Red Eye 50 km

Red Eye 50 km is organized by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (VHTRC) in Triangle, Virginia, on January 1, 2027. The single format is listed at 51 km, about 32 miles, and the trail run starts at 8:00 a.m. on New Year's Day. As the name suggests, it is aimed at runners who want to open the year with a long day on the trails rather than sleep off the night before.

The 50K distance is a good first ultra, and a New Year's Day start gives you an easy training timeline: a 12- to 16-week block through the fall, with a long run building to around 20 miles and plenty of miles on rolling, rooty East Coast singletrack. If you come from road racing, spend time hiking uphill efficiently and practice eating real food on the run. For seasoned ultrarunners, it works as a low-key season opener or a way to bank an early long effort before spring 50-milers.