Is November a good month for an Ultra?
November sits in the middle of the year for the Ultra, carrying 18 against 34 in April and 7 in August. Enough to choose from, and easier to get into than the races at the peak of the season.
Race calendar · November 2026
Ultramarathons in November 2026
18 ultramarathons across the US in November 2026, sorted by date. Which weekends are busiest, what the fields actually run, entry fees, and where each one starts.
November ultras sit at the hinge of the racing year: the summer heat is gone, but shorter days and unpredictable trail conditions make these races genuinely demanding. Cool mornings can give way to warm afternoons in the South and West, while the Northeast and Midwest may hand you frost, mud, and early darkness all in the same effort.
The calendar clusters heavily in early November, with a second wave around the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. That timing suits runners closing out their season with a final long effort, but it also means holiday travel and shrinking daylight affect both training blocks and race-day logistics in ways that other months simply do not.
Because daylight is short, any race stretching past mid-afternoon will push slower or longer efforts into darkness. If you are entering a fifty-miler or longer, plan your crew and pacer access around headlamp time, not just pace. A runner who has done all their long training runs in daylight may underestimate how much the dark slows a tired body on technical terrain.
What the field actually runs
November Ultramarathons, By the Numbers
6:30:38Median finish time
4:09:34Median winning time
38Median field size
7November ultramarathons with published results
How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Oct 16, 2026.
When in November
The November Race Weekends
Ultramarathons are not spread evenly across November. Here is how the calendar actually falls, weekend by weekend, which is the part worth knowing before you book a trip or plan a taper around one.
By the numbers
The Biggest Field
The largest field of any November Ultra, from the most recent published results.
November Ultramarathons by State
Ultra Marathons by City in November
The Next Ultra Marathons in November
18 total Sun, Nov 1, 2026Thankful Turkey 5K, 10K & Half Marathon Lake Zurich, ILPricing TBADetails Sat, Nov 7, 2026Veterans Trail Festival Hookstown, PAFrom $95Details Sat, Nov 7, 2026Pain In Green Lane 25K and 50K Green Lane, PAFrom $120Details Sat, Nov 7, 2026Lake Chabot Trail Run Castro Valley, CAFrom $90Details Sat, Nov 7, 2026Conquer the Castle Mayfield, OHFrom $95Details Sat, Nov 7, 2026Mt. Tam Trail Run Stinson Beach, CARegistration closedPricing TBADetails Sat, Nov 7, 2026Goblin Valley Trail Runs Green River, UTFrom $165Details Sat, Nov 7, 20262026 Kaiser Permanente Get Fit Festival Irvine, CAFrom $270Details Sat, Nov 7, 2026UltraTrax Wintergreen Roseland, VAFrom $136Details Sat, Nov 14, 2026RYR Endurance Race Weekend Owensboro, KYFrom $145Details Sat, Nov 14, 2026Roxbury Fall Classic Roxbury, CTFrom $110Details Sat, Nov 21, 2026Hit The Road, Jack! Carthage, MOFrom $50Details
Common Questions About Running a November Ultra
What should I wear for a November ultra in the United States?
Layer for cold starts and warm midday swings rather than dressing for one temperature. A moisture-wicking base, a midlayer you can stow at an aid station, and a wind shell at the top covers most November scenarios. Gloves and a hat matter at the gun, especially for early-morning starts in mountain or inland venues where cold is sharpest before sunrise.
How do desert and mountain November ultra conditions differ?
Desert and coastal California courses are often mild and dry in November, making for runnable conditions throughout the day. Mountain and inland courses can be muddy, frost-covered, or subject to early snow. Check elevation and recent weather for any course you are considering, since conditions vary widely across the country in late fall.
How far ahead should I start training to be ready for a November ultra?
A fifty-kilometer build typically needs sixteen to twenty weeks of structured training, which puts your start in late June or July. A fifty-miler or longer requires more runway still. Starting in summer means your long runs happen in heat, which adds a layer of difficulty but also builds a useful fitness base before November temperatures drop.
How does leaf cover and mud affect pacing in a November trail ultra?
Wet leaves on packed trail are as slick as ice and nearly impossible to read at speed. Mud after rain or frost can add significant time and energy cost to sections that look short on paper. Build a conservative early pace into your plan and treat traction loss as a given on any wooded course running in the second half of the month.
When in November are most ultramarathons held?
The busiest weekend is November 7 and November 8, with 8 of them. One more falls on a weekday, which is worth knowing if you are traveling for it.
What is a good Ultra time?
Across the 7 of these November ultramarathons with published results from past editions, the median finisher ran 6:30:38, and the median winning time was 4:09:34. So anything under 6:30:38 puts you in the faster half of a typical field. That is the middle of these RunSignup fields, walkers and charity entrants included, not a national average.
How big is a typical November Ultra field?
The median one finished 38 runners, across the 7 of these November ultramarathons with published results from past editions. Most are far smaller than the big-city events people picture, which means less crowding at the start and a friendlier field, with a last recorded finisher at 9:02:39.
Which states have the most November ultramarathons?
California has 3, Missouri has 2, North Carolina has 2, Pennsylvania has 2. If you are willing to travel, those are the states where a November weekend gives you the most to choose from.
Are there trail ultramarathons in November?
Yes, 7 races around the United States get you off the pavement: 5 are trail races, and 2 mix road and trail.