New Ultramarathon Announced For 2011 In Louisiana

A new ultramarathon, dubbed the Rouge-Orleans, is scheduled to take place in March of 2011, with ultrarunners and relay teams running a 126.2 mile course from Baton Rouge to Audubon Park in New Orleans. Best of all, the event takes place during the Mardi Gras weekend, earning it the slogan of "Come to run, stay to party!"

The entire route of the race, which takes place from March 4-6, 2011, will be run along the Mississippi River levee, which means it will meander along side the waterway, passing by sugarcane plantations, old farms, and swamps in the process. During the 100+ mile run, the course barely touches any roads at all, which means the runners won't have to deal with traffic on their epic footrace down the river.

Registration information can be found by clicking here with options to run the ultra as a single athlete or as part of a relay team of 2 or 3 people. The race will begin in a wave start format, with the faster runners to the front. There will also be a mandatory 40 hour cut-off time for the finish of the race. That cut-off will be strictly enforced, after all, you wouldn't want to miss out.

It looks like this is going to be a great event for next year, mixing a challenging ultra with a fun weekend in the Big Easy. The weather in March is expected to be comfortable and in the 70's temperature wise, and with the schedule of the race, it should make for a great tune up for the Western States or the Badwater. If you ever needed motivation to keep training during the winter months, here it is!