Jigger Johnson Ultras

The Jigger Johnson Ultras run out of Waterville Valley into the White Mountain National Forest, and the organiser bills the 100 mile as the hardest hundred in the East: 108 miles out to the South Moat trailhead and back, with 29,000 feet of climbing and a 54-hour limit. The course is unmarked. Runners carry the GPX themselves, have to show they can navigate by it, and have their gear checked on race morning, which the race says it will not make exceptions about.

Aravaipa Running holds it under its White Mountain Endurance banner. The 50 mile is the 100's return leg on its own, run point to point from South Moat back to Waterville Valley on the Saturday with a 30-hour limit, and a 20 mile loop over Mount Osceola and Mount Tecumseh fills out the weekend. Entry is first come, but both ultras ask for a recent finish at the distance below.

Out and back from Corcoran's Pond in Waterville Valley to the South Moat trailhead and back: 108 miles, 29,000 feet of climbing, a high point of 4,340 feet, and no course markings. Nine aid stations, with Bartlett Experimental Forest, Sawyer River and Hancock Notch each visited twice. The 50 mile is the return leg alone, 58 miles point to point from South Moat, with runners bussed out to the start in the morning. The race notes that distances vary slightly from year to year with permitting.

First come, first served on UltraSignup, with no lottery and no waiting list, but both ultras carry a qualifying standard the organiser states plainly: a 50 mile finish within the past year for the 100 mile, or a comparable mountain effort with significant vertical, and a 50K for the 50 mile. There is no submission or review step, and the 20 mile has no standard at all. Prices rise in four steps through the year, from $330 to $395 on the 100 mile and $175 to $220 on the 50, with a payment plan and a mail-in entry form both offered. Entry for 2026 closed on August 10.