High Desert Ultra 50K
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High Desert Ultra - Ridgecrest, California
The High Desert Ultra is an annual trail running event held in Ridgecrest, California. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, 2026 and includes multiple race distances organized by the local running club.
The event program for 2026 lists these distances:
- 50K
- 30K
- 10K new route through the Goldbug mining area
Registration for the 2026 races is open. The event awards a themed trophy for the winners; the 2026 trophy is a raven motif.
A recap from the 2025 running gives recent context: temperatures ranged from the high 30s to the mid 60s Fahrenheit with blue skies and calm winds, and the desert was green with blooming flowers. The 2025 fields included 74 runners in the 50K and 49 in the 30K, and the inaugural 10K had 29 finishers. All three distances recorded zero DNFs in 2025. Runners came from California, Nevada, and Colorado.
The 10K introduced in 2025 used a new route through the Goldbug mining area. The event is associated with regional ultrarunning organizations and follows a multi-distance format across high desert terrain. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
