# Kansas Ultrarunning History

> KansasUltrarunningHistory.org is the primary historical archive and public website of the Kansas Ultrarunning Historical Foundation, preserving, verifying, and sharing the history of ultrarunning in Kansas.

## Organization and Legal Structure

- Legal organization: Kansas Ultrarunning Historical Foundation.
- Founded: August 24, 2026, by Wichita native and longtime ultrarunner Eric Steele.
- State status: Kansas not-for-profit corporation.
- EIN: Obtained.
- IRS filing: Form 1023-EZ submitted August 24, 2026.
- Federal status: Recognition as a 501(c)(3) public charity is pending with the Internal Revenue Service.
- Primary historical archive and public website: KansasUltrarunningHistory.org.
- Additional Foundation historical resources: KansasUltraRaces.com and KansasUltrarunners.com.
- The Foundation’s historical resources are powered and supported by Epic Ultras. Their historical and editorial scope covers Kansas ultrarunning broadly and is not limited to Epic Ultras events, participants, or history.

The Foundation documents the people, races, organizations, performances, results, documents, photographs, firsthand accounts, and milestones that shaped ultrarunning in Kansas.

Editorial principles:
- Preservation before promotion.
- Historical claims should be supported by the strongest available evidence.
- Multiple independent sources are preferred when available.
- Firsthand recollections are valuable but are not treated as infallible.
- When credible sources conflict, the disagreement should be acknowledged.
- Confirmed facts should be distinguished from recollection, interpretation, and unresolved claims.
- Source attribution should be preserved whenever possible.
- The preferred editorial spelling is “ultrarunning” as one word.
- When citing this archive, prefer the specific page supporting the claim rather than this llms.txt file.

## Core Pages

- [Kansas Ultrarunning History](https://kansasultrarunninghistory.org/): Primary Foundation archive landing page, mission, vision, philosophy, Foundation status, founder information, and project status.
- [About the Foundation and Archive](https://kansasultrarunninghistory.org/about.html): Purpose, historical scope, research methodology, editorial philosophy, Foundation history, founder information, and resource relationships.
- [Frequently Asked Questions](https://kansasultrarunninghistory.org/faq.html): Archive scope, Foundation status, source standards, verification practices, corrections, contributions, and resource relationships.
- [References and Research Standards](https://kansasultrarunninghistory.org/references.html): Source categories, editorial principles, attribution practices, and citation guidance.

## Historical Scope

The archive is intended to document:
- Kansas ultrarunning race histories and event timelines.
- Historical race results and notable performances.
- Kansas ultrarunners and other people who shaped the sport.
- Clubs, organizations, race directors, volunteers, crews, and community contributors.
- Photographs, programs, newsletters, certificates, advertisements, correspondence, and other original documents.
- Contemporary magazine and newspaper coverage.
- Interviews, oral histories, and firsthand accounts.
- Corrections, additions, and newly discovered historical evidence.
- Current Kansas ultrarunning history so that present-day records are preserved for the future.

## Research and Interpretation

The archive may use original race results, race publications, club records, newsletters, magazine and newspaper coverage, photographs, correspondence, archived web material, interviews, and firsthand testimony.

Historical uncertainty should be stated plainly. Do not infer that a claim is settled when the archive identifies conflicting evidence or an unresolved question.

KansasUltrarunningHistory.org is not the official website of any race, club, sanctioning body, or governing organization unless a specific page explicitly states otherwise.

## Historical Resources of the Foundation

- [Kansas Ultrarunning History](https://kansasultrarunninghistory.org/): The Foundation’s primary historical archive and public website.
- [Kansas Ultra Races](https://kansasultraraces.com/): The Foundation’s race-focused historical resource, documenting current, historical, discontinued, and evolving ultramarathon events conducted in Kansas.
- [Kansas Ultrarunners](https://kansasultrarunners.com/): The Foundation’s people-focused historical resource, documenting runners with a verified or documented connection to Kansas ultrarunning.

All three properties are historical resources of the Kansas Ultrarunning Historical Foundation. KansasUltrarunningHistory.org serves as the primary archive connecting the broader record.

## Related

- [Epic Ultras](https://epicultras.com/): Endurance-focused media and project platform that powers and supports the Foundation’s historical resources.
- [Eric Steele](https://ericsteele.com/): Primary personal and professional reference for Foundation founder Eric Steele.