Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay

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Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay

A quiet spring ultra built on grit, support, and early-season miles. 50 Mile, 50K & Relay on April 24, 2027.

Start at sunrise—reach Caseville before sunset to Beat the Sun. Flat, fast, welcoming, and ready for your next challenge.

09/20/2026

Thumb Coast looks like a trail race in some of our photos. It isn’t.

Most of Thumb Coast is on dirt and unimproved roads through Michigan’s Thumb, with some packed sand and seasonal roads and the occasional stretch of pavement.

You can actually run.

You’re not getting stuck behind people on singletrack or grinding up long climbs. Once the field spreads out, there’s room to settle into a groove, open up your legs, and just keep moving.

Then you hit an aid station and everything changes for a few minutes.

Crew and relay vehicles line the road. Spectators, pacers, relay teams, and volunteers are cheering. It feels like a little party in the middle of a pretty quiet part of Michigan.

Then you head back out.

Flat roads. Open space. A course that’s extremely well marked and hard to get lost on.

It’s a road ultra. Just not the kind of roads you might be picturing.

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay
50 Mile, 50K, 50 Mile Relay
Run & Ruck
April 24, 2027

09/13/2026

Your first ultra is already going to ask a lot of you.

You don't have to make it harder just to make it count.

Thumb Coast gives you quiet roads, frequent support, a course that's easy to follow, and plenty of time to make your way to Caseville.

One 2026 runner called it “perfect for my first ultra.”

If 50K or 50 Miles has been sitting in the back of your mind, April 24 is a long way from now.

08/26/2026

In eight months, we’ll start in Harbor Beach and head toward Caseville. Well, 34 weeks and 3 days, to be precise.

That’s plenty of time to build toward a first 50K, take on the full 50 miles, or start gathering the team you’d want beside you for a relay.

The eight week pre-training block starts October 12. The official 20 week plans start December 7.

If Thumb Coast is on your radar, check out the Athlete Guide and FAQ on our website. Still have questions? We have a virtual clinic on December 1, or drop your Q in the comments below.

We'll see you in the Thumb on April 24.

08/13/2026

“Beat the Sun” looks different depending on who’s running.

For some, the goal is speed. The fastest 50 Mile finishes at Thumb Coast have been 6:17:54 for the men, 6:25:54 for the women, and 10:02:17 for non-binary runners.

For others, the race gets very literal as they watch the sun get lower.

The 50 Mile starts at sunrise at 6:27 am. Sunset is at 8:31 pm. That gives runners 14 hours to make it from Harbor Beach to Caseville before the sun goes down.

And when you're still out there late in the day, you know exactly where you stand.

You’re checking your watch. Doing the math. Moving through the aid stations a little faster. Trying to find whatever your legs have left.

Last year, 94 of 99 finishers beat the sun.

In 2025, it was 79 of 82.
In 2024, 185 of 190.

For some runners, beating the sun happens hours before sunset.

For others, it takes everything they’ve got.

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay
April 24, 2027

08/06/2026

Caseville feels pretty far away when you’re standing at the start in Harbor Beach in the early morning.

Then the sun comes up and you start moving.

Past fields. Down dirt and unimproved roads. Through aid stations and relay exchanges. Past the Pointe aux Barques lighthouse. Around the top of the Thumb, one mile at a time.

Hours later, you arrive in a different town on a different side of the water.

There’s something satisfying about being able to look at a map afterward and see the ground you covered.

The Thumb Coast 50 Mile and Relay run from Harbor Beach to Caseville on April 24, 2027.

08/01/2026

Registration prices increase tonight.

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay

April 24, 2027

• 50 Mile point-to-point from Harbor Beach to Caseville
• 50K out-and-back from Caseville
• 50 Mile Relay with teams of 2-6
• Ruck Divisions

Race the sun across Michigan's Thumb.

We'll drop the link in the comments.

07/31/2026

Registration prices increase tomorrow night.

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay is back for year four in Michigan's Thumb on Saturday, April 24, 2027.

Run from Lake Huron to Saginaw Bay on quiet dirt roads.

• 50 Mile point-to-point from Harbor Beach to Caseville
• 50K out-and-back from Caseville
• 50 Mile Relay with teams of 2-6
• Ruck Divisions

The course is mostly flat and the support from volunteers, the community, and other runners is palpable. It's a great first ultra, longest ultra, or chance to get a team together for an epic weekend.

We'll drop the link in the comments.

07/30/2026

Registration prices increase after Saturday, August 1 at 11:59 pm.

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay is back in Michigan's Thumb on April 24, 2027.

Run from Lake Huron to Saginaw Bay on quiet dirt roads.

• 50 Mile point-to-point from Harbor Beach to Caseville
• 50K out-and-back from Caseville
• 50 Mile Relay with teams of 2-6
• Ruck Divisions

With 10 aid stations, a giant drop bag, an insanely over-marked course, and the best volunteers in the state, you can do this with a crew and pacers or totally solo. You'll never be on your own.

We'll drop the link in the comments.

07/27/2026

If Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay has been sitting in the back of your mind, this is a good week to take another look.

April 24, 2027

Run from Lake Huron to Saginaw Bay on quiet dirt roads through Michigan's Thumb.

• 50 Mile Point-to-Point
• 50K
• 50 Mile Relay
• Ruck Divisions

Registration prices increase after Saturday, August 1 at 11:59 pm.

The link to learn more and register is in the comments.

07/25/2026

You start your race search looking for something specific in a course.

What keeps people coming back is everything surrounding it.

Clear communication. Well-stocked aid stations. Volunteers who know your name. A course that's easy to follow. The confidence that you can focus on running because everything else has been taken care of.

A few things past participants had to say:

"One of the most organized runs I have participated in."

"Communication was exceptional."

"Could not have been better organized."

"Very well supported course."

That's the experience we work toward every April when we welcome runners and ruckers to Michigan's Thumb.

Thumb Coast Ultra & Relay
50 Mile, 50K, 50 Mile Relay
April 24, 2027

Prices increase after August 1 at 11:59 pm.

Address

Caseville, MI
48725

Website

https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Caseville/ThumbCoastUltra50Mileand50Kilometer

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