Registration Opens October 1st!
Get your fingers ready!
With an entrants capacity of only 90 participants, the individual mini-games sell quickly! No lottery, no presale, just an open registration beginning on Tuesday, October 1st at 6:00 a.m.!
Allocation of spots for individual races:
- The Nooner Half Marathon: 25
- A Series of Unfortunate 5Ks: 20
- The Cauldron, 18 Hour/60 Miler: 15
- Immolation, 24 Hour/80 Miler: 30
Once these spots are filled, we will go to waitlist. If the four individual races fill disproportionately to the above allocation, capacities will be adjusted to accommodate as many runners as possible!
Pick Your Poison!
The Trident Trail Races has become a carousel of different types of mini-games to offer something for everyone on race day! Whether you’re just in it for an EZ half marathon, or 24 hours and 80 miles of agony, and everything in between, you’ll find something that speaks to you as we change a few of the mini-games every year while keeping the fan favorites! The premise of The Trident is a simple one: hold a trail race on the sugar sand dunes of coastal southeast Florida during the hottest time of the year! This is truly a test of mental and physical endurance no matter which mini-game you pick!
The 7th Annual Trident Trail Races returns on Saturday, July 26-27, 2025 at HIGH NOON! For our seventh year, we are bringing you 4 races to choose from!
1. Our original Trident Trail Half Marathon that starts at high noon! Same misery, same 4 hour cutoff! It’s the OG race that so many of you love to hate and hate to love!
2. The Cauldron - an 18 hour, 60 mile race with the same “loop-per-hour” format as Immolation, but no elimination rounds, AND a fabulous finish at dawn where you can watch the sunrise over the dunes and finish before the sun comes back with a vengeance! Simply complete one 3.3 mile loop per hour without timing out! It’s a little “backyard-ish” but there is an end to it! Expect some custom cauldron-themed awards, and a helluva challenge with about 3,500 feet of elevation gain/loss for the whole shebang!
3. A Series of Unfortunate 5Ks - a new Trident offering where you can earn a simple 5K finish, or, continue to level-up with the possibility to complete the much-fabled 5kMarathon! AND, for you true endurance enthusiasts, run one final loop to earn the coveted 5kUKTRAMARATHON finish! This race starts at noon and you’ll have 10 hours to earn your way to an ultra finish of 33 miles! Or, you can do a single loop and leave with a 5k finish complete with awards all around! Deets below! This race does not follow the same “loop-per-hour” format that Immolation and The Cauldron do. You have 10 hours to do this however you see fit!
4. IMMOLATION - a gargantuan challenge for only the most hardcore and badass endurance junkies and ultra runners! This is a 24 hour, 80 mile festival of suffering in the same elimination format as the Ridge to Nowhere: run one 3.3 mile Trident loop per hour for 24 hours. Sounds easy enough, right? There’ll be 6 elimination rounds beginning at midnight - the last runner on the course UNDER the one hour mark gets released from the race. However! A “second chance” phoenix coin issued to all runners making it past the 12 hour mark that they may redeem for a second chance if they are facing elimination. It’s a noon to noon party at the Ridge! Qualifying races/efforts required! See below!
Run the Ancient Sand Dunes!
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area is one of the last stands of Florida Coastal Scrub habitat in Palm Beach County. Only 2% of original Scrub in the county and less than one-third of the original Scrub in the state remain today! A gently rolling landscape of prickly, dense thickets spotted with bare patches of sparkling white sand, these 271 acres are protected by Palm Beach County as part of a countywide system of natural areas. Over 200 species of plants and animals call this home.
The Trident portion of Jupiter Ridge Natural Area is a sprawling collection of ancient sugar sand dunes - featuring the highest natural point in Palm Beach County! These dunes have remained unchanged since the last ice age over 2 million years ago and you’ll summit these “peaks” multiple times through your race! They aren’t particularly high with the highest being around 45 feet above sea level, but trudging through the softest sand is the only way up! It’s not as easy as you’d think!
The Trident was born with the intent to host a trail race in one of the most unforgettable and unforgiving environments in Florida and beyond at the most brutally hot and humid time of the year. It’s a celebration of suffering with friends in a social setting as the out-and-backs within an out-and-back loop will let you see your fellow competitors multiple times during your race. But please understand what you are signing up for; the dunes of Jupiter Ridge are a difficult venue for running. Add to the mix the unrelenting heat and humidity of southeast Florida in late July and you’re in for one of the toughest footraces in the US that has quickly become a cult classic bringing in runners from all over Florida and the US, Central America, and Europe to see what all the hype is about!
The Nooner - the OG Horrible Half
Our original Trident race! “It’s just a half marathon”
The race itself is an out-and-back "loop" of 3.30 miles repeated 4 times for a distance of 13.20 miles. While it's not an ultra marathon, it is very much an endurance event! This race is held during the hottest, most humid time of the year, with a noon start time and Late July temperatures can peak in the mid 90's during the middle of the day, and humidity hovers around the 70-80% mark making for a ridiculous heat index topping 115+ degrees! The white sand temperatures blaze to a searing 130+ degrees! Heat management is crucial. This race is not for everyone! The course is made up entirely of ancient sand dunes, some of it very soft and fluffy, with some gentle rollers and some outright steep climbs. This is the only Half Marathon in south Florida that will give you 1,200+ feet of elevation gain over the entire distance! Combine the brutal terrain with the unrelenting heat and humidity, and you're running easily the most challenging trail half marathon in Florida.
There is a strict 4 hour cutoff! Nooner Trident runners must have completed all 4 loops by 4 p.m., or they will be listed as Did Not Finish! (DNF) - Race management reserves the right to remove anyone from the course who displays distress above and beyond "normal and expected" for this type of event. We will have a medical staff on hand who will be evaluating runners as they make their way through the race.
Immolation
You asked for it! Our first 24 hour race - Immolation!
For our 6th anniversary we wanted to bring back the now infamous and a little (a lot!) more extreme…so we proudly offer you the Immolation 24 Hour/80 Miler! Building on the success and format of our wildly popular Ridge to Nowhere, Immolation is twice the fun with a couple twists! It’s a 24 hour elimination match where runners traverse one 3.3 mile Trident loop in an hour or less for 24 consecutive hours starting at noon on Saturday, continuing until noon on Sunday. That’s 80 miles and around 7,000 feet of elevation gain/loss! In addition, there’ll be 6 elimination rounds beginning at midnight in which the last runner still on the course in UNDER an hour will be eliminated. ALL runners coming in OVER an hour will be eliminated. The name of the game here is finish your loop in an hour or less, and don’t be the last one in. Sounds easy, right?
Runners making it to the 12 hour mark will be rewarded with a phoenix coin. This is a coin the runner may redeem for a second chance if they are facing elimination.
* NOTE: the phoenix coin is only good for runners who are facing elimination from being the last runner on the course in under an hour. The phoenix coin can not be used if a runner is over the one hour mark, or chooses to not start a loop, or drops mid-loop. The phoenix coin may not be used in the final lap regardless of if the final lap is an elimination lap or not.
A runner may also donate their coin to another runner to keep them in the game at the risk of losing their own second chance. Or, they may keep it as a souvenir and take it home. In any case, it’s going to be interesting to see those who save themselves, or others!
A runner’s placement will be a combination of all 24 loops times, for example, if you run all 24 loops in 45 minutes each, that’s 1,080 minutes, or 18 hours. 18 hours would be your finishing time in this scenario.
All runners finishing will be awarded a buckle fit for a king or queen!
*QUALIFYING RACES
Because of the small entrants capacity and the extreme difficulty level of this race, we are requiring FINISHED qualifying races/efforts having occurred in the last 18 months, and are verifiable:
- any Florida (heat) race taking place from April 1st to September 30th, in the last 18 months, with a distance of 26.2 miles or longer
- any trail race in the US with a distance of 50k or longer
- any road race in the US with a distance of 50 miles or longer
- any sand race of 26.2 miles or longer
- any verifiable solo effort such as an FKT attempt or PR attempt of 50k or longer with any consecutive 50 kilometers occurring in 10 hours or less
- any 6 or 12 hour timed race in which you completed >26.2 miles in 6 hours, or >31.1 miles in 12 hours
- any 100k race in <18 hours
- any 100 mile race in <32 hours
If you have questions about qualifying races, reach out to us! Plead your case! Race management reserves the right to deny entry into Immolation if qualifying races are not satisfied. Your registration will be refunded and you’ll be removed from the roster.
Immolation Infinity Challenge!
The Trident - Immolation Infinity Challenge!
You asked asked for it! (Yes, really) A Backyard style addendum to the The Trident - Immolation 24 Hour/80 Miler to begin at the conclusion of Immolation at high noon on Sunday!
The rules are simple:
You must complete Immolation, all 24 loops, and be considered a finisher with buckle in hand. Immediately after the 24th hour, if you are registered for the Immolation Infinity Challenge, you will line up with your battle mates and the format will change over to a more traditional backyard style ultra and begin knocking out one 3.3 mile Trident loop per hour. No elimination rounds, just one hour to get the loop done and be ready for the next one.
We will do this only if there are two or more runners participating. An additional 6 loops/hours will get you 99 miles and you can bet there will be a special buckle for that, too! Runners will continue to battle backyard style until the last runner remains, and per backyard rules, the final runner will have to complete one final solo loop to be crowned champion!
- You MUST ALREADY BE REGISTERED for Immolation BEFORE you can register for the Infinity Challenge. The Infinity Challenge is free - Immolation is not.
- You must be an Immolation finisher in order to start the Infinity Challenge.
- No matter what happens during the Infinity Challenge, you will keep your Immolation buckle and awards. The Infinity Challenge will have its own results category.
- Registration for the Infinity Challenge is free, and you are under no obligation to start it if you finish Immolation and can not continue.
- Awards for 99 milers (30 hours) and one, singular overall award for the last runner standing!
- Last runner standing will get free entry for life to all of my races because it’s clear you have good taste and appreciation for suffering, and a good time I shall not deny you.
The Cauldron - 18 Hour/60 Miler
Another new offering for 2025! Think of The Cauldron as “Immolation lite” as it will follow the same loop-per-hour” format, but without the elimination rounds found in Immolation. It is still a true test of mental and physical endurance as you’ll complete one 3.3 mile Trident loop every hour for 18 consecutive hours! Beginning at high noon, you’ll race through the heat of the day, then continue into the night - finally completing your race at dawn, just before the sun rises over the Atlantic to scorch the sands of Jupiter Ridge once again! Though this race has no qualifying requirements, please note this is an extremely difficult race. You must go into this race fully trained, mentally and physically prepared, and willing to be fairly uncomfortable for an extended period of time. This race will have cauldron themed awards and swag! If you’re looking to complete a difficult 100k-ish distance on a fully supported course, this is it! You may also have a crew as we will have space for your base camp alongside our Immolation runners!
A Series of Unfortunate 5Ks
Another new offering for 2025, this is the “something for everyone” mini game in which you can earn a simple 5k finish (awards included!), or keep going and level-up to either a 5kMarathon finish, or a truly badass 5kULTRAMARATHON finish! How the heck does this work?
Loops:
1. 3.3 miles: 5k finish! From here, you can either take your hard earned 5k finishers medal and call it quits, or continue on to loop 2…
2. 6.6 miles
3. 9.9 miles
4. 13.2 miles - here, you can take an official Nooner Half Marathon finish (as long as you are in by 4 p.m.), take your 5k award AND your half marathon award, and get the heck outta dodge! If you do so, your race ends here.
5. 16.5 miles - here’s where it gets tricky! If you start loop 5, you are committed! The next opportunity to end your race with an award and NO DNF is the completion of loop 9 - the “5kMarathon”, so keep the train rolling!
6. 19.8 miles
7. 23.1 miles
8. 26.4 miles
9. 29.7 miles - you did it! You are a 5kMarathon finisher! You can stop here, take your award, take a bow, and take a seat. You earned it. OR, if you are truly a bad mammajamma, you can run one more loop for the ultimate show of physical and mental fortitude…
10. 33 miles! Congratulations! You are a 5kULTRAMARATHON finisher! And yes, you’ll receive an award with which you can dazzle your friends and recall stories of your alpha-dog success that one time at Jupiter Ridge!
You’ll have 10 hours to complete this challenge whether you do a 5k only, or go for the big daddy 33 miler. This race will start at noon and ends at 10 p.m., with no hourly starts, you can run this on your own pace, in your own way. The only “official” finishes are the 5k, and the 5kULTRAMARATHON. If you bail at the half marathon mark, you’ll be listed with the Nooner Half Marathon results as you will have ran the same course at the same time.
But what’s the catch, you ask? It is a Mikey Bee race, after all.
* If you drop or time-out on loop 10, your final loop, you lose EVERYTHING. No medals, nothing but calf cramps, sand in your shorts, and a less appealing story to tell. Good luck to you.
Refund/Deferral Policy
We want you to register with confidence! You may request a full refund, minus the Ultrasignup fee, should you need to drop for any reason, until Saturday, March 1st, 2025. You may also request a full deferral up until Thursday, July 24, 2025. After that, no deferrals will be issued under any circumstances. Or, if you’re feeling philanthropic, your registration refund can be converted into a donation to the Palm Beach County Natural Areas fund that helps to protect, maintain, and promote our beautiful Natural Areas!
If we have to postpone the race due to a hurricane, natural disaster, pandemic, site closure, etc…we will defer everyone to the new date once we’ve settled on one. No mass refunds will be issued. Your money over and above what we spend on the race goes toward the PBC Natural Areas Program which helps protect, enhance, and promote Palm Beach County’s hidden gems like Jupiter Ridge!
Schwag!
As this race is brought to you by the same folks who brought you the Sand Spur, you can expect the same level of goodies and bling, including amazing finishers medals, shirts, stickers, and other goodies! You'll also be escorted to and from the race site to a nearby public parking area in an air conditioned van. We'll also have custom top finishers awards for the top male and female winners from the magnificently talented Brie from Wicked Skins! Aid stations will be stocked with plenty of ice, water, liquid fuel, chilled fruit, and other goodies! The race will be professionally and accurately timed by our friends Justin and Jill at Trailhead Ultras and results will be posted to Ultrasignup immediately after the race!
Event's current local time: 3:01 PM ET
