Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Races
Kettle Moraine 100
La Grange, WI
Race guide
Updated 19 July 2026
The Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Race covers 162 km (roughly 100 miles) through the glacially sculpted terrain of La Grange, Wisconsin, following the Ice Age National Scenic Trail through hardwood forests, open meadows, and boggy lowlands. Despite the Midwest billing, this is no flat road race — the course demands respect across nearly 30 checkpoints and a two-day, multi-loop structure that will test your ability to manage effort, sleep deprivation, and changing conditions long into a second calendar day. The total climbing sits at 789 m D+ with a high point of just 324 m, which means you are never grinding up a mountain — but the relentless, rolling nature of the Ice Age Trail accumulates fatigue in ways that catch underprepared runners off guard. The course begins and ends at the Nordic aid station, running out-and-back and loop segments that pass key landmarks — Tamarack, Bluff, McMiller, Scuppernong, and Rice Lake Supper Club — multiple times, making checkpoint familiarity and crew coordination central to a successful finish.
Course & Terrain
The Kettle Moraine 100 is run almost entirely on the Ice Age Trail, a singletrack path that winds through the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The terrain underfoot is characteristically glacial: rooted, sandy singletrack alternates with grassy two-track, packed dirt, and occasional road crossings. The forest sections are densely wooded and can be dark even in daylight under canopy; expect roots and small embedded rocks throughout. Boggy sections — particularly around the Scuppernong area near the Highway ZZ checkpoint at km 46.5/55 — can be wet and slow underfoot, especially after rain. The course structure is essentially a large out-and-back that sends runners from the Nordic start south through Tamarack, Bluff, and McMiller to the Scuppernong turnaround, then back through the same checkpoints to Nordic at km 102.5, before launching a northern loop out through Bluff again to Duffin Road, Highway 12, Rice Lake Supper Club, and back to finish at Nordic. Many checkpoints — Tamarack, Bluff, McMiller, and Highway 67 — are visited two or even four times, which helps crew logistics enormously but can play psychological tricks on a tired runner late in the race.
Decisive Climbs, Descents & Where the Race Is Won or Lost
With only 789 m of total climbing spread over 162 km, no single climb will break you — but the cumulative effect of hundreds of short, punchy rollers over two days absolutely will. The elevation profile barely exceeds 324 m at its peak, so this race is decided by consistency and conservation rather than climbing ability. The most important stretch mentally and physically is the segment from the Nordic mid-race checkpoint (km 102.5) through the third passes of Tamarack (km 110.2) and Bluff (km 114.6) to Duffin Road (km 118.6). By this point runners have already covered a full 100 km and are heading into unfamiliar northern terrain on fatigued legs, typically in the middle of the night or pre-dawn hours of Day 2. The final 20 km — from Bluff (4th pass, km 149.7) back through Tamarack (km 154) to the Nordic finish — is where races are lost to cut-offs. The Bluff 4th pass cut-off is Day 2 10:00, giving you a hard 2-hour window to cover the last 12.1 km to the finish cut-off at Day 2 12:00. If you arrive at Bluff with less than 90 minutes to the cut-off, you must move with purpose — there is no banking time here. Arrive at Rice Lake Supper Club (km 132.1) well before the Day 2 06:30 cut-off to give yourself a realistic shot at the finish.
Pacing & Strategy
This is a two-day race with a finish cut-off at Day 2 12:00, which defines your overall time budget. The key discipline is banking no more effort than necessary through the first 102.5 km to Nordic. Many runners make the classic mistake of running the flat, familiar first half too aggressively and arriving at the mid-race Nordic checkpoint with burning legs and no margin for the northern loop. Treat the outbound leg to Scuppernong (km 46.5) as easy effort regardless of how good you feel — you will revisit most of these checkpoints, and your crew can monitor drift in your split times to flag trouble early. Crew access is generous: Nordic (start and km 102.5 and finish), McMiller (km 30.4 and 71.1), Highway 67 (km 43 and 58.6), Highway ZZ/Scuppernong (km 46.5 and 55), Highway 12 (km 125.4 and 138.9), and Rice Lake Supper Club (km 132.1) are all crew-accessible. Plan drop bags or crew handoffs to cover: a full kit change at Nordic km 102.5 (especially footwear if conditions are wet), real food at McMiller and Rice Lake Supper Club, and a headlamp exchange plan. Given the multi-loop structure, having a pacer join from Nordic at km 102.5 is a smart move — the northern loop is the least familiar segment and the most likely place for navigation errors in the dark.
Fueling for 162 km
With aid stations averaging 5–8 km apart through most of the course, you are never more than 90 minutes from support at a conservative pace, which means you can run lighter than in more remote 100-milers. Still, the Rice Lake Supper Club gap — from Highway 12 outbound at km 125.4 to Rice Lake at km 132.1 and back to Highway 12 inbound at km 138.9 — spans over 13 km in each direction and arrives deep into Night 2, when appetite and motivation are lowest. Carry extra calories through this segment and do not skip the checkpoint nutrition. Prioritize sodium and real food from McMiller (km 30.4) onwards. By the third and fourth passes of Tamarack and Bluff, your gut will likely be fatigued by gels; having crew-prepared savoury options — broth, boiled potatoes, rice balls — at the crew-accessible checkpoints will keep intake consistent. Hydration needs are moderate in Wisconsin's mixed climate, but summer editions can bring high humidity and heat during the first day; plan to drink to thirst and supplement electrolytes proactively rather than reactively.
Conditions to Expect
The Kettle Moraine 100 takes place in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest, an environment defined by variable Great Lakes weather. Summer editions routinely deliver warm, humid days (temperatures easily in the mid-20s°C) that can make the shaded forest sections a welcome refuge but turn open meadow crossings into sweat-soaked slogs. Night temperatures can drop significantly, particularly in the pre-dawn hours of Day 2 when fatigue amplifies perceived cold — a mid-weight layer and gloves should be in your drop bag at Nordic km 102.5 regardless of the forecast. The Ice Age Trail drains reasonably well in dry conditions, but rainfall turns sections around Scuppernong and the lower-lying creek crossings into mud and standing water. Trail shoes with some grip and moderate waterproofing are the standard choice; avoid road shoes entirely. Insects — mosquitoes and ticks — are a genuine consideration in forested stretches; insect repellent at crew points and a thorough tick check post-race are strongly advised. Navigation is well-marked but pay attention through the Horseriders section (km 20/82.5) where the new North Horseriders reroute has altered the traditional line.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 294 m · —
8.2 km · 293 m · —
11.9 km · 285 m · —
18 km · 300 m · Sat 23:00
24.9 km · 260 m · —
31.4 km · 283 m · Sat 20:45
38.3 km · 259 m · —
43.6 km · 264 m · —
47.3 km · 284 m · —
55.2 km · 295 m · —
55.5 km · 283 m · Sat 17:30
59.2 km · 262 m · —
64.5 km · 259 m · —
71.5 km · 281 m · —
77.9 km · 260 m · Sat 22:00
84.8 km · 305 m · —
90.9 km · 283 m · —
94.6 km · 293 m · —
102.8 km · 293 m · Sun 00:30
111 km · 293 m · —
114.8 km · 286 m · —
118.8 km · 269 m · —
125.4 km · 284 m · —
132.3 km · 260 m · Sun 06:30
139.2 km · 277 m · —
145.8 km · 268 m · —
149.8 km · 286 m · Sun 10:00
153.5 km · 293 m · —
161.7 km · 293 m · —
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