Queen of the Ridge
Queen of the Ridge is a femininonemon! Yes, you heard that right. This race is for the ladies! Grab your gal pals and your trail shoes, because we are getting the girls together for our second annual LAST WOMAN STANDING race.
We will be using the same loop and rules as our spring race, Rumble on the Ridge, which is a take on the traditional backyard ultra. Runners will complete a 1-"ish" mile loop every 20 minutes, until only one powerful female remains. This event takes place on an old family dairy farm just 40 minutes west of Madison, WI in the heart of the Driftless Area, and is very near and dear to RD Kelly's heart <3
The course:
1. The loop is usually between 1.0 and 1.25 miles long, and will have a minimum of 250ft of elevation gain.
2. A combination of single track and grass trails
3. The route changes directions every 4 hours!
Gather your girlfriends and bring your A-game. Every queen who toes the line proves she's unstoppable, but only one woman will outlast the hills of the Driftless. This isn't just a race - it's a rising. Long live the last woman standing.
Date & Time
Date: September 26th, 2026
Check In and Tent Setup: 6:15am-7:45am
Race Start: 8:00am
Race End: Last Woman Standing
Location
Address: 5749 County Rd H, Arena, WI 53503
Royalty Rules
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It's a twist on the traditional backyard event! That means the rules are slightly different!
1. You have 20 minutes to complete each loop. Runners coming in after the 20 minute limit will be eliminated.
2. You must be in the starting corral at the start of the next loop when the cowbell rings. (Crew tents and restrooms do NOT count as the starting corral).
3. Whistle blows will alert runners how many minutes until the next lap starts. 3 whistles for 3 minutes, 2 whistles for 2 minutes, 1 whistle for one minute until the next lap starts.
4. No aid to be received on course or outside of the corral.
5. A winner will be declared when there is only one person left who has successfully completed all laps in under 20 minutes.
6. A solo victory lap must be completed to earn the title of Queen of the Ridge.
7. Last but not least, be respectful of each other and let's have some FUN!!!
This is what we are calling our basecamp for the weekend. The Commonwealth Village will have our starting corral, participant tent, crew tents, aid station, medical tent, restrooms, and spectator viewing (yes, men are allowed to cheer us on!).
We will have space for a maximum of 20 crew tents, which participants must opt in for at registration and are a first-come, first-serve basis. There will be a large tent set up for runners to place their drop bags, a chair, and a smaller cooler if you choose not to bring a crew tent.
Our aid station will have fruit, sweet and salty snacks, carbs, hot food, hydration and nutrition products, as well as coffee and soda.
Spectator viewing, yard games, and possibility for a campfire will also be in the Commonwealth Village!
The Commonwealth Village
Course
The Drifty Mile is a 1ish mile loop scaling ~250ft-300ft of elevation gain per loop. The course is a mix of gravel service road, single track dirt trails and prairie grass paths. We switch directions every 4 hours so you can never get too comfortable. We also change up the course every year to keep it fresh for everyone. The fun part, we won't publish course details until the morning of the race!!
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What we can tell you:
Length: 1 ish Mile Loop (1-1.25 miles)
Elevation Gain: 250-300 ft per loop
Terrain: Mix of gravel access road, dirt single & double track and prairie path
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2025 Course Details: 1.22 miles, 285 ft elevation, 5% gravel / 20% grass / 75% dirt
What you get!
All participants will receive
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A soft-blend event t-shirt
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A DNF award
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Fully stocked aid station with hot food
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A unique and challenging course
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Fun post run & spectator experiences
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The Driftless Trail
Driftless Endurance will donate $0.10 for every lap completed during the event to the planning and building of the Driftless Trail. The Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) is leading this project to build the Driftless Trail which is a planned 50-mile loop that connects Tower Hill, Governor Dodge, and Blue Mounds State Parks. This is a foot-only trail, to be used for hiking, running, snowshoeing, or cross country skiing wandering through the woods, prairies, farms, bluffs and streams of Iowa County’s Driftless landscape. Participants have the option to add a donation to DALC during registration if they choose.
More information on this project can be found on the DALC website.
Camping and Lodging
Camping will be allowed on the farm on Saturday night ONLY!! This must be a tent or camper van as this is a private residence and there are no camper hookups or space for parking pull behinds or RVs. There are several camping and lodging spots within 20 minutes of the race venue for Friday night.
CAMPING
Governor Doge State Park
Blue Mounds State Park
Tower Hill State Park
Brigham County Park
Trader's Island Campground
Tom's Campground
Wisconsin Riverside Resort
LODGING
Deer Valley Lodge
The House on the Rock Resort
Spring Valley Inn
Round Barn Lodge
The Birdhouse Inn
Volunteers
Events like this cannot take place without the generous support of volunteers. If you or a group you know are interested in volunteering in for this race, you can view the volunteer positions and details by clicking the button below.
Results
Directions & Parking
The farm is located off CTH H between Arena, WI and Barneveld, WI. Below are the easiest routes. Cell service can be very spotty depending on which provider you have.
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From Hwy 14
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​Hwy 14 then south on CTH H just west of Arena.
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East on Hwy 18/151
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Exit on HHH in Ridgeway, head north on CTH H​
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West on Hwy 18/151
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Exit on CTH ID/T in Barneveld, CTH T northwest, North on CTH H​
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Parking is limited. Please carpool if you have the option. There will be volunteers and signage directing you where to park.