THE GRITTY FIFTY

A MODERN TEST BUILT ON AN OLD EXPECTATION                   

50 Miles | Weighted Endurance Ruck | 20 Hour Roosevelt Standard | 24 Hour Cutoff | 1st–3rd Placements | 989 Tribe Qualification

The Gritty Fifty exists for those willing to prove readiness across distance without negotiation.

THE GRITTY FIFTY- THE 5 W’S

WHO
Ruckers ready to stand inside a real standard. Participants carry required weight, manage their own pacing, and take responsibility for their preparation. No spectators. No shortcuts.

WHAT
A 50 mile weighted endurance ruck built around Theodore Roosevelt’s historic twenty hour standard. The event includes a double loop course with placements for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, a 24 hour overall cutoff, and a defined performance benchmark. A single 25 mile loop option is also available.

WHEN
Saturday, May 30, 2026
7:00 AM Start Time

WHERE
Lake Georgetown Goodwater Loop
Cedar Breaks Park
2100 Cedar Breaks Rd
Georgetown, TX 78633

The 50 mile distance is completed as a double loop, first clockwise, then counter clockwise. The 25 mile option completes one full loop. Participants should expect uneven terrain, exposed sections, changing trail conditions, and real miles that demand attention from start to finish.

WHY
Because standards matter. The Gritty Fifty exists to carry forward an old expectation, that capability should be proven under load and across distance. Less ceremony. More pressure. A modern test built on a historic line.

THE GRITTY FIFTY ROOTS

The Gritty Fifty is rooted in a forgotten standard from another era. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt issued an order to test the readiness of U.S. Marine officers, a fifty mile march completed within twenty hours. It was not designed as a race or a spectacle. It was a measure of discipline, endurance, and the expectation that leaders should be capable of carrying themselves across distance when called upon.

A century later, that standard still stands.

The Gritty Fifty brings that test forward into the present. This is not a ceremonial ruck like the Immortal 32 Ruck, and it is not a traditional race chasing pace alone. There will be placements for first, second, and third, but the real opponent is the clock. Participants have twenty four hours to complete the full distance. Those who cross the finish inside twenty hours have met Roosevelt’s original benchmark and earn entry into the 989 Tribe, a recognition reserved for those who reach the historic standard. All others who finish inside the full cutoff are recognized as finishers. Distance still demands respect, but the line remains clear.

This is a weighted endurance rucking event. Nutrition, hydration, and worn gear do not count toward the required ruck weight. The standard is simple, arrive prepared, carry your responsibility, and manage your effort across the full distance.

The course demands steady movement, personal responsibility, and disciplined pacing. Participants manage their own preparation and learn quickly that the miles reveal the truth. Terrain, weather, and fatigue become part of the proving ground rather than obstacles to avoid.

Performance matters here. First, second, and third place finishers receive automatic invitation into the following year’s Immortal 32 Ruck. These are not free entries, and they are not shortcuts. They are earned opportunities to stand inside a harder tradition. Those who meet the Roosevelt Standard may also be entered into a lottery for future Immortal 32 Ruck selection, reinforcing that reliability over time earns access to greater challenges.

The Gritty Fifty exists in a different lane. Less ceremony. More pressure. A modern test built on an old expectation, that capability should be proven, not assumed. When the miles are done, what remains is more than placement or a finish time. What remains is proof that you stood inside a standard older than all of us and chose not to negotiate with it.

THE GRITTY FIFTY- RULES & STANDARDS

Distance and Cutoff

50 miles total distance. Participants have 24 hours to complete the course. Finishing inside 20 hours meets the Roosevelt Standard and earns entry into the 989 Tribe. Finishing inside 24 hours earns official finisher status.

Weight Requirement

Participants weighing over 150 pounds must carry a minimum of 20 pounds.
Participants weighing under 150 pounds must carry a minimum of 10 pounds.
Required weight must be inside the ruck. Nutrition, hydration, and worn gear do not count toward the required weight.

Placements

First, second, and third place will be recognized based on official finish time while meeting all event standards.

Immortal 32 Ruck Qualification Path

First, second, and third place finishers receive an automatic invitation opportunity into the following year’s Immortal 32 Ruck. This is not a free entry.
Participants who meet the 20 hour Roosevelt Standard may be entered into a lottery for future Immortal 32 Ruck selection.

Event Standard

This is not a casual walk. Participants are responsible for their own preparation, pacing, and equipment. The standard does not change for conditions, terrain, or fatigue. Show up ready to carry your responsibility across the full distance.

BUILT FOR MORE. PROVEN UNDER LOAD.