finish a lot more manageable.

So for every month of 2027, here is one race that checks those boxes, spread out across the country. None of them use a lottery, so you can actually get in. Temperatures are the average high and low for that month in the nearest town.

January: Pemberton Trail 50K

Runners on a desert trail at sunrise during the Pemberton Trail 50K, with mountains behind — Runners on the Pemberton Trail at sunrise.

Where: Fountain Hills, AZ
When: January 23, 2027
Elevation gain: ~1,600 ft
Terrain: Two loops of rolling desert trail in McDowell Mountain Regional Park
Avg high / low: 63° / 42°
Cutoff: 8 hours (9 with the early start)

Start the year in the Arizona desert, where January is about as good as running weather gets. The course is two laps of the Pemberton Trail, gently rolling with wide-open views, so you pass the start/finish halfway through.

February: Black Canyon 50K

Runners on the desert singletrack of the Black Canyon Trail with saguaros and mountains behind them — Runners on the Black Canyon Trail.

Where: Mayer to Black Canyon City, AZ
When: February 14, 2027
Elevation gain: ~2,000 ft up, ~4,000 ft down
Terrain: Point to point on singletrack and jeep roads
Avg high / low: ~67° / 42°
Cutoff: 11 hours

A point-to-point course on the Black Canyon Trail through the Sonoran Desert, and it is mostly downhill. The first 20 miles are fast, so save something for the last 10. The field is capped at 1,200 runners.

March: The Pistol 50K

A pedestrian bridge over a grassy greenway in Alcoa, Tennessee, from The Pistol race photos — The greenway in Alcoa, from The Pistol race photos.

Where: Alcoa, TN
When: March 13, 2027
Elevation gain: ~600 ft
Terrain: Three flat, paved loops of about 10.35 miles
Avg high / low: 61° / 39°
Cutoff: 32 hours

Flat, paved and about as forgiving as an ultra gets. You run three loops of about 10 miles each just outside Knoxville, and the 32-hour time limit means you can walk as much as you need to.

April: Brazos Bend 50K

Pierce Showe running the Brazos Bend 100 in Texas — Me at the Brazos Bend 100 in December 2022, at the same park.

Where: Needville, TX
When: April 10, 2027
Elevation gain: ~10 ft
Terrain: Flat dirt and gravel loops through Brazos Bend State Park
Avg high / low: ~80° / 60°
Cutoff: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. event window

I ran the Brazos Bend 100 in December 2022 on the same trails, and it's about as flat as a race gets.

The flattest course on this list, with about 10 feet of elevation gain. It is two laps through Brazos Bend State Park, and yes, you will probably see alligators sunning themselves next to the trail. April in South Texas can get warm, so start your fueling and hydration early.

May: Sugar Badger 50K

A shaded, tree-lined rail trail used for the Sugar Badger races in Wisconsin — The shaded rail trail at Sugar Badger.

Where: Belleville, WI
When: May 29, 2027
Elevation gain: Minimal
Terrain: Flat rail trail, with trestle bridges and a quarter-mile tunnel
Avg high / low: ~70° / 48°
Cutoff: 13 hours (2024)

An out-and-back on the Badger State and Sugar River rail trails in southern Wisconsin. Rail trails are flat and soft, and you even get to run through a tunnel.

June: Summer Trail Fest 50K

Two runners on forest singletrack at Summer Trail Fest in Michigan — Runners on the trail at Summer Trail Fest.

Where: Laingsburg, MI
When: June 12, 2027
Elevation gain: ~1,100 ft
Terrain: Two loops of singletrack at Sleepy Hollow State Park
Avg high / low: 79° / 57°
Cutoff: 21:42 per mile (about 11 hours)

Two mostly flat loops of well-marked singletrack, with generous cutoffs. If it rains, the trail can get muddy, so bring shoes with some grip.

July: Mt Hood 50K

Runners on the trail along Timothy Lake with Mount Hood in the background — Runners along Timothy Lake, with Mt Hood behind.

Where: Timothy Lake, OR
When: July 10 to 11, 2027
Elevation gain: ~2,700 ft
Terrain: Pacific Crest Trail singletrack, with some rocks and roots
Avg high / low: 76° / 48°
Cutoff: Not published

Summer is the hardest time to find an easy ultra, because flat races are hot. Mt Hood solves that with cool mountain mornings. The course follows the Pacific Crest Trail and finishes around Timothy Lake. It is not a lottery, but it fills up fast, so sign up the day registration opens on January 9.

August: Lean Horse 50K

A runner on the red Mickelson Trail below rocky Black Hills spires at Lean Horse — A runner on the Mickelson Trail at Lean Horse.

Where: Black Hills, SD
When: August 2027 (date TBA; 2026 was August 1)
Elevation gain: ~1,700 ft
Terrain: Out-and-back on the crushed-gravel Mickelson rail trail
Avg high / low: 79° / 55°
Cutoff: 10 hours

A rail trail through the Black Hills, so the grades stay gentle even in the mountains. August mornings in western South Dakota are cool, which makes this one of the best summer options for a first ultra.

See Lean Horse Ultra →

September: Runningman

Pierce Showe in a white bucket hat and Jesus is KING shirt leading a group of runners on the grass loop at Runningman — Me running the 1-mile loop at Runningman in 2024.

Where: Rome, GA
When: September 2027 (date TBA; 2026 was September 18 to 20)
Elevation gain: Gently rolling
Terrain: A 1-mile grass loop; choose any distance from 5K to 50K
Avg high / low: ~82° / 60°
Cutoff: 8 hours, whatever distance you choose

This is the best place to run your first ultramarathon. It is just a 1-mile loop, so you are never far from aid, and the support from everyone else out there pushing their limits is insane.

Runningman is a three-day festival about an hour outside Atlanta. You pick your distance, anywhere from a 5K up to a 50K, and you have 8 hours to get it done. I ran the 50K there in 2024.

Another September option: the Priest Lake 50K in Idaho, on dirt forest roads with about 2,100 feet of climbing. Its cutoff is tight, though: 7 hours, 45 minutes.

See Runningman →

October: Chicago Lakefront 50K

The Chicago skyline seen across Lake Michigan from the Lakefront Trail — The skyline from the Lakefront Trail. Photo: DimiTalen, CC0

Where: Chicago, IL
When: October 30, 2027 (tentative)
Elevation gain: Flat
Terrain: Paved lakefront path, out-and-back segments
Avg high / low: ~55° / 40°
Cutoff: 9 hours

One of the flattest 50Ks in the country, on the path along Lake Michigan. The out-and-backs get repetitive, so this one is as much a mental test as a physical one. Late-October weather in Chicago can swing a lot, so pack layers.

See Chicago Lakefront Ultras →

November: Austin Rattler 50K

Four runners on granite and rocky Hill Country trail at the Austin Rattler — Runners on the granite at Reveille Peak Ranch.

Where: Burnet, TX
When: November 2027 (date TBA; 2026 was November 15)
Elevation gain: ~2,500 ft
Terrain: Loops of granite singletrack and jeep roads at Reveille Peak Ranch
Avg high / low: ~69° / 45°
Cutoff: Finish by 4 p.m.

Part of the Leadville Race Series, and the 50K is a qualifier for the Leadville Trail 100. It is built on loops at Reveille Peak Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, so you come back through the aid station on every lap.

December: Dallas 50K

Runners starting the BMW Dallas Marathon in front of Dallas City Hall — The Dallas Marathon start at City Hall.

Where: Dallas, TX
When: December 2027 (date TBA; 2026 is December 13)
Elevation gain: Flat
Terrain: City roads, run alongside the Dallas Marathon
Avg high / low: 56° / 38°
Cutoff: Reach mile 18.5 by noon (8 a.m. start)

Finish the year with a road 50K that runs with the Dallas Marathon, so you get the crowds, the closed streets and the aid of a big marathon. Watch the cutoff: you need to reach mile 18.5 by noon, which is about a 13-minute-mile pace.

Summary: the best first ultramarathon for every month

Month	Race	Where	Elevation gain	Avg high / low
Jan	Pemberton Trail 50K	Fountain Hills, AZ	~1,600 ft	63° / 42°
Feb	Black Canyon 50K	Mayer to Black Canyon City, AZ	~2,000 ft up, ~4,000 ft down	~67° / 42°
Mar	The Pistol 50K	Alcoa, TN	~600 ft	61° / 39°
Apr	Brazos Bend 50K	Needville, TX	~10 ft	~80° / 60°
May	Sugar Badger 50K	Belleville, WI	Minimal	~70° / 48°
Jun	Summer Trail Fest 50K	Laingsburg, MI	~1,100 ft	79° / 57°
Jul	Mt Hood 50K	Timothy Lake, OR	~2,700 ft	76° / 48°
Aug	Lean Horse 50K	Black Hills, SD	~1,700 ft	79° / 55°
Sep	Runningman	Rome, GA	Gently rolling	~82° / 60°
Oct	Chicago Lakefront 50K	Chicago, IL	Flat	~55° / 40°
Nov	Austin Rattler 50K	Burnet, TX	~2,500 ft	~69° / 45°
Dec	Dallas 50K	Dallas, TX	Flat	56° / 38°

Dates marked TBA had not been announced as of November 2026. Temperatures are monthly averages for the nearest town and are approximate.

Want more options? Here are the 8 easiest ultramarathons for your first finish and how to find an ultramarathon near you.

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Common questions

What is the easiest first ultramarathon?

Look for a 50K with low elevation gain, mild temperatures and smooth terrain. Brazos Bend 50K in Texas has about 10 feet of climbing, and Runningman in Georgia lets you run a 1-mile loop with aid every lap.

What should I look for in my first ultramarathon?

The three most important factors are elevation gain, temperature and terrain. Less climbing, mild weather and smooth trail or road make a first ultra much more manageable.

When is the best time of year to run a first ultra?

Spring and fall have the mildest temperatures in most of the US. In summer, look for mountain or northern races with cool mornings, like Mt Hood in Oregon or Lean Horse in South Dakota.

How long is a 50K?

31.1 miles, which is about 5 miles longer than a marathon.