Trail running might be growing to new heights, but the soul of the sport still lies in the unique flair of small, grassroots-style homegrown events.

Take for example, last weekend’s Mountain Tiger Donner Summit, which was started in 2025 by the husband-and-wife team of Connor and Alice Curley with the belief that they could organize a stunning 12.5-mile point-to-point race on some of the favorite mountain trails just a stone’s throw from their backyard. They were right, and runners loved it.

Mountain Tiger Opener 2 — Photos courtesy of Mountain Tiger Donner Summit / Kevin Lara Photo

The second year of the race turned out to be an even bigger success, as well as a family affair of a different sort, as 21-year-old Ali Papillon was the outright winner and his 25-year-old brother Bodhi Gross took third while their parents, Dorian Gross and Linda Rao both ran competitively among the masters runners.

Other top race results included 26-year-old Ruby Lundquist winning the women’s race with a 10-minute margin, Clesi Bennett taking top honors in the non-binary division, and 84-year-old Louise Wholey, a local badass masters runner, finishing the race for the second year in a row with a smile on her face.

Mountain Tiger 4 — Photos courtesy of Mountain Tiger Donner Summit / Kevin Lara Photo

The last person to register saw runners at a casino late Friday night, asked them about the race, and showed up Saturday morning to see if he could join. The Curleys got him a bib and he did great—even after he admitted that he pulled an all-nighter at the casino before showing up to race.

Other highlights included Niki Van Sprang, a 33-year-old thru-hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail, finding out about the race while shopping at Tahoe Mountain Sports on Friday, then signing up on the spot, running the race the next day, finishing 24th overall in 1:59, and then continued on his thru-hike.

The race also had wildly cool skull awards, a fun post-race party and a big raffle, and—get this!—more than 100 runners getting permanent tattoos from Snowy Mountain Tattoo Company.

Mountain Tiger 6 — Photos courtesy of Mountain Tiger Donner Summit / Kevin Lara Photo

Those are some of the vibes you get at small, locally produced events where the runners are the priority and why the Curley’s Mountain Tiger Diablo on October 10 in the San Francisco Bay area should have a similar atmosphere and energy.

More Grassroots Races

Another race that figures to rely on the homegrown formula is the October 17 Sonoma Fall Classic, which has partnered with Aravaipa Running and Mountain Outpost to build upon the rich history of the legendary Lake Sonoma 50 Miler while adding the new Lake Sonoma 100 Miler “Sufferfest,” and the Sonoma Trail Marathon, as well as two team relays.

Among the many other trail races with a grassroots vibe on the horizon include:

Winter Park 50K, 21K, 10K, August 1, in Winter Park, Colorado

Tahqua Trail Run, August 8, in Paradise, Michigan

Southern Fried 50/50, August 15, in Columbus, Georgia

Wy’east Trailfest, August 15-16, in Mt. Hood, Oregon

Night Claw, August 15, in Glen Rose, Texas

Mozo Double Up, August 16, in Stowe, Vermont

La Garita 200, August 19, in South Fork, Colorado

Wild Turkey Trail Runs, August 22, in Fairmont, West Virginia

Shawnee Hills Trail Races, August 22-23, near Ozark, Illinois

Kachess Ridge 50, August 22, in Cle Elum, Washington

Dirty Dozen 50K, August 29, in New York City.

If you’re looking for more grassroots events with a local vibe, we’ve got you covered. Check out UltraSignup’s new Event Finder to search for a wide range of races near and far.