Queen of the Ridge

Queen of the Ridge is a femininonemon! Yes, you heard that right. This race is for the ladies! Grab your gal pals and your trail shoes, because we are getting the girls together for our second annual LAST WOMAN STANDING race.

We will be using the same loop and rules as our spring race, Rumble on the Ridge, which is a take on the traditional backyard ultra. Runners will complete a 1-"ish" mile loop every 20 minutes, until only one powerful female remains. This event takes place on an old family dairy farm just 40 minutes west of Madison, WI in the heart of the Driftless Area, and is very near and dear to RD Kelly's heart <3

The course:
1. The loop is usually between 1.0 and 1.25 miles long, and will have a minimum of 250ft of elevation gain.
2. A combination of single track and grass trails
3. The route changes directions every 4 hours!

Gather your girlfriends and bring your A-game. Every queen who toes the line proves she's unstoppable, but only one woman will outlast the hills of the Driftless. This isn't just a race - it's a rising. Long live the last woman standing.

Date and Location

Saturday, September 26, 2026
6:30-7:45am: Check in
8:00am: The Trail Promenade Commences (aka we start running!)

Location:
5749 County Road H
Arena, WI 53503

This is the family farm that race director Kelly grew up on! We are so grateful to be able to share this piece of the Driftless with you all, and to be able to host another event on the farm, especially nearing harvest season!

Royalty Rules

It's a twist on the traditional backyard event! That means the rules are slightly different!

1. You have 20 minutes to complete each loop. Runners coming in after the 20 minute limit will be eliminated.
2. You must be in the starting corral at the start of the next loop when the cowbell rings. (Crew tents and restrooms do NOT count as the starting corral).
3. Whistle blows will alert runners how many minutes until the next lap starts. 3 whistles for 3 minutes, 2 whistles for 2 minutes, 1 whistle for one minute until the next lap starts.
4. No aid to be received on course or outside of the corral.
5. A winner will be declared when there is only one person left who has successfully completed all laps in under 20 minutes.
6. A solo victory lap must be completed to earn the title of Queen of the Ridge.
7. Last but not least, be respectful of each other and let's have some FUN!!!

The Commonwealth Village

This is what we are calling our basecamp for the weekend. The Commonwealth Village will have our starting corral, participant tent, crew tents, aid station, medical tent, restrooms, and spectator viewing (yes, men are allowed to cheer us on!).

We will have space for a maximum of 10 crew tents, which participants must opt in for at registration and are a first-come, first-serve basis. There will be a large tent set up for runners to place their drop bags, a chair, and a smaller cooler if you choose not to bring a crew tent.

Our aid station will have fruit, sweet and salty snacks, carbs, hot food, hydration and nutrition products, as well as coffee and soda.

Spectator viewing, yard games, and possibility for a campfire will also be in the Commonwealth Village!

Camping/Lodging

There are several great camping venues within 20-30 minutes of the farm if you choose to camp the night before, including: Governor Dodge State Park, Blue Mounds State Park, Tower Hill State Park, Brigham County Park, Trader's Island Campground, Tom's Campground, Wisconsin Riverside Resort. If you prefer a hotel for lodging, there is Deer Valley Lodge, The House on the Rock Resort, Spring Valley Inn, Round Barn Lodge, The Birdhouse Inn, and several other hotels and B&Bs in the Spring Green/Dodgeville areas.

Camping will be allowed overnight on SATURDAY ONLY for participants. Tents or small camper vans will be accepted. Please no RVs or pull behinds, as this is a private residence and there are no hookups, waste disposal, or space for parking campers.

The Driftless Trail

Driftless Endurance, along with all participant donations, will donate $0.10 for every lap completed during the event to the planning and building of the Driftless Trail. The Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) is leading this project to build the Driftless Trail which is a planned 50-mile loop that connects Tower Hill, Governor Dodge, and Blue Mounds State Parks. This is a foot-only trail, to be used for hiking, running, snowshoeing, or cross country skiing wandering through the woods, prairies, farms, bluffs and streams of Iowa County’s Driftless landscape.

More information on this project can be found on the DALC website. https://www.driftlessconservancy.org/driftless-trail

Refund / Pregnancy / Postpartum Policies

Our typical refund policy is that once you are registered for one of our races, registration is final. We understand that life happens, schedules may change, and injuries/illnesses do occur. Please understand that race entries cover various operational expenses prior to race day, which is why we will typically offer a partial refund if we are notified at least 60-days in advance of the race.

However! Special to this race only, should you become pregnant in the months/weeks leading up to this event, we will honor and fully refund your registration (as long as we get naming dibs...joking!) if you choose not to participate this year.

Transfer policy: If you would like to transfer your registration to another participant, we can help facilitate this process. However, arranging payment is the responsibility of the individuals involved. You can find more information on how to edit/transfer your registration here:
https://help.ultrasignup.com/guides/runner-assistance/edit-your-race-registration

Event's current local time: 9:55 AM CT