⏵ Course guide · Nebraska's anchor ultra
GOATz Trail Runs sends every distance around the same flat trail and grass loop at Glenn Cunningham Lake in Omaha, five laps for the 50M, three for the 50K. I will walk you through the lap structure and cutoffs first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a flat, repeated-loop day, plus free tools to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official goatz.org event page. Course logistics can change year to year, so confirm the current details before you register or run.
Every GOATz distance shares the same loop around Glenn Cunningham Lake, almost entirely trail and grass, run once for the 5-mile and up to five times for the 50-mile.
The 50M covers 5 laps, the 50K covers 3, the 21-mile covers 2, and the 10.5-mile covers 1 full lap, with the 5-mile running a shortened version of the same route. Since the terrain is effectively flat, the challenge scales almost linearly with laps rather than with grade, so pace each lap with the total ahead of you in mind.
The 50M starts alone at 3:00 AM, well before sunrise, while the 50K, 21-mile, 10.5-mile, and 5-mile all start together at 8:00 AM. Every distance shares the same 5:00 PM finish cutoff, so 50M runners get 14 hours and the shorter distances get 9.
Two fully stocked aid stations sit on every loop, at the Start/Finish and near the halfway point, offering fluids (water, electrolyte drink, Coke, Sprite, ginger ale), fruit, salty and sweet snacks, and real food. A hydration device is required for every runner, so plan your carrying system before race day.
Without hills to force a natural pace change, GOATz rewards disciplined, even effort across every loop far more than it punishes a specific tough section.
Flat, runnable terrain invites an aggressive first lap, especially for 50M runners starting in the dark at 3:00 AM with adrenaline running high. Set an even-effort target for the full lap count from the start rather than letting the smooth footing dictate an unsustainable early pace.
Because every lap is identical, your splits are directly comparable: use a finish-time projection after your first two laps to confirm you are on track for the 5:00 PM cutoff, and adjust effort immediately if the math is not working rather than waiting until the final lap.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
With aid at every halfway point, GOATz gives you frequent access to reset your fueling, useful whether you are on the 3:00 AM 50-mile start or the 8:00 AM shorter distances.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and let the two aid touches per loop keep your intake steady across all five laps of the 50M rather than treating early laps as a warm-up you can skip fueling on.
Keep sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range. Mid-October in Omaha can start cool for the 3:00 AM start and still warm up by mid-afternoon, so 50M runners on their later laps should be ready to adjust sodium and fluid intake as conditions change through the day.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a full day at Glenn Cunningham Lake with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact lap count, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for a flat, repeated-loop day, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
GOATz is a genuinely approachable ultra by ultra standards: the course runs almost entirely on trail and grass around Glenn Cunningham Lake, effectively flat, with generous cutoffs, 14 hours for the 50M and 9 hours for the 50K and shorter distances. The difficulty here is repetition, five laps for the 50M, three for the 50K, rather than technical terrain or major elevation change, which makes it a strong choice if you want to focus on distance and pacing without a mountain course's added complexity.
Every distance is built from the same lake loop. The 50M runs 5 laps starting at 3:00 AM, the 50K runs 3 laps, the 21-mile runs 2 laps, the 10.5-mile runs 1 lap, and the 5-mile runs a shortened version of that same loop. All distances except the 50M start together at 8:00 AM, and all runners must finish by 5:00 PM.
The overall cutoff is 5:00 PM for every distance, which gives 50M starters (3:00 AM) 14 hours and everyone else (8:00 AM) 9 hours. Each loop has two fully stocked, buffet-style aid stations, one at the Start/Finish and one near the halfway point, stocked with fluids, fruit, salty and sweet snacks, and real food. A hydration device is required, since aid stations do not hand out disposable cups.
With two aid touches per loop and a flat, non-technical surface, you can settle into a steady fueling rhythm rather than reacting to changing terrain. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour and sodium in the 300 to 700 mg per liter range, adjusted for a mid-October day in Nebraska that can still run warm during the afternoon hours, especially for 50M runners still out on their later laps.
Yes. The flat, loop-based lake course, generous cutoffs, and frequent access to the start/finish area every lap make it an approachable first 50K or even first 50M, provided you respect that five laps of the same loop is still a genuine test of pacing discipline and mental focus, even without hills to break up the repetition.
The GOATz 50K serves as the final race in a 5-race Midwest series called the 50K Mashup SLAM. If you are chasing the full series, plan your GOATz 50K entry around the earlier races in the SLAM; if you are just running GOATz on its own, this context does not change your race-day strategy but explains why the 50K field can include runners finishing off a longer season of racing.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/goatz-trail-runs">The GOATz Trail Runs course guide</a><iframe src="https://runsummitline.com/embed/race/goatz-trail-runs" style="width:100%;max-width:420px;height:180px;border:0;" loading="lazy" title="GOATz Trail Runs course guide by Summit Line"></iframe>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.