Flat Branch Ultra

Flat Branch Ultra starts at Flat Branch Park in downtown Columbia, Missouri, on February 20, 2027, with the 50K at 8:00 a.m. and the 25K an hour later. Both distances follow the rail-trail that gives the race its name, heading southwest on the MKT Trail and then onto the Katy Trail, past historic towns, bluffs and views of the Missouri River.

Rail beds were graded for trains, not for hills, which makes a route like this one of the friendlier places to attempt a first ultra: the surface stays even and the gradient barely moves, so you can hold an honest rhythm for hours. Build toward the 50K with a long run that eventually reaches four or five hours, and practice eating while you move. The 25K is a solid stepping stone if a full ultra is still a season away.