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A true Midwest ultra set in the beautiful and challenging Mississippi river valley...100 miles or 100k!


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Map Key

21.2

Miles

34.1

KM

93%

Runnable

844' 257 m

High

605' 184 m

Low

2,597' 791 m

Up

2,596' 791 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

37%

Max Grade (20°)

Dogs No Dogs

Overview

Set in the beautiful bluffs, prairies and forests of the driftless region of eastern Iowa amongst the scenic setting of the Mississippi river valley! The race is held on a ~20 mile course comprised of a wide variety of terrain that will both challenge and inspire runners with its eclectic mixture of steep technical singletrack, wide rolling dirt and prairie doubletrack with a multitude of other fun and scenic sections mixed in! This is a course designed to be equally suitable for first timers or veterans alike. Both 100 mile and 100k are UTMB qualifiers. Please see the race website for all event details.

Description

The Mines of Spain 100 is a 100 mile and 100k trail ultra marathon set in the Mines of Spain Recreation Area in Dubuque, Iowa along the Mississippi River on the third weekend (Friday-Saturday) of October every year. 100 mile runners complete five (5) 20mi loops and 100k runners complete three (3) 20mi loops. Some course highlights include the climb out of Riprow Valley up to the iconic Julien Dubuque Monument, Catfish Creek, Horseshoe Bluff, the leg/lung destroying upper Calcite Trail and many other beautiful stretches of trail throughout the park.

Start/Finish Location – Louis Murphy Park
1700 South Grandview Ave. Dubuque, IA 52003

Start Time – Friday 8 a.m. (100 mile and 100k)
Time Limit – 33 hours (5 p.m. Saturday) for the 100mi and 23 hours (7 a.m. Saturday) for the 100k
Elevation Stats
100mi – Gain ~14,000ft/Loss ~14,000ft
100k – Gain ~8,400ft/Loss ~8,400ft

Contacts

Shared By:

Joshua Sun

Trail Ratings

  5.0 from 3 votes

#1

in Dubuque

#1187

Overall
  5.0 from 3 votes
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Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Dubuque

#3

in Iowa

#1,187

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1,659 Since Apr 5, 2019
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Photos

2018 100k male champion Michael Borst of La Crosse, Wisconsin floating across the Cattesse Trail
Apr 8, 2019 near Dubuque, IA
Some of the flora and fungi along the side of the trail in the fall.
Oct 17, 2016 near Dubuque, IA
Runners crossing a bridge on the Sauk Fox trail during the 2018 Mines of Spain 100
Apr 8, 2019 near Dubuque, IA
More of the climb up the side of the bluff.
Oct 17, 2016 near Dubuque, IA
View of the Mississippi River from Horseshoe Bluff - Mines of Spain
Dec 29, 2020 near Dubuque, IA
Looking down to level one from level two of Horseshoe Bluff
May 27, 2018 near Dubuque, IA

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