New River Gorge National Park, WV, United States · Saturday, February 20, 2027

Fixed Distance 50K

Cabin Fever 50 km Race

99 days away

48.6 km Distance

5,485 m Climbing

10.0 Grit · Elite / extreme

38.0696° N, 81.0802° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 113 m / km Vertical. Extreme verticality. This is a technical mountain course with sustained steep grades.

Time limit 10 hours 12:21 min/km average. Comfortable. About average for a 50K. Measured against 1098 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~280 Large. Rarely out of sight of another runner.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (48.6km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, February

Daytime high 6°C

Night low -4°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 10 h 57 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for February — NASA POWER, grid elevation 549 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2026	48.6km	280	Dan Green · 03:31:53	Sydney Smith · 04:30:53
2025	50km	224	Ryan Ramsby · 04:12:21	Skyla Taglieri · 04:41:14
2024	50km	253	Logan Kerby · 04:11:09	Vivian Camille Bobbitt · 04:50:08
2023	50km	144	Michael Owen · 04:01:29	Elizabeth Crittenden · 05:16:10
2022	50km	197	Alex Minor · 03:43:12	Hollyann Swann · 04:17:54

The field grew 25% between 2025 (224) and 2026 (280). 30% of the 2026 field were women.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (48.6km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Course notes

terrain This is a vertical course. Poles are highly recommended for the sustained climbs.
gear With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

Gear for this race

Chosen for 49 km of trail with 5,485 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 113 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 49 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 5,485 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 49 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

New Balance

Terrex Speed Ultra

RunRepeat found the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra to have a grippy outsole and great lockdown, while iRunFar noted that the shoe works on a variety of trail conditi…

★★★★★ 4.5

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

All-in-one calorie and electrolyte drink mix. 200 calories per serving.

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Black Diamond

Distance FLZ

Lightweight folding trekking poles with FlickLock Z adjustment. 340g per pole.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.7

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7

All gear guides →

Overview

The Cabin Fever 50 km Race takes place on trails in New River Gorge National Park, WV in February. With 5485 meters of elevation gain across 48.6 kilometers, the course packs 112.9 meters of climbing into every kilometer, making sustained ascents the defining feature of race day.

Runners face a 10-hour time limit requiring an average pace of 12.3 minutes per kilometer. That cut-off is more generous than 60% of 50k peers and tighter than 40%, leaving a modest buffer against the heavy elevation profile.

First held in 2022, the event draws a substantial crowd. With 280 finishers in 2026, it commands a field bigger than 94% of 50k races and smaller than 6%.

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.