One of the longest-running 50-mile trail races in the US, on gravel roads, jeep roads and singletrack in the Blue Ridge Mountains, starting and finishing at the Montebello Campground.
Runs the historic MMTR course "backwards" (relative to the pre-2023 direction) with old and new trails, gravel/jeep roads and singletrack (notably the Hotel Trail and the Mount Pleasant Loop, run counterclockwise inbound). Elk Pond Mountain (~4,000 ft) is the course high point. DISTANCE DISCREPANCY: branded as a "50 Miler" but the race's own aid-station chart gives a cumulative finish mileage of 51.2 mi, not 50.0 mi. Third-party sources give elevation gain around 9,200 ft (race.vacations) against the official site's own "over 9000 feet" (a floor, not an exact figure).
A trail ultramarathon starting and finishing at the Montebello Campground in Montebello, Virginia, run on gravel and jeep roads and singletrack in the Blue Ridge Mountains (George Washington National Forest). Offered at three distances from the same start/finish: 50 Mile, 50K, and 100K. Part of the Lynchburg Ultra Series alongside Holiday Lake, Terrapin Mountain and Promise Land, and traditionally the series' final race, held the first Saturday in November.
Founded in 1983 by David Horton, who wanted a 50-mile race along the Appalachian Trail from the James River to the Tye River; when the National Park Service would not permit a race on the AT, US Forest Service rangers helped him design a course finishing at the Montebello Country Store instead. The inaugural race had 21 starters and 13 finishers. Horton directed the race for 25 years before handing it to Clark Zealand in 2008. The race was cancelled in 2020 (COVID-19), the only cancellation in its history, though a group of locals ran an informal 50K fatass course to keep the streak alive. Jordan Cooter, Tim Spaulding and Brenton Swyers became co-race-directors in 2022. A 50K option was added in 2021 and a 100K option debuted in 2024.
| Mile | Station | Cutoff | Crew | Bag | Pacer | Med | To next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | Starting Line | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 2.30 |
| 2.30 | Forest Gate (FLUID DROP ONLY) | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 7.00 |
| 9.30 | Salt Log Gap | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 2.60 |
| 11.90 | Loop | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 4.00 |
| 15.90 | Cabin | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 4.90 |
| 20.80 | Long Mountain (DROP BAGS) | ? | ● | ● | ? | ? | 3.40 |
| 24.20 | Reservoir | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 3.40 |
| 27.60 | Long Mountain (DROP BAGS) | ? | ● | ● | ? | ? | 4.90 |
| 32.50 | Cabin | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 1.80 |
| 34.30 | Loop IN | ? | ● | ? | ? | ? | 5.00 |
| 39.30 | Loop OUT | 3:45pm | ● | ? | ? | ? | 2.60 |
| 41.90 | Salt Log Gap | 4:20pm | ● | ? | ? | ? | 7.00 |
| 48.90 | Forest Gate (FLUID DROP ONLY) | ? | · | ? | ? | ? | 2.30 |
| 51.20 | Finish Line | ? | ● | ● | ? | ? | ? |
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