Swoope, VA, United States · Saturday, September 25, 2027

Fixed Distance 50K

Grindstone 50 Km

360 days away

50 km Distance

1,550 m Climbing

4.8 Grit · Challenging

38.1582° N, 79.2064° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 31 m / km Rolling. Moderate undulations. Requires consistent effort across varying grades.

Time limit 9 hours 10:48 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. Tighter than 71% of 50K races. Measured against 1034 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~239 Large. Rarely out of sight of another runner.

DUV results for the 2025 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, September

Daytime high 25°C

Night low 13°C

Rainfall Showers likely

Daylight 12 h 05 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for September — NASA POWER, grid elevation 583 m. Not a forecast.

Results history

Year	Race	Finishers	Men's winner	Women's winner
2025	50km	239	Benjamin Robinson · 04:19:37	Sarah Bergeron Larouche · 04:25:36
2024	50km	171	Daniel Curts · 03:57:10	Sarah Bergeron Larouche · 04:31:03

The field grew 40% between 2024 (171) and 2025 (239). 26% of the 2025 field were women.

DUV results for the 2025 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 rolling 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 1,550 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 31 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 1,550 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

RunRepeat found the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro to have a secure, locked-in fit due to its premium upper, and also praised the shoe's energetic ride, particularly…

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

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

Tailwind

Endurance Fuel

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

$25 ★★★★★ 4.8

Salomon

ADV Skin 12

Industry-standard 12L race vest with front flask pockets and minimal bounce.

$180 ★★★★★ 4.8

Komperdell

Carbon Ultralight Vario 4

4-section folding carbon poles with compact pack size for mandatory gear.

$160 ★★★★★ 4.5

Suunto

Vertical

Titanium GPS watch with solar charging, offline maps, and 140-hour GPS battery.

$630 ★★★★★ 4.5

All gear guides →

Overview

The Grindstone 50 Km, a 50k trail race in Swoope, VA, has been run 2 times, with the most recent edition in 2025 seeing 239 finishers. Its 31 meters of climb per kilometer make it a challenging course, with a total elevation gain of 1550 meters over the 50 kilometers.

With a cut-off tighter than 60% of 1022 peer 50k races, runners must maintain a pace of 10.8 minutes per kilometer to finish within the 9-hour time limit. The field size is larger than 93% of 2663 peer 50k events.

Similar races

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