55K Event Details and Athlete Guide
The 55 Kilometer course is an out and back course starting in the town of Thurmond! Athletes will have an opportunity to see some amazing views along the New River. About 95% of the course is on wide and well groomed trail and if the weather holds up, these are amazingly runnable trails, but can get muddied easily with rain. The course for 2024 will be slightly different. We have added a big climb just before the turn around that brings runners up the epic rocks and stairs of Kaymoor Miners Trail. This changes the elevation gain from 2200 ft to 2600 ft. Most of the course is flat to light rolling, with two big climbs on it. This is a great first timers trail ultra with a generous cut off time and memorable views!
This will be a full daylight event starting and finishing in Thurmond, WV. Other than the first and last miles, this course takes participants completely along the New River Gorge Trails. With 2,000 feet of elevation gain, this course is both manageable and challenging. This trail 55K is well aided, extremely well marked, a great tune up race, and a beginner-friendly ultra with a very reasonable cutoff time! Finish before the train leaves to earn your medal, post race food, and awesome awards.
This is a course map on Strava. You can view the course and elevation, as well as download a GPX file from this link to use with your running watch.
For lots more details, please check the Athlete Guide linked below! You'll find information on aid stations, course markings, and more. If you look through these guides and have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!
Click here to view 2024's 55K Athlete Guide. (note: changes can still happen to the event details as the race approaches so check this document race week as well)
