The Characters You Meet at the Wandering Wolves Trail Race — 2026

The Wandering Wolves 50K, 25K, and 12K at Wyandotte County Lake Park is one of the most thrilling trail running parties in Kansas City, and I spent the whole day bouncing around to different parts of the course trying to catch the gritty, tough runners who show up to grind these miles. I posted up at Shelter 16 for the 8 AM 50K start, then hopped from aid stations to climbs to the finish line, chasing the WyCo Wolfpack crowd across every distance — 50K, 25K, and 12K alike. If you ran it, you’re probably in here. If you haven’t experienced a Wyandotte County Lake Park trail race, this is what the vibe actually looks like. 🐺 About the race: Wandering Wolves hosted by the WyCo Wolfpack — a 50K (two loops), a 25K (one loop), and a 12K on a special shortened loop — all run on the best singletrack trail system in Kansas City. Around 1,500 feet of gain per loop, mostly non-technical dirt with just enough rocks and roots to keep you honest, a clockwise lollipop across the lake dam, and a finish line stocked with Whiskey River Pizza and plenty of beer. Aid stations are generous, pacers welcome after lap one, and the post-race is more backyard party than road race. 🔗 Links: Race info: https://www.wycowolfpack.com/wanderin... 2026 results: https://ultrasignup.com/results_event... ⏱ Chapters: 0:00 — Pre-race 0:43 — 50k start 2:03 — 3 miles in on the 50k 3:08 — 25k and 12k pre-race and start 5:07 — 3 miles in on the 25k and 12k, first aid station 6:22 — 7.5 miles, second aid station 7:28 — Back at start/finish 8:58 — Shouse 11:52 — Return to finish 12:46 — Across the dam, third aid station 14:30 — Return to finish 15:37 — Final runner in 👟 About me: I’m Todd — ultra trail runner, dad of four, fearless DIYer, and the guy behind the camera. I love the Kansas City trail running scene and the characters that make this sport worth showing up for. Subscribe for more trail race recaps, course previews, and ultrarunning stories from the Midwest. 💬 Were you at Wandering Wolves this year? Drop your bib number in the comments and tell me your low moment in the race. #WanderingWolves #TrailRunning #Ultramarathon #KansasCityTrails #WyCoWolfpack #50K #25K #12K #TrailRace #Ultrarunning #KCRunning #WyandotteCountyLakePark