On September 10, after the Wednesday InsaneRnning run, is the signup/registration event for the Umstead 100 Ultramarathon event for 2026. This is another exciting sign-up since the event has limited spots available, and many runners like to use this event as their first 50 or 100-mile event. Also a great event to pursue the under 24 hours 100, it is also very attractive to many second, third, fourth or fifth-timers. Many third-timers returning to get close to the 500 mark, like me when I started a few years back, in 2019, and now making my way to the 1000 miles club. Being in the Umstead 500-mile club, which gave me “VIP” status for registering, and the opportunity to skip the normal registration process if I do not get in.

Their normal signing process works by releasing small blocks on running spots every 2 minutes or so, and it goes something like this.

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1. On the day of signing up for the event, you must be in front of the computer or tablet around or close to the time it opens. This year was a Wednesday at 8:00 pm.
2. Have your browser ready with the form ready in front of you.
3. If you do not see the countdown counter, refresh your browser, or perhaps you might be a little bit too excited and logged in too early. (more than an hour)
4. Pre-fill the email information and the random number and wait.
5. and wait
6. and wait some more
7. look at the time on your computer
8. look at the counter
9. and wait even more
10. as soon as the counter hits 00:00, click the signup button
11. If you did not get in, go back to step 4. Keep repeating until you can go to step 12 or, unfortunately, not able to sign up. In this case, there is another opportunity about a week from today.
12. If you got in, Congrats!!! Finish the signup information sheet and pay.
13. Let it settle for a while and come to the realization that you just signed up for a 100-mile race.

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As insanity once again kicked in, some returning runners like Kaleel, Venu, Alex, Naveen, Kali, and Eric now looking for a new 100-mile PR. The plan will be posted the following weekend after registration. As we are preparing and adjusting it to a couple of events that most of the group is participating in. But if you can’t wait, here is a post that will give you an idea if you are trying to train for a 100-mile event and you are just starting, like couch to 100. There, you can look at your starting point from 0, 5k, 10k, Half, or Full distances and use it as a guide to get your plan ready. Or use a mid-level 100-mile training, a less conservative plan that focuses on finishing strong even if this is your first event tackling the distance.

The Plan this year will be 25 weeks until the race and focus on three different blocks/parts of training.

The Umstead 100 Training Series: One Loop at at Time to 100

Part 1: The Foundation (Weeks 25-18)

• Week 25: Forging Your ‘Why’
  • Learn to define the core purpose and motivation that will fuel you through the toughest moments of training and the race itself.
• Week 24: Mastering the Little Things
  • Discover how to identify and solve the small, seemingly insignificant issues with gear and process that can become race-ending problems over 100 miles.
• Week 23: Fueling Your Engine
  • Begin to build and test your personal fueling strategy, understanding the critical importance of consistent and practiced nutrition.
• Week 22: Embracing the Dark
  • Learn to audit your lighting systems and develop the skills and confidence needed to run safely and effectively through the night.
• Week 21: Organizing Your Fueling Playbook
  • Categorize your potential foods into an A/B/C/N list system to create a structured, easy-to-use fueling plan for race day.
• Week 20: The Ultrarunner’s Energy Equation
  • Understand the basic math of calorie expenditure in an ultra-endurance event to create a realistic and achievable calorie replacement strategy.
• Week 19: Recovery and Reflection
  • Learn to conduct a structured after-action review of your training, integrating lessons learned to make smart adjustments to your plan.
• Week 18: Auditing Your Foundation
  • Master the art of managing your most critical piece of equipment by learning how to audit, rotate, and strategically retire your running shoes.

Part 2: The Build & The Team (Weeks 17-6)

• Week 17: Engineering the Perfect Pit Stop
  • Develop an efficient and repeatable aid station protocol to minimize wasted time and make your transitions as effective as a NASCAR pit stop.
• Week 16: Learning from the Process
  • Learn to reframe “bad” training runs as invaluable opportunities to build mental resilience and troubleshoot problems in a low-stakes environment.
• Week 15: The War on Friction
  • Conduct a “Friction Audit” to proactively identify and eliminate all potential chafing hotspots using a multi-layered defense system of lube, barriers, and proper gear.
• Week 14: The Dress Rehearsal
  • Learn how to use a tune-up race not as a goal itself, but as a full-scale dress rehearsal to test and validate all your systems under live race conditions.
• Week 13: Managing the Inner Landscape
  • Develop a mental toolkit of music, podcasts, and emotional fuel to manage the boredom, pain, and doubt inherent in a 24+ hour event.
• Week 12: The Honest Mid-Point Audit
  • Conduct a comprehensive, honest assessment of your progress to make strategic decisions about your training, recovery, and final race goals.
• Week 11: Mastering the Art of Recovery
  • Understand that recovery is an active process and learn to build a robust protocol around sleep, nutrition, and mobility to survive the upcoming peak weeks.
• Week 10: The State of the Union
  • Take a high-level inventory of all your systems—from motivation to gear—to finalize your race-day blueprint and identify any remaining “Red Light” issues needing immediate attention.
• Week 9: Welcome to Peak Weeks
  • Learn the critical skill of autoregulation—listening to your body on a daily basis and having the wisdom to adjust the plan to survive the highest volume block of training.
• Week 8: The Simulation
  • Use the back-to-back-to-back long runs to simulate the deep physical and mental fatigue of the race’s final third, gathering crucial data on system failures.
• Week 7: Building Your A-Team
  • Learn the distinct roles of crew and pacers and begin the process of identifying and recruiting the support team that will help carry you to the finish line.
• Week 6: Activating Your Crew
  • Transform your group of friends into a high-performance team by defining roles, establishing systems, and creating a shared plan for race-day success.

Part 3: The Final Approach (Weeks 5-1)

• Week 5: The Pacer’s Playbook
  • Learn how to select, prepare, and empower your pacer, turning them into a strategic co-pilot for the most challenging part of the race.
• Week 4: The Crew & Pacer Playbook
  • Create a single, comprehensive, and shareable document that will serve as your team’s master plan and single source of truth on race day.
• Week 3: The Taper & Final Checks
  • Begin the taper by shifting focus from physical work to logistical precision, conducting a final audit of all electronics and race-day gear.
• Week 2: The Final Briefing & Lockdown
  • Enter the “lockdown” phase by reviewing all race rules, completing your final packing, and eliminating all sources of last-minute stress.
• Week 1: The Quiet Before
  • Embrace the final week of rest, trusting in your months of preparation and focusing your mind on the confidence and excitement for the incredible adventure ahead.

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This time, it will be my 7th time training for the event and, hopefully, my 6th time finishing Umstead 100 distance. Will there be a PR? Am I going to be able to adapt, adjust and train? I definitely would like to complete it in at least under 24 hours. Time will tell.

However, some smart runners will realize the plan to get them to sign up for the event and will not fall for it. I know they will be happy to be there to help us…

…I hope since we are counting on them. We need pacers!

Yes, there will be another training for a 100 series starting soon. I hope to share additional insights and perhaps feature a few of the Insane Runners and pacers who could be sharing their learning as we train together for the majority of the long runs.

One Lap at a Time to 100