Virginia Trail Running Festival.
The 100 Mile at the Virginia Trail Running Festival is the 50-mile route on the New River Trail at Fries, run twice. No hill will ever tell you when to walk, and that is what preparing for it comes down to: the path stays flat and easy underfoot, and only the repetition makes it hard.
Virginia Trail Running Festival 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The whole distance stays on the New River Trail, a crushed-gravel rail trail that follows the New River. The race is two identical passes of roughly 80 kilometres each. Forested stretches, historic train trestles, cascades and waterfalls: everything you pass in the first half comes round again in the second, on very different legs.
The organiser puts the steepest grade at 1%. The 900-odd metres of ascent are spread across the course as barely noticeable undulation, and the path is smooth and non-technical, so you hardly ever need to watch your feet. That is the peculiarity of this hundred: your stride stays almost the same for 160 kilometres, with no descent to give the legs a change and no climb to bring other muscles in.
Aid stations and water drops are marked along the route, and by the second pass you know exactly how far away the next one is. The festival falls in October, shortly before the fall colors peak in the middle of the month.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|
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 Virginia Trail Running Festival.
Start under control
Plan two equal races and run the first so that you could match it in the second. Since the terrain sets no rhythm, you set your own: walk breaks by the clock from the first kilometre, not when your legs start demanding them.
Hold your rhythm
The day is decided at the turnover into the second pass. After 80 kilometres you have seen everything, and exactly the same course lies ahead of you again. Keep that moment short: eat, drink and move on before you start doing the arithmetic.
Spend what is left
The trap sits in the first 50 kilometres. On smooth, flat gravel a pace that is too quick feels effortless, and nothing slows you down. The bill arrives on the second lap, when the same muscles have done the same job for hours and walking barely brings relief. Concentration fades at that point too, so treat the crossings marked as dangerous as seriously the second time as the first.
Training plan for Virginia Trail Running Festival: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect roughly 22 to 32 hours depending on experience. It is almost entirely calm aerobic work without spikes, and anyone out that long will run through darkness. Speed hardly matters; the question is how well you can hold a low intensity for a full day and beyond.
Train race pace
The decisive phase is the second half, tired, on a path with nothing new left to show you. Prepare for it with long runs on consecutive days, deliberately covering the same paths on day two as on day one. Running one loop twice in a row is uncomfortable, and that discomfort is what the race asks of your head.
Rehearse the course
Your focus is not vertical gain. What counts is many hours on flat gravel or similarly uniform paths, plus a rehearsed mix of running and walking that you can keep up with discipline even while fresh. With no terrain to share out the load, the monotony hits calves, hip flexors and glutes the same way every step, so regular strength work for exactly those areas belongs in the plan.
Arrive fresh
Also practise eating and drinking under long efforts until you know what your stomach still accepts after 15 hours: the aid stations come round again, your appetite may not. A few sessions by headlamp on familiar paths belong in the build as well, so that the night on the trail is not a premiere.
Courses
Download the Virginia Trail Running Festival course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Virginia Trail Running Festival dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about Virginia Trail Running Festival.
How long is Virginia Trail Running Festival?
Virginia Trail Running Festival is 160.93 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 Virginia Trail Running Festival have?
Virginia Trail Running Festival has around 919 m of elevation gain over 160.93 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Virginia Trail Running Festival?
Virginia Trail Running Festival is classified as Flat, averaging 5.7 vertical metres per kilometre. 65% of the route is flat, 17% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 1% is steeper than 6%.
Is Virginia Trail Running Festival a loop course?
Yes, Virginia Trail Running Festival is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Virginia Trail Running Festival course?
Yes. The Virginia Trail Running Festival 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 Virginia Trail Running Festival?
Preparation for Virginia Trail Running Festival should account for 160.93 km, 919 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 Virginia Trail Running Festival?
The pacing strategy for Virginia Trail Running Festival should reflect 160.93 km, 919 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 Virginia Trail Running Festival 2027 take place?
Virginia Trail Running Festival 2027 takes place on October 9, 2027.
Where does Virginia Trail Running Festival 2027 take place?
Virginia Trail Running Festival 2027 takes place in Max Meadows, United States.
Which distances does Virginia Trail Running Festival offer?
Virginia Trail Running Festival offers 4 distances — 100 Mile: 160.93 km; 50 Mile: 80.47 km; 50K: 50 km; 25K: 25 km.
How do I register for Virginia Trail Running Festival?
Registration runs through the organiser: runbumtours.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
