The 2026 version of what the race calls "The Hellenebender 2": a loop starting and finishing at Camp Grier in Old Fort, NC, over the highest mountains on the East Coast and into the valleys below, reaching a high point of 5,408 ft atop Graybeard Mtn with a view of Mt. Mitchell. Devised after Hurricane Helene (Sept 2024) closed much of the original course; this is the second consecutive year on an alternate route. 75.7 miles of trail, 15.4 miles of gravel, and 9.4 miles of pavement (mostly a closed greenway trail).
"It's the best course on the East Coast, hands down." -- Karl Meltzer, quoted in the 2026 Participant Guide. Terrain is 'classic East Coast, which is a mix of soft dirt and extremely technical rocks and roots,' with 'a few climbs of 3,000 ft or more.' Note: the race's own homepage/basics pages separately advertise '~48,000+ ft elevation change' for Hellbender generally -- that figure describes the original pre-Helene course (last run 2024), not this alternate course, whose own description gives ~20,000 ft gain / ~20,000 ft descent. See _meta.notes.
A 100-mile trail race starting and finishing at Camp Grier in Old Fort, North Carolina, through the Black Mountains of Western North Carolina, in normal years summiting Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. A Hardrock 100 and Western States 100 qualifier. Run on an alternate course in 2025 and 2026 after Hurricane Helene (September 2024) damaged much of the original route; the race hopes to return to its original course in 2027.
Established in 2018 by the RUN828 Foundation (also doing business as the North Carolina Mountain Trail Runners) together with co-creator Aaron Saft. UltraSignup's own results archive for the race runs 2018, 2019, then 2021 through 2026 (no 2020 results found; not confirmed whether 2020 was cancelled). Carrie Baris has been Race Director since roughly 2023 (her own account puts 2026 as her fourth year). Hurricane Helene, September 2024, closed many trails on the original course; the race ran an alternate course in both 2025 and 2026 (dubbed 'The Hellenebender 2' for 2026) and says it hopes to return to the original course in 2027.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 |
Start / Camp Grier
1,500 ft
|
? | ● | ● | · | ? | 7.90 |
| 7.90 | Aid 1 - Kitsuma 1 | ? | · | · | · | ? | 4.50 |
| 12.40 | Self Serve 1 - Bernard Mountain | ? | · | · | · | ? | 6.50 |
| 18.90 | Aid 2 - Graphite 1 | 12:15pm | ● | ● | · | ? | 7.10 |
| 26.00 | Self Serve 2 - Old Toll Rd | ? | · | · | · | ? | 4.30 |
| 30.30 | Aid 3 - Long Gap 1 | 5:00pm | · | ● | · | ? | 8.20 |
| 38.50 | Aid 4 - Long Gap 2 | 8:20pm | · | ● | · | ? | 4.70 |
| 43.20 | Self Serve 3 - Old Toll Rd | ? | · | · | · | ? | 6.90 |
| 50.10 | Aid 5 - Graphite 2 | 12:45am | ● | ● | ● | ? | 6.50 |
| 56.60 | Self Serve 4 - Bernard Mountain | ? | · | · | · | ? | 4.90 |
| 61.50 | Aid 6 - Kitsuma 2 | ? | · | · | · | ? | 4.30 |
| 65.80 | Aid 7 - Old Fort Picnic Area | 6:30am | ● | ● | ● | ? | 7.60 |
| 73.40 | Aid 8 - Jerdon Mountain 1 | ? | · | · | · | ? | 5.90 |
| 79.30 | Self Serve 5 - Gateway | ? | · | · | · | ? | 4.10 |
| 83.40 | Aid 9 - Camp Grier | 1:00pm | ● | ● | ● | ? | 8.90 |
| 92.30 | Aid 10 - Jerdon Mountain 2 | ? | · | · | · | ? | 5.90 |
| 98.20 | Self Serve 6 - Gateway | ? | · | · | · | ? | 4.10 |
| 102.30 |
Finish - Camp Grier
1,500 ft
|
8:00pm | ● | ● | · | ? | ? |
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