If you decide to try to get your feet wet in the ultra distances, consider coming to the black gold…read more24 hour endurance running event. Or if you're like me, you run your second ever 50 miler in 2025.
I found out about this endurance event on runningintheusa.com website, an online calendar for races around the United States of America. I needed KY for my 50 states marathon challenge, so I was like, why not. I registered online for the race before making travel plans. Fast forward to race day. They had no formal expo, but they had race morning packet pick up, which was a race shirt and your race bib. My friend and I arrived at Belfry High School in rural Belfry, KY on a crisp casual Saturday morning in mid November 2025. The weather was cool and nice. The course was marked and was 1 mile loops around the high school campus and thru the parking lot. We had 24 hours to do as much as we wanted to. My goal was to do my 2nd ever 50 miler. Spoiler alert: I did it. It was a mental challenge, especially because of the loops and you see the same things over and over. But it was fun and the loops were short enough to where you can finish it as quick as you can. There was one main aid station that was filled with anything and everything you could want in a 24 hour endurance event. The weather was nice and cool, never dropping past 40 F. I assumed we could have early winter, but thankfully, we did not during my time here in rural KY. Lap after lap, it was a mission to log as much as you can without getting too exhausted or mentally burnt out. The only thing that happened in the overnight hours was the monsoon that happened around 2:30am. And again at 3:30am, which put a damper on my time, but I still made my distance goal within the allotted time of 24 hours.
The overall experience here at the 2025 Black Gold 24 hour ultra distance endurance event was good and chill. Bonus because I met my goal and happy that I didn't fall apart. We arrived at 7:30am on a Saturday morning. Plenty of parking in the Belfry High School parking lot next to the school's football field, where the start and finish line was staged. Cars came and parked. We had about 50 or so participants in 2025. We picked up our bibs and milled around until 855am. Final instructions were announced and off we went at 9am. On the first loop of 1 mile, it was a learning experience. Following the crowd of participants and learning the course was very exciting and good. As the day wore on, it became clear that it will be a long day and into the night for a full 24 hours. The main thing was that we didn't need to spend extra on a hotel room, since at least for the majority of us, we planned to be there gutting it out for the full 24 hours. It was definitely interesting to be up and walking at 1am in the morning when it was all quiet. I finished my 50 miles around 5am after the rains had subsided. It was a feeling that was rich enough that I could savor for the rest of my life. I spent the last 4 hours hanging out at the main aid station and enjoying the rest of the race event while charging up my phone for the day. After watching the final finishers finish their distances and received our belt buckles for 50 miles, 100km, and 100 miles, it was time to go home and recover, mentally and physically. Doing such a long distance definitely makes you tough to kill. Makes you feel like what you're able to do if you put your mind to it. And so, if you feel like you want to do this, consider the Black Gold 24 hour endurance event in Belfry, KY. It's usually held in November. We got lucky with warmer temperatures but could have done without the torrential downpours this year.
Black Gold 24 hour endurance event is staged at the Belfry High School in rural Belfry, KY. Registration is typically online and you'd use major credit cards to finish the transaction. Not sure what happens if you decide to show up and register the morning of. The main aid station is stocked with what you'd see in ultra running events. A lot of junk food to keep you going. I guess that's what keeps me going. lol For the most part though, this event was as much fun as it was challenging. 1 mile loops is short enough to find a rhythm, but to go for a long distance is another thing too. Plenty of parking here if you are a participant or a spectator. Best thing to do is to carpool or have your own personal vehicle or rent wherever necessary. It has its short hills but at least it's not trails. It's a great beginner race to dip your toes into the longer distances, if you decide to go that route. It was a nice time and made new friends. Too bad the torrential rains hampered the experience a bit in the overnight hours, but it was worth every bit of it. Consider this one if you want to challenge yourself. Or if you're running the 50 states and need the extra time to complete your marathon or 50km.
5.0 stars for the overall experience!
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