Women’s participation in trail and ultra events has been slowly but steadily increasing — and the numbers, for once, actually back that up. According to UltraSignup’s own 2024 data, women represented 39.6 percent of all race entries, up from previous years and approaching the 41.3 percent peak set during the pandemic running boom. At sub-ultra distances, women now make up nearly half the field (46.8 percent) which is remarkable when you consider that in 1997, women accounted for just 13 percent of trail race participants. But that progress is uneven in ways that matter.
At ultramarathon distances, women’s participation sits around 23 percent overall, and drops to roughly 16 percent at distances over 50 miles. The pipeline leaks, and it leaks hardest at the distances that require the most logistical and structural support to finish.
The sport has made real progress. From childcare at races to pregnancy deferrals, breastfeeding spaces, and gender-inclusive marketing and imagery, the trail scene is a genuinely different place than the boys’ club it once was. But progress isn’t the same as parity, and “better than before” isn’t a finish line.
The events below, women’s-only, women-centered, or meaningfully invested in closing the gender gap in the sport, are worth your attention because they’re doing something real: building space, removing barriers, and treating women’s participation as a structural question rather than a marketing opportunity. Whether you want your own start line or just want to race somewhere that’s actively thought about why you might not have shown up yet, there’s something for you.
2026 Women’s-Only Events
Women’s Trail Festival
Williamsburg, VA | March 28–29, 2026
Put on by Happy Cat Events, the Women’s Trail Festival is a two-day weekend in the woods outside Williamsburg built around 10-mile and 8K courses on technical mountain bike singletrack with switchbacks, roots, elevation, the good stuff. What makes it stand out is the full programming around the running: talks, educational sessions, and exercise classes are included in your registration, which also covers a shirt and post-race lunch. A portion of proceeds goes to the Colonial Road Runners Scholarship Fund, specifically for a female athlete. Men are welcome to register if they have a woman in mind to run in honor of, a nice way to honor inclusion and bring others into the fold. Trail Sisters approved.
Lake Sonoma 100K & 50K + Trail Sisters Half Marathon
Healdsburg, CA | April 11, 2026
Lake Sonoma is one of the most competitive and beloved races in California wine country, and this year it’s added a women’s half marathon in partnership with Trail Sisters to round out the distance offerings. The 100K is a Western States qualifier, rolling hills, oak-dotted singletrack, big climbs, beautiful views, and the 50K is frequently recommended as a strong first ultra for runners who want a legitimate challenge without the logistical weight of a hundred. The Trail Sisters Half Marathon starts at Lone Rock Trailhead and covers 13.1 miles of lake overlooks and rolling terrain with a generous five-hour cutoff, making it genuinely accessible. All finishers get a custom bottle of wine (or a non-alcoholic option, which we love).
Lake Mohegan Trail Race
Fairfield, CT | April 25, 2026
Now in its fourth year, the Lake Mohegan Trail Race is a women’s-only event in Fairfield County designed specifically to get more women onto trails, a mission that addresses something real. Typically, 30–40 of trail race participants are women; this race is trying to move that number. It offers a 5K, 10K, and a four-hour option where runners log as many loops of the 5K course as they can before noon, a format that removes the pressure of a fixed distance and makes it genuinely welcoming to newer trail runners. Non-binary runners are welcome. The post-race spread is solid with bagels, muffins, and fresh fruit on offer. A portion of the proceeds goes to a local nonprofit. Open to walkers and hikers, too.
Wild Woman Trail Race Weekend
Trout Lake, WA | June 20–21, 2026
Wild Woman is one of the older women’s-only trail weekends in the country, and it’s earned that longevity by actually being worth the trip. Set in the shadow of Mt. Adams in Washington’s Trout Lake valley, the weekend offers a 50K, marathon, relay, and half marathon, all designed with the explicit premise that you don’t need to prove anything to be there. The 50K is framed as a first-time-friendly ultra experience, which means fewer egos and more actual support. What makes Wild Woman distinct isn’t the distances, it’s the format: base camp atmosphere, post-run yoga, a pre-race potluck, a guest speaker panel, and all-you-can-eat pizza for you and whoever came with you. It’s a race weekend that understands women don’t always show up to trail running alone, and builds programming around that reality. Registration closes June 17.
Queen of the Ridge
Arena, WI | September 26, 2026
Last Woman Standing format, on a family farm in Wisconsin’s Driftless region, with a cowbell start and bragging rights to whoever outlasts everyone else. That’s the pitch, and it’s a good one. Race director Kelly grew up on the land where the event is held, which gives it a grounded, personal feel that’s hard to manufacture. The rules are a twist on the traditional backyard format: runners have 20 minutes per loop, and anyone who comes in after the cutoff is eliminated. Spectators are welcome, there’s crew tent space, and the event donates $0.10 per completed lap to the Driftless Trail project, a 50-mile foot trail being planned through Iowa County’s Driftless landscape. Only 12 spots remain, be sure to get in on this one quickly!
Mujeres and Marigolds
Smithville, TX | October 24, 2026
This is an inaugural event, which means you can get in on the ground level. The premise alone makes it worth watching: Mujeres and Marigolds may be the only women’s-only 100K in the world. Put on by Rise Racing Co. out of Texas, the race also offers a 50K, 25K, 10K, and 5K, so there’s a real on-ramp for athletes at different points in the distance progression, which matters, because the leaky pipeline in ultrarunning is real and it tends to widen exactly at the 100K and 100-mile mark. The event takes place in late October in central Texas, timed with a nod to Día de los Muertos, which gives it a cultural texture that sets it apart from the generic trail festival format.
Events with Women’s Initiatives
Summit For Her
Emmaus, PA | March 8, 2026
Heads up: this one is this weekend. Summit For Her is a $10 event at the intersection of women in running and sustainability in sport, a group run in the morning, followed by a live podcast with Trail Sisters founder Gina Lucrezi, ATRA founder Nancy Hobbs, and Erin Azar, then a screening of The Long Path film featuring race director Kim Levinsky’s story of FKT-chasing and mental health advocacy, followed by a Q&A. If you’re anywhere near Emmaus, Pennsylvania on Saturday, this is worth your afternoon and your ten dollars.
Register → (stay tuned for the 2027 edition)
Walla Walla 6 Hour
Walla Walla, WA | April 11, 2026
This one is sold out, but worth knowing about, because it captures something specific about how women’s events can grow organically from actual friendship rather than brand strategy. Race directors Carrie Walla and Claire Walla (not related, but incredible) met at a Trail Running Film Fest in 2014, became friends, and eventually made good on a running joke that they should race in Walla Walla, Washington together. The event supports Trail Sisters and has been selling out consistently. Get on the waitlist if you want to be there next year.
SHEastern States Weekend
Lock Haven, PA | April 30–May 3, 2026
This is a running camp, not a race, and it might be one of the most interesting entries on this list. SHEastern is a four-day, 50+ mile guided experience on the legendary Eastern States 100 course in Pennsylvania’s wilds, covering big climbs (9,100 feet of gain over the weekend) with a community of women who are somewhere between seasoned trail runner and just figuring it all out. Lodging at Ponderosa Lodge is covered by Eastern States 100. There are three pace groups, sweep support, aid stops, and evening fireside chats. It’s explicitly not a hiking weekend, you’ll be tired — but it’s also not a race, which removes the ego in a way that apparently creates its own kind of magic. It’s already sold out for 2026, but get on the waitlist for next year.
Baker Trail UltraChallenge
Pennsylvania | August 29, 2026
The Baker Trail Challenge is built around gender parity as an explicit goal, not as a tagline, but as the structural design of the event. There’s a women’s-only 50M field, as well as a relay if you want to split the distance up with friends, Worth checking out if you’re in the Northeast and want to race somewhere that’s thought seriously about who shows up and why.
Wild Goose Trail Festival
Hewitt, NJ | September 19–20, 2026
The Wild Goose isn’t a women’s event specifically, but Sassquad Trail Running has built one of the most genuinely inclusive race organizations in the country with hardship entries, Trail Mix Fund partnership for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ athletes, 20 percent discounts for military, veterans, teachers, and hospital workers, a community deferral policy that explicitly names immigration enforcement fears as a legitimate reason to defer. The 100-miler has a 36-hour cutoff and only one intermediate cutoff at mile 92.5, which is a meaningful structural choice that prioritizes finishing over pace policing. Trail Sisters-approved. A good event to support with your entry fee if you care about who shows up to the start line.
Girl Scout Island Ultra
Savannah, GA | November 21, 2026
This one is open to everyone, but its roots are in the Girl Scout tradition of building confidence and capability in young women and girls, and that ethos shapes the event. It’s set on Rose Dhu Island in Savannah, a 6.25-mile flat trail loop that winds through cabin and perch areas, and offers distances from 10K all the way to 100 miles. The 100-mile buckle is a real draw, and the event makes a notable effort at accessibility: there’s a relay option, gender-specific swag, dedicated breastfeeding accommodations at the medical tent, and feminine products on site. Plus, Girl Scout cookies at every aid station. Need we say more?
Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run
Glen Rose, Texas | November 21-22 2026
Woman-owned and Trail Sisters-approved, Dinosaur Valley is also a Western States qualifier, which matters, because access to qualifier races shapes who makes it to marquee ultras. This event has distances from 5 to 100 miles, so there’s something for everyone. There are crew spots available every 10 miles (love) with extra pacing allowed for runners over 60, and you get a giant buckle with a dinosaur skull on it.
The through line across all of these events is an attempt to genuinely move the needle when it comes to getting more women on the start line. More than anything, each of these events is a celebration of our capacity to come together and push one another to go a little farther, a little faster, or perhaps just have more fun, than we ever have before.
Find more events at ultrasignup.com.
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