Red Dirt Ultra
Provencal, LA
- 100K, 50K
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Red Dirt Ultra is run on the beautiful Sandstone Trail in Kisatchie National Forest, near historic Natchitoches, Louisiana. This rugged trail consist of loose and hard-packed sand, stream crossings, climbing and descending, and long runnable sections through the long leaf pines. PLEASE NOTE: the 50K is actually about 33 … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Feb 21):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 71 | 38 | 77 | 82 | 76 |
| L (°F) | 57 | 21 | 53 | 68 | 56 |
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Excellent First Ultra
Overall Rating: Great! Course Difficulty: Moderate. 95% trail with a mix of sand, clay, rocks, roots, water, pine needles. Almost all rolling hills with only a single major climb that … MORE
Overall Rating: Great!
Course Difficulty: Moderate. 95% trail with a mix of sand, clay, rocks, roots, water, pine needles. Almost all rolling hills with only a single major climb that was about 1.5 miles long.
Course Scenery: Really nice run through pine forest, along a creek for a portion, and remediated logging ground.
Race Production: Very good!! Communication and logistics were excellent. All aid stations were right where they should have been, pre-race check in was a breeze, and post race food and massage were fantastic.
Race Swag: Custom medal and awesome shirt.
My Performance: Better than expected. I was using this as a long slow training run for an upcoming 100 miler and wanted to average 13 min/mile. I didn’t actually expect to do that well since I’m not trained up for it, but this ended up being a fairly quick course for me.
Final notes: I think this may be one of the best entry level ultras available. There is enough of the hard stuff to make it interesting (rocks, roots, sand, creek crossings, hills, etc), but not enough to be discouraging. Races like Tunnel Hill don’t really give enough exposure to those things, while races like the Tejas Trail Banderra will eat your lunch.
If you have that ultra itch but aren’t sure, give this one a shot!
Great race, great folks, fun times
I've done all 3 distances of this race. This is a great first 100 miler in my opinion. It's not too technical since it's mostly UTV trails in the National … MORE
I’ve done all 3 distances of this race. This is a great first 100 miler in my opinion. It’s not too technical since it’s mostly UTV trails in the National Forest. It’s a 31 (29 by my watch) mile loop so it’s a big ask for pacers and crew. But the RD will help them get where they need to be. There are excellent camping options nearby but the closest hotel is 45 minutes away. Post race refreshments and amenities are excellent! They have a lady who will wash, rub and lubricate your feet when you finish. New RD next year…hope she adds a 1/2 marathon.
Great support and well organized race
The 50K option of this race is run on a single 50K loop through the Long-leaf pine forests of Kisatchie National Forest. The trail allows ATVs and horses, so becomes … MORE
The 50K option of this race is run on a single 50K loop through the Long-leaf pine forests of Kisatchie National Forest. The trail allows ATVs and horses, so becomes very rutted and eroded with numerous wet spots that become muddy. There are also some short sections with loose, white sand. The race support and organization were second to none though. The aid stations were well-supplied with a range of beverages and ultra fare, including one that had bean burrito wraps and quesadillas. Most of them also had PB&J sandwiches, along with Gatorade, water, Coca-cola, and ginger ale. The best part was at the finish where they had their own branded Red Dirt Ultra beer and plenty of delicious Louisiana gumbo. The weather was pleasant this year and dry, although the trail was pretty wet. The bling included long-sleeved cotton shirts and a nice medal with the silhouette of Louisiana. The soft trail was easy on the feet, but you did have to watch out for a few roots and rocks in places. Overall, it turned out to be an enjoyable morning run in the National Forest.