Heartland 50

The Heartland 50 features an out and back course on backcountry gravel roads with less than one mile of paved surface. Much of the course meanders through open range with stunning views of the vast expanse of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie. Cassoday is located off Interstate 35 and is 34 miles south of Emporia and 22 miles north of El Dorado. The two nearest commercial airports are in Wichita (55 miles southwest) and Kansas City (146 miles northeast). This is a great course for a first timer to take on the 50 mile or 50k distance, with a challenging but not technical course, and generous 15 hour cutoff (both races) to complete this race. It is also an excellent course for an experienced ultrarunner to PR on.