Midwest States 100
Trail Race
August 23, 2025
Great chance to enjoy the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
100 mile/100k start: 6 am
50k start: 11 am
Hello adventure seekers!
Midwest States 100 is a project that has been on my mind since I began ultrarunning . In 2019 I dove in deep to try and make this event happen. The Midwest deserves the recognition and the trail running community here is strong. Many of my close friends and family have helped bring this project to life. My personal inspiration for this race was to create an event that is challenging, adventurous and on less traveled trails. I felt it was important to use part of the Ice Age trail since it is iconic to Wisconsin.
When I visit this part of the Chequamegon National forest I am excited to see the landscape change as I travel through each sections of the forest. I rarely run into other people. When I do, you can tell they are feeling a deep appreciation of the peaceful and wild nature around them. The forest bed is lush and the sounds of the forest are music that engulf your soul.
This may sound small, but I love when you come off the trail onto the dirt forest roads and cross to enter another part of the trail. It makes me feel so happy that there are long trails like this to travel on. I would much rather travel all the single track.
Part of the adventure will be camping leading up to the race. We rent all of the Spearhead campground for runners. You need to reserve your spot there with us early because it may fill up. Our team is working on planning some "get to know each other" events for the Thursday before the race. We are all so excited for this small and cozy trail running weekend.
We hope to see you for this amazing trail race in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Happy trails,
Michele Hartwig
Race Director Ornery Mule Racing
Deep dark woods. Peaceful. Lakes. Wisconsin at it’s finest.
Located in Chequamegon National Forest.
The race is held in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The majority of the course is on Midwest iconic Ice Age Trail. This is a 1,000 mile footpath contained entirely within the state of Wisconsin. This trail is highly supported by the Ice Age Trail Alliance. We suggest heading over to their website to learn more.
The trail is one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in the country. Ancient glaciers carved the path through rocky terrain, open prairies, and peaceful forests.
Thank you to the trail lover & running community for coming together to create a beautiful race experience for all!
Join our Midwest States 100 training group on Facebook to stay in touch.
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Chequamegon National Forest
Medford area, Wisconsin
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