Ragnar Trail Richmond.
Barely 30 metres separate the lowest and highest points of the three loops you run at Ragnar Trail Richmond, in Virginia's Pocahontas State Park. Your relay share is 15 of the team's 120 miles, and since no hill here will slow you down, your preparation has to teach you to do that yourself.
Ragnar Trail Richmond 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The setting is Pocahontas State Park in Virginia. The course is a green, a yellow and a red loop, all meeting at the same point. Each one therefore brings you back to where it began, and together the three make up the 15 miles every team member contributes. While you rest, someone else from your relay is running.
The shortest loop measures about seven kilometres. Early on it climbs for just under half a kilometre to the day's highest point, which still sits below 70 metres, and a second, similarly gentle swell follows later. The middle loop, a little over eight kilometres, stays almost level across its first few kilometres on the lowest ground of the course, and only gains around 20 metres in its second half.
The longest loop runs to just over nine kilometres and holds the most. After about a kilometre an 800-metre climb begins, mostly gentle but touching close to ten percent at its steepest point. From there you stay on the higher part of the course, where short rollers trade places all the way to the end. So the near 300 metres of ascent come from many small steps: no single climb gains more than about 25 metres.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 2.2 | 0.5 km | 4.2 % | 7.4 % | +20 m | — |
| km 11.2 | 0.3 km | 4.9 % | 7.5 % | +15 m | — |
| km 14.7 | 0.4 km | 3.5 % | 5.5 % | +15 m | — |
| km 16.5 | 0.8 km | 3.3 % | 9.9 % | +26 m | — |
| km 19.9 | 0.3 km | 3.6 % | 4.8 % | +11 m | — |
| km 22.8 | 0.3 km | 4 % | 5.9 % | +12 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Ragnar Trail Richmond.
Start under control
Hardly anything here forces you to walk, and that is exactly what makes the effort hard to judge. The ground asks for no caution, so your head alone sets how fast each loop goes. Before the start, pick one average pace per kilometre for all three, one you could still manage at the end of the longest, and follow it rather than what feels easy on fresh legs.
Hold your rhythm
Your share is decided on the longest loop, above all if it comes last. Take the climb after the first kilometre at a constant effort, without pushing the few steep metres, because around seven kilometres still lie beyond it, where every roller takes a little freshness and hardly any stretch gives real recovery.
Spend what is left
The trap sits on the middle loop: its almost level kilometres invite you to make up time. Hold your planned pace there and it costs you little. Run them too fast and you pay for it far more dearly on your next effort.
Training plan for Ragnar Trail Richmond: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect about 2:15 to 3:15 hours of running in total, spread over three efforts of roughly 40 to 75 minutes. It is an aerobic load at a brisk level: because the course imposes so few walking breaks, your intensity stays higher for longer than on a hilly trail of the same length. There are few spikes, just a lot of sustained pressure.
Train race pace
That puts the emphasis on pace, not on hills. Continuous runs at target race pace on rolling trail, first for 20 and later for 40 minutes, will serve you better than steep hill repeats. Look for ground with around twelve metres of climbing per kilometre, which is what the course itself offers, so that you learn to hold a rhythm across small rollers.
Rehearse the course
The core of your preparation is repeating the same pace on tired legs. In the final weeks, include days with two or three runs a few hours apart and measure how far your average drops from the first run to the last. That gap is the figure you are working on. Use the breaks to test what you can eat and drink too, and decide what you will carry on a loop yourself, since you should not count on a station along the way.
Arrive fresh
A late April date places your main build in January to March. Work in some sessions with 800-metre gentle rises that steepen briefly, and keep running over the top without a pause. That way you will know the one place where this course does bite.
Courses
Download the Ragnar Trail Richmond course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
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Everything about Ragnar Trail Richmond.
How long is Ragnar Trail Richmond?
Ragnar Trail Richmond is 24.14 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Ragnar Trail Richmond have?
Ragnar Trail Richmond has around 298 m of elevation gain over 24.14 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Ragnar Trail Richmond?
Ragnar Trail Richmond is classified as Rolling, averaging 12.2 vertical metres per kilometre. 29% of the route is flat, 33% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 1% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Ragnar Trail Richmond have?
The hardest climb of Ragnar Trail Richmond starts at kilometre 16.5, runs for 0.8 km at an average of 3.3% and gains 26 metres. 6 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Ragnar Trail Richmond a loop course?
Yes, Ragnar Trail Richmond is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Ragnar Trail Richmond course?
Yes. The Ragnar Trail Richmond course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Ragnar Trail Richmond?
Preparation for Ragnar Trail Richmond should account for 24.14 km, 298 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Ragnar Trail Richmond?
The pacing strategy for Ragnar Trail Richmond should reflect 24.14 km, 298 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Ragnar Trail Richmond take place?
Ragnar Trail Richmond takes place on April 23, 2027.
Where does Ragnar Trail Richmond take place?
Ragnar Trail Richmond takes place in Chesterfield County, United States.
How do I register for Ragnar Trail Richmond?
Registration runs through the organiser: runragnar.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
