About the Event
Jay started this event, then named Newton Hills Ultra, in 2015 and filled an ultra-running void in the area. He passed the event on to the ‘Tres Hermanas’ of Karen, Natalie, and Nancy who poured so much blood, sweat, tears, and endless nights and energy into growing this wonderful event and helping our trail and ultra-running community flourish. These wonderful women needed to step back after 2023 and entrusted this event to a rag-tag group of friends who just like to spend all day playing in the woods. We hope to continue to do them and the event justice in serving up a fun filled grassroots race!
Glacier Hills Ultra Gives runners the chance to take the next step to a longer distance as it provides races distances of 20km, 30km, and 50km. We have a hard cutoff of 8 hours for the 50k, 7 hours for the 30k, and 6 hours for the 20k. All races must be completed BY 2PM!
Since we share 4 miles of the race course with the horse trails, we begin the first race at 6am, all runners must be done by 2pm (horses are not allowed on the course until after 1:30). If for some reason horses do get onto the trail before the set time, make sure to notify us so that we can alert the park rangers.
Because of the shared horse trails and the limited ability of our volunteers to stay and help we need to be strict with these times. If the time cut off is an issue, please message us (the race directors) via email or social media.
This race is just a fun event and a break from the daily grind of our regular lives. This is not our full-time job. We will do our best to offer clear and concise communication via timely emails and social media.
We thank you for choosing to run with us and to see the secrets and beauty that Newton Hills holds!
Join us November 1st for a great run through Newton Hills State Park (near Canton, SD), one of the jewels of South Dakota state parks!
Swag
Event swag for 2025 is still TBD! Keep an eye out on social media for the announcement and an update when we get our ducks in a row!
Race Schedule of Events
Deadline to sign up to get swag: TBD
Packet Pick up: TBD
Race Starts:
Be Sure to be ON TIME! The races start as follows:
50k at 6am (bring a headlamp for the first 2 hours, sunrise is at 8:00!)
30k at 7am (Bring a headlamp for the first hour, surise is at 8:00!)
20k at 8am
It will be repeated time and time again (because someone is always flustered and late – don’t let it be you) plan on at least an additional 20 minutes to get to the start on time!!
The Course
The course consists of a 10k loop through the Newton Hills trail system. Each loop has roughly 850ft of elevation gain. Each race is comprised of the number of loops needed to reach the chosen distance (i.e. 2, 3, or 5 loops)
All races start and finish in the same area near the picnic shelter which is also where the aid station will be. You will be able to utilize the aid station at the start/end of each loop as the start/finish/aid will be at the same location. We will have water set up at mile 4 of each loop when you hop off the horse trails to connect to the turkey trot trail for 2 miles before looping back to the start/finish/aid. (i.e. read: Water available at mile 4, full aid station at mile 6/start/finish of each loop)
50k runners are encouraged to park in the horse camp parking lot that is roughly half a mile from the start/finish. You will be running through the horse camp every loop and this way you would have access to your car to use for additional aid/drop bag area.
The race begins by leaving the start heading towards the horse camp on the gravel, after .5 miles you will hop on to the Blue Diamond multi-use trail ‘A’ and begin a gradual climb for the next .25 miles. The ‘theme’ for race course directions is STAY RIGHT! You will take your first right onto Blue Diamond Trail ‘B’ roughly .8 miles in. You will then be greeted with your first of 3 big climbs at mile 1! You will continue on Trail ‘B’ (staying right and mostly flat) for the next mile. Just after mile 2 you’ll have a short and steep descent. After this descent you will turn right on to Trail ‘D’ and cross a bridge and at mile 2.5 encounter the 2nd big climb of the course. After that climb you’ll stay right on Trail ‘D2’ and enjoy half a mile of running through the trees and then take another right onto Trail “D1” and enjoy another half a mile of running through the pines and sumac – both are flatter terrain, just watch for tree roots! You’ll then take another right onto Trail ‘D’ and come to a nice .5 mile descent back towards the start/finish aid near mile 4. However, instead of coming to the start/finish/aid, you will hang another right at the bottom of the hill (water available here) and start the 2 mile lollipop portion on the hiking trails. You’ll begin with a short and steep climb on the Turkey trot trail. About .4 miles into this section you’ll stay right, carrying on to the Woodland trail. Just before mile 5 you will hit big climb #3. At the top you’ll stay right to continue on the Woodland trail which will quickly take you into the descent. Be careful on this descent as the trail will have multiple erosion boards and tree roots and is off cambered. After the descent, STAY STRAIGHT! (ignore the single track to the right with steps and the trail to the left!) This wide flat section will loop you back to the Turkey Trot trail – you will take your first and only LEFT to cross a nice large wooden bridge at roughly mile 5.5, then immediately take a right to head back to the start/finish aid.
The course will be well marked with signage, pin flags with reflective strips, and tape, decorations, and wonderful volunteers – although someone is still bound to get lost. When in doubt, STAY RIGHT!
Remember, this is a trail race, so pick up your feet! There are sticks, rocks and tree roots on the trail! There may also be dust, mud, and horse poo!
We’re certain these directions are as clear as mud, but a link of the 6 mile loop with elevation chart can been seen below (note: it looks a lot flatter on paper!). Just remember 2 loops for the 20k, 3 loops for the 30k, and 5 loops for the 50k!
Drop Bags
This is a smaller race with the longest distance being the 50K. With runners being able to pass by the aid station every 6 miles, drop bags are not necessary unless you need to pack extra clothing, specific food items or to remove your headlamp when done running.
We will have a tarp located off to the side of the aid station where runners will be able to place their drop bags. It is your responsibility to label your drop bag. The items will be safe while you run – WE DO NOT keep an eye on items (Midwest Trust).
Also, as mentioned before, it is recommended that you park in the horse camp parking area, this way you can use your vehicle as your drop back to discard your headlamp or extra clothing or grab your preferred fuel.
Directions
The easiest and best way to get to Newton Hills State Park is to put it in your GPS. From here, we will be clear as mud… Directions will vary based on where you are driving from. Plug in this address please: Newton Hills State Park, 28767 482nd Ave, Canton, SD 57013. This will get you to the main park entrance. From here you will still have nearly a mile of slow driving to reach the small parking area near the picnic shelter at the start/finish area. We will do our best to have clear signage to direct you to the race parking once you enter the State Park. But just in case, you may want to also save the coordinates into google of 43.2276334, -96.5757620 which is approximately where race parking is (if you get there later, you will be walking at least a half mile from there).
PLEASE give yourself an additional 20+ minutes to get to the race than what Google gives for your ETA! The driving in the park, parking, and walking to the start will take AT LEAST 20+ minutes!
For the 50k, we recommend parking in the horse camp parking lot. This way you can utilize your car as an additional aid station or as a drop bag service. You can put these coordinates into google maps to get directions to the horse camp: 43.23499123346393, -96.57307984250541
The horse camp is a good half mile trek to the start/finish (follow the gravel road and reverse signage for the race).
PLEASE, be sure to give yourself an extra 20+ minutes to get to the starting line from the parking lot!
There are multiple vault toilets in the horse camp and horse camp parking area that we recommend for pre-race use if you park out there. There is only one vault toilet at the start/finish/aid station!
Lodging/Entertainment
Newton Hills State Park offers tent sites, RV sites, and limited cabins. Make the time to stay for the weekend and enjoy the beauty of Eastern South Dakota! Camping/Cabin reservations can be made here: https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/newton-hills-state-park/
If you’re looking for a close stay, but want more amenities, Gate City Events and Lodging in nearby Canton (a less than 10 mile drive) offers clean motel rooms with queen size beds for $120 a night. Check them out at https://www.gceventsllc.com/ or call 605-214-4604
There are plentiful more options available to stay at in the Sioux Falls area, but a farther drive (45 minutes) that isn’t so fun to make at 4:00 in the morning.
The Challenge: How to Earn a Betty!
When “The Tres Hermanas” first took over this race they devised a fun award that runners could earn by consistently running this event. Betty the Yeti is a great award that runners are lucky to have in their possession. In order to earn a Betty a runner must complete all of the distances (20K, 30K and 50K) within the time cut off and will earn a Betty The Yeti designed by Aravaipa_Artworx.
This challenge takes three years to complete but the energy this event brings is well worth the wait!
YOU NEED TO NOTIFY the race directors that it is your intention to earn your Betty this year so one can be ordered for you. This needs to be done well in advance of the event. We will double check that you have done all distances.
Multiple Betty: We will not be keeping track of people who are attempting to get a multiple Betty. It is your responsibility to notify us if you are aiming for another trifecta. If you complete the trifecta multiple times, instead of a Betty, you will receive a Mini Betty medal to adorn your original Betty.
Questions
Feel free to reach out to us via email or our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram – see below). We will do our best to respond in a timely manner!
Follow us on Facebook – Glacier Hills Ultra
Follow us on Instagram – glacierhillsultra
Event's current local time: 8:18 PM MT
