Queen of the Ridge
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Event
Queen of the Ridge is a women-only Last Woman Standing trail event on Saturday, September 26, 2026, held at 5749 County Road H, Arena, Wisconsin, in the Driftless Area. Registration opens January 1, 2026. The event takes place on a family dairy farm near Madison.
Course and format
Runners complete repeated loops in a backyard-ultra style. The loop is typically 1.0 to 1.25 miles long with at least 250 feet of elevation gain. Surfaces include a combination of single track and grass trails. The route changes direction every 4 hours. Runners must complete each loop within 20 minutes; arriving after 20 minutes results in elimination. Runners must be in the starting corral at the start of the next loop. A whistle system signals time until the next lap (three whistles for three minutes, two for two minutes, one for one minute). No aid may be received on course or outside the corral. A winner is declared when one runner remains who has completed laps within the time limit; a solo victory lap must be completed to earn the title.
Facilities and policies
Basecamp, called the Commonwealth Village, includes a starting corral, participant tent, crew tent spaces, aid station, medical tent, restrooms, and spectator viewing. Crew tent space is limited to a maximum of 20 and is allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis at registration. The aid station will offer fruit, sweet and salty snacks, carbohydrates, hot food, hydration and nutrition products, coffee, and soda. Overnight camping on Saturday is permitted for participants only; tents and small camper vans are allowed, but RVs and pull-behind trailers are not. The organizer donates $0.10 per completed lap toward planning and building the Driftless Trail. The event has a standard refund policy with partial refunds possible if notified 60 days in advance; this race offers a full refund for participants who become pregnant and choose not to participate. Transfers between participants are permitted but payment arrangements are the parties' responsibility. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
