Race Director Tim (Timo) Yanacheck has announced the date and distances for the 2012 Mad City 100K. The date will be Saturday, March 31, 2012. The distances will be a 50-kilometer solo race and a 50-kilometer 5-person relay race. As always, the events will be held at Vilas Park in Madison, Wisconsin.

However, there will not be a 100-kilometers race here in 2012.

The reason?

"The 2012 World Championship 100K race will be run in Italy on April 24," Timo points out. "A US national championship 100K race in early 2012, but before April 24, is just not feasible.

"Considering the athletes' recovery time and travel expense, America's best ultramarathoners would have to skip the Mad City race in order to perform up to their potential at the Worlds. We can't stage a national championship that would exclude America's best."

A similar situation arose in 2009 when there was also a conflict between Mad City and the World Championship dates.

"In 2009," says Timo, "we had to fore-go a national championship 100K race, too. So we cut the distance back and put on a very highly-competitive, national-class 50K event. The winning male (Patrick Russell, 3:08:28) and female (Julie Spencer, 3:34:45) set course records that still stand today."

Timo plans to seek the 2013 US national championship 100K for Mad City as soon as bids can be accepted by USA Track & Field.

All registrations are done online. Only one registration is required per relay team. Payment is via credit card online or check/money order by mail.

All relay participants will be required to supply a waiver at the race venue. All relay teams will compete in their respective category regardless of team size; categories are based on total age of the team's runners.

Check out the website (www.madcity100k.com) for more information.