The Next Loop: 50 Mile Challenge, Tyler, TX - Nov 2026

The Next Loop 50 Mile Challenge is a November trail ultra in Tyler, Texas, using a short loop rather than a point-to-point course. All participants begin simultaneously, completing 14 laps of a 3.68-mile trail loop to accumulate 50 miles. This is a continuous race, not an hourly backyard format, with a 12-hour time limit. The participant limit is 75, maintaining a small field and facilitating crew support. The course design simplifies logistics while maintaining difficulty: runners encounter the same well-supplied start-finish aid station each lap and can access their personal gear at each circuit. Chip timing captures overall time and lap splits, with live loop data assisting runners and crews in monitoring pace as fatigue sets in. The 50-mile participants have a dedicated staging area separate from the hourly-loop athletes within The Next Loop Endurance Series. Pacers are permitted in the later stages of the race, provided they check in, wear designated pacer identification, and enter or exit only at the start-finish location. Awards are presented to Open, Masters (ages 50-69), and Grand Masters (age 70+) categories.