The Next Loop: Endurance Series, Lake Carl Blackwell, Nov 2026

At Lake Carl Blackwell in Stillwater, Oklahoma, The Next Loop: Endurance Series offers runners a 3.1-mile trail loop, with the challenge to complete consecutive loops. The November race features shorter distances from 5K to marathon and 50K. The 50-mile event requires 16 loops completed within a 12-hour time limit. Chip timing tracks each lap split, and the 50-mile race is limited to 75 participants. The loop crosses rolling lakeside terrain, open fields, and wooded areas on dirt paths, grass, and lightly packed earth. The footing is generally firm, the elevation changes are moderate, and the wide trail sections allow for approachability without making repeated laps effortless. Runners return to the same start/finish aid station each lap, can set up their own supplies there, and may have pacers. In the timed loop format, runners begin a new lap each hour and then choose after each completed loop whether to continue or stop, making pacing, recovery, and decision-making as important as endurance.