Regular readers of the Back 9 Endurance Run results page may recognize the name Nicholas Steel. He set our current 24-Hour Solo course record in 2025, covering 110.40 miles at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, and ran 103.04 miles this year (2026). This effort turned out to be just one stop on a much bigger journey.
In 2025, Steel became the youngest person to complete 18 official 100-mile ultramarathons in a single calendar year, well beyond his original goal of 16. For 2026, he set an even larger target: 30 100-mile ultramarathons in one calendar year, a bid he is calling “18 Down, 30 Ahead.”
According to public race results, here is every race this year where Steel has covered 100 miles or more, including our own Back 9 Endurance Run:
- The Bootleg Boogie (100 Mile) – January 31 – 25:21:00
- Jackpot Ultra Running Festival (100 Mile) – February 21 – 22:23:49
- Queeny Backyard Ultra (Backyard Ultra) – March 6 – 247.21 miles
- American Bottoms (113 Mile) – March 21 – 21:21:49 (1st overall)
- Zumbro (100 Mile) – April 10 – 25:07:31
- Elm Creek Backyard Ultra (Backyard Ultra) – April 24 – 100.03 miles
- Prickly Pine 24 Hour Jackpot Solo/Relay (24-Hour) – May 2 – 108 miles
- Back 9 Endurance Run (24-Hour) – May 23 – 103.04 miles
- FANS Ultra Races (24-Hour) – June 6 – 127.96 miles
- Bay Area 100 (100 Mile) – June 13 – 24:43:33
- Burney Mountain 100 (100 Mile) – June 19 – 22:18:00
- Dawn to Dusk Endurance Run (24-Hour) – June 27 – 113.75 miles
- Pinetum Mind Games Endurance Event (24-Hour) – July 17 – 113.44 miles
- Maah Daah Hey Trail Run (116 Mile) – July 24 – 26:28:23
- Badger Trail Races (100 Mile) – August 1 – 16:33:35
- Tartarus Backyard Ultra (Backyard Ultra) – August 15 – 225.00 miles
- Midwest States 100 (100 Mile) – August 29 – 26:43:40
- The Blood Run (24-Hour) – September 5 – 116.82 miles
- Last Dot Standing and 24/48 Hour (24-Hour) – September 18 – 109.20 miles
Nineteen races of 100 miles or more in under nine months — putting Nick closer to his goal of thirty official 100-mile ultramarathons for the year, with several months of racing season still ahead.
We are proud that the Back 9 Endurance Run is part of Nick’s story this year, and we will be cheering him on toward thirty.
