Flint Hills 50 and Marathon
Manhattan, KS
- 50 Miler, Marathon
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Enjoy a beautiful run on mostly dirt roads in the scenic Flinthills just outside of Manhattan, Kansas! The Marathon consists of one 26.2 mile loop around the course offering 4 aid stations along the course. The 50 miler consists of two 25 mile loops with 5 aid stations each loop. … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Apr 11):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 75 | 70 | 64 | 81 | 68 |
| L (°F) | 51 | 35 | 43 | 42 | 45 |
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Fun small town ultra
Packet pickup was easy (I did mine the day prior). The race HQ was at a community center which served as the halfway aid station. This was nice as it … MORE
Packet pickup was easy (I did mine the day prior). The race HQ was at a community center which served as the halfway aid station. This was nice as it kept the drop bags dry from the drizzling rain.
The pre-race instructions were great and left no confusion. And even more so was I could feel the pride of those that put the race on.
With the course being on mostly rural roads, there wasn’t any spectators (except a bunch of cattle and two donkeys, which I appreciated) but there was so much support from the rad volunteers at each aid station.
The course starts on a paved road for a short stretch before it turns into hard packed gravel. The hills aren’t too steep but there are plenty of them so it ads up. The course isn’t winding but there are plenty of 90 degree turns to keep it from being dull.
The race is in early April so it is very possible to catch different weather conditions during the race. This year started with cool temperatures with light drizzle. The precipitation stopped and it stayed cool for most of the race until quick downpour followed by warm sunshine. So a change of socks and shirt at the end of the first loop was a good thing.
The buckle is very nice and proudly displayed and the race shirt is soft and looks great.
Flint "Hills" and more hills
Overall Rating: Excellent. I wanted a 50 mile ultra, and I got it! Course Difficulty: Pretty tough. I would give the course itself a 6 out of 10 on difficulty, … MORE
Overall Rating: Excellent. I wanted a 50 mile ultra, and I got it!
Course Difficulty: Pretty tough. I would give the course itself a 6 out of 10 on difficulty, as it is constantly rolling hills. I would give the course plus rain a 7 out of 10, as you get the hills, the mud, and sloshing around in wet shoes. I would give the course plus the rain plus the wind plus the temperature an 8 out of ten on the most challenging things I have ever done.
Mostly gravel/dirt roads-as a side note if you plan to run this race, the traffic in this part of the world doesn’t slow down or move over for you. I wasn’t sure if the people didn’t like me, or runners being on the road in general, or if it’s just how people drive in that area…just something to know.
Course Scenery: Nice. I like rural terrain, and this is an epic view of real Kansas.
Race Production: Race production was perfect; everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. Manned aid stations every 9-10 miles, unmanned with water in between. Great volunteers who endured rough weather with smiles and a helpful attitude. Chili to eat at the end. Free pics. Excellent production!
Race Swag: Awesome race specific buckle (even for the marathon) and a sweet cotton poly blend shirt.
My Performance: I wasn’t sure what to expect, as this was my first 50 miler. My overall plan was to finish in under 10 hours, but I would be happy with a finish. I finished my first loop feeling good at about 4:40, so all was going as planned; the second loop is where things got tough.
It had rained all morning, not hard, but enough that I was soaked, I had a drop bag at mile 35, ten miles up the road, so I thought maybe once it quit raining I would change. Then came the hard rain and wind.
Long story short, by mile 35 my lips had turned blue, and fingers had started to turn blue…I was shivering uncontrollably, and thought I was going to have to drop. Chris (crewing) and Melanie (fellow runner), both my new heroes, saved my race. They gave me some boiled potatoes, a poncho, some hand warmers, and latex gloves; I put all of this on with a couple more layers of dry clothes and off I went.
I ended up walking about 15 total miles, and still finished right at 11 hours…I’m totally good with that.
I can’t ever say enough good things about my fellow runners, especially in ultras; it’s a community that goes way deeper than any event, and I am extremely grateful.
All in all, this race on a bad day is still a good memory, this race on a good day would be one of the best I have participated in. Really enjoyed it.
Rural America at its Best
This marathon is run on dirt and gravel roads around a single loop through scenic farm country. If you don't like hills, you won't like this marathon. Except for the … MORE
This marathon is run on dirt and gravel roads around a single loop through scenic farm country. If you don’t like hills, you won’t like this marathon. Except for the first couple of miles and the last few, it is continuous rolling hills. I walked the steeper hills and ran the rest and did just fine. I was following behind a group of three runners for the first 6 miles who were running all the way up the hills. I fell back from them when I walked up the hills, but made up ground to them on the downhills, and eventually caught up to them and passed them after we reached the first aid station. I’m sure that my run/walk strategy was the reason I passed 3 runners during the last 6 miles of the run.
There were only 30 runners registered for the marathon in 2018, with 26 finishers. I assume that the 4 that didn’t finish did not start, as there were no DNFs listed for the marathon. The time limit for the marathon was 13.5 hours, so this is a walker friendly event. The finisher awards for both the marathon and the 50 miler were belt buckles.