Yippee-Ki-Yay 50K, Half Marathon and 5mile races

Yippee-Ki-Yay 50K, Half Marathon and 5mile races is held in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on October 24, 2026. Three trail formats are listed for the day: a 50K (31 miles) starting at 8:00 AM, a half marathon (13.1 miles) at 8:15 AM, and a 10K at 8:30 AM. The organizer's website points to Happy Trailz Running. Council Bluffs sits on the Missouri River across from Omaha, in the Loess Hills, which are steeper than most people expect from Iowa.

The Loess Hills add a surprising amount of climbing to a Midwestern race, so include hill repeats in your preparation regardless of distance. The 50K is a good fit for a first ultra if you already have a marathon or two behind you; a 16-week plan with hilly long runs of 20 to 24 miles is a solid base. The half marathon is a satisfying fall goal on trails, and the 10K works for newer trail runners or as a hard effort during a longer training block. Starts are 15 minutes apart, so groups can easily coordinate.