John Dick Memorial 50K

John Dick Memorial 50K is run on February 6, 2027, in North Prairie, Wisconsin. The single event, a 50K trail race (31 miles), starts at 7:30 a.m. on rough ground borrowed from snowmobile trails and broken into several loops and out-and-back segments. The exact layout is adjusted to the state of the ground and the conditions of the day, so you have to accept not knowing the details until late.

This is a race for runners who already know what a winter effort on unstable footing feels like. Packed or soft snow changes your pace considerably and puts a heavy load on the ankles, and summer reference times stop meaning anything. Preparation matters as much on the equipment side — traction devices or suitable outsoles, breathable layers, protection for hands and face, fuel that will not freeze — as it does on the training side. The loop format has one clear advantage: you pass a logistics base regularly, which makes resupply simple.