Just Don’t Call It Sub-Ultra

Short mountain races are having a moment right now in North America and ‘Mountain Tiger‘ is just the latest in a string of great events across the region worth checking out.

Mountain Tiger was founded with the goal of getting more people to interact with the wilderness, preferably from atop a windy ridge with a big view.

Of course there’s the Cirque Series and Washington State has its own Vert Running Series. Canada just launched their Skyunning National Series for 2027 and the US re-launched theirs this year.

For years we were told that folks will only travel for a trail race if it’s an ‘ultra’, but I am wondering if this sentiment is changing. Broken Arrow proofed out the concept by bringing several shorter distances together around a festival atmosphere around the start/finish line area and this might’ve given folks a taste for a different type of racing experience. As the Golden Trail Series is retreating and having given up their National Series (and Salomon looking for their next growth opportunity on the road) trail runners in North America might be getting an appetite for short, steep trail races.

Now we just need to media to stop calling this part of our sport SUB-ultra.