Mouth of Wilson, VA, United States · Saturday, May 1, 2027

Fixed Distance 50K

Grayson Highlands 50km Race

213 days away

50 km Distance

2,000 m Climbing

5.5 Grit · Challenging

36.5896° N, 81.3365° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 40 m / km Mountain. Significant climbing. Steep sections will require power hiking.

Time limit 10 hours 12:00 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. About average for a 50K. Measured against 1034 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~258 Large. Rarely out of sight of another runner.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, May

Daytime high 22°C

Night low 11°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 13 h 39 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for May — NASA POWER, grid elevation 741 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2026	50km	258	Jamie Obermeyer · 04:43:32	Marjelle Coppers · 04:56:04
2025	50km	189	Joshua Lasky · 05:15:29	Nobie Clark · 05:13:40
2024	50km	216	Cameron Holman · 04:48:20	Katie Roche · 05:10:53
2023	50km	227	Thomas Adam · 04:21:44	Laura Matacia · 05:15:07
2022	50km	187	Michael Babinec · 03:56:26	Emma Kingsbury · 05:14:50
2021	50km	218	Lee Jarvis · 03:59:02	Hollyann Swann · 04:01:18
2020	50km	110	David Sullivan · 04:06:43	Katherine Vaux · 04:40:40
2019	50km	233	George Tolton · 04:19:42	Amanda Morris · 04:58:10
2018	50km	196	Alex Brown · 04:04:24	Cera Jones · 04:59:18
2017	50km	175	Steve Barber · 04:27:54	Kristen Niedrach · 05:26:05

The field grew 37% between 2025 (189) and 2026 (258). 50% of the 2026 field were women.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

⛰️ terrain

This is a mountain course. Expect fast, runnable sections where rhythm is key.

By UltraHub Expert

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail with 2,000 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 40 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 2,000 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

Adidas

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

Salomon

Sense Ride 5

RunRepeat found the Salomon Sense Ride 5 to have immaculate lockdown and a smooth and stable ride, making it confident on moderate trails and steep downhills. I…

★★★★★ 4.5

Skratch Labs