Tuscobia Winter Ultra

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

The 160-mile race is an out-and-back from the Knights of Columbus (KC) Hall in Rice Lake. It runs 4 miles north on the Wild Rivers State Trail, then east on the Tuscobia State Trail (shared at first with the Ice Age Trail) to the Winter Huskies checkpoint at about mile 50. It continues east toward Park Falls, then follows about 4 miles of road, trail or lake north to the turnaround at Butternut Lake Lodge, about mile 80, and returns the same way. The separate 80-mile race goes one way from Butternut Lake Lodge to Rice Lake. Both distances have run, bike and ski divisions. Other non-motorized modes such as kick sleds race in an open category with no podium prizes or ITI entry, and snowshoers count as runners. This record covers the 160-mile run.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• Tuscobia State Trail east from Rice Lake, shared at first with the Ice Age Trail
• Winter Huskies snowmobile club's heated groomer shed near Winter, the checkpoint in 2026
• Turnaround at Butternut Lake Lodge on Butternut Lake
• Trail towns of Birchwood, Radisson, Winter and Draper

The organizer warns of snow, ice and slush, with a mix of rough snow, icy patches and even dirt depending on recent snowfall. The trail may or may not be groomed for snowmobiles. Racers must stay on the Tuscobia and Wild Rivers trails except where event markings direct otherwise, may leave the trail only to reach a business or bathroom and must rejoin where they left, and must move off the trail whenever they stop.

Early January in northern Wisconsin. The organizer tells racers to expect temperatures below 0°F or wet conditions and to assume no help. A racer who drops will most likely be collected by snowmobile, not a warm truck, and may wait a long time, so the gear has to keep them warm on the trail.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

The Tuscobia Winter Ultra was first held in 2009 on the Tuscobia State Trail between Rice Lake and Park Falls in northern Wisconsin. Chris and Helen Scotch took it over in 2011, renamed it in 2012, and the long race (then 150 miles) became a qualifier for the Iditarod Trail Invitational that year. Since 2016 Tuscobia has finished in Rice Lake, with 160-mile and 80-mile distances. The Tuscobia 160 is also the first leg of the Order of the Hrimthurs, awarded for finishing it, the Arrowhead 135 and Actif Epica in one winter. The organizer's historic sheet shows 100 finishes from 304 starts in the 150- and 160-mile run from 2011 to December 2024 (33%).

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• The organizer publishes no course-record list. Its result sheets flagged Scott Hoberg's 41:34 in January 2017 as a 160-mile run course record and Faye Norby's 58:17 in December 2019 as a women's record.
• Faster 160-mile run times have since been recorded on the current course with the Butternut Lake turnaround: Herman Watson, 37:35 (December 2023), and Simone Valentin Austin, 54:41 (December 2024). The sheets do not label them as records.
• In January 2026 Margaret Gordon won the 160-mile run outright in 56:23, ahead of Andy Prevost and Eric Otto, who tied in 57:03. That course was slightly shorter because the Ojibwa checkpoint out-and-back was dropped.
• ITI entry: the organizer draws one paid Iditarod Trail Invitational entry among male and female 160-mile finishers in the run, bike and ski divisions. UltraSignup describes it as a paid entry for a 160-mile winner, worth $1,400 or more.

Preparing for a Race Like Tuscobia Winter Ultra

The fixed-distance race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Crew and aid-station strategy: Crew tables, aid stops, drop bags and runner preferences.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Tapering for ultramarathons: Plan the taper and race week around your own recovery.

Best Fit

• Winter racers with a qualifying finish who want a long course with towns along the trail
• Runners seeking an Iditarod Trail Invitational qualifier
• Racers attempting the Order of the Hrimthurs with Arrowhead and Actif Epica

Planning Notes

• Prepare for sleep decisions, weather swings, and aid-station discipline. The distance is only one part of a multi-day fixed-distance race.
• Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
• The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
• Every racer must carry $80 cash: $30 to buy a light if needed and a $50 DNF fee for a ride back
• Three flashing red LED lights of at least 20 lumens (one front, two rear), mounted at least 12 inches above the trail and on day and night
• Satellite tracking through Trackleaders is mandatory for 2027; finishing with a dead or missing tracker means a time penalty or DQ
• Headphones in one ear only
• Checkpoints and warming huts allow 60 minutes and no sleeping inside

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Open the Fixed-Distance format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist