Highball to Thurmond Ultra & Relay – 50 Mile, 50k, 50 Mile Relay

Race Through New River Gorge National Park

The highball was used in early railroads to signal the track was clear.  When the ball was hoisted, trains were cleared to proceed!  We are raising the ball on this unique 50 Mile & 50K event, encouraging athletes to proceed on this epic destination trail race adventure.  Participants will run through New River Gorge National Park and finish in Thurmond, West Virginia.  With a population of 5 at the 2010 census, it is the least populated railroad town in the nation.  Participants in all events can choose to take the train back to the 50 Mile start line. The train leaves at 6:59 pm and the last call whistle will be at 6:45 pm!

The 50 Miler:  This event starts at 4:45 am in Montgomery, WV, 50 Miles from the finish line in Thurmond, WV, giving athletes enough time to Catch the Train back to Montgomery!  The train leaves at 6:59 pm, and the last call whistle will be at 6:45 pm.  This means athletes will have 14 hours to complete this epic adventure in time to make the train back to Montgomery (don’t worry, if you miss the train we will get you home)!  This course is a mix of paved road (about 12 miles), awesome mountain dirt roads, and gorgeous trails with a spectacular view!   Athletes can choose to take the train back to the start line (seats are limited and first come first serve on registration) or arrange their own ride.  With about 6,000 feet of elevation gain, athletes will certainly have earned their finishers medal, post race food and awesome awards!

The 50 Kilometer Event:  This will be a full daylight event starting in Hawks Nest State Park and finishing in Thurmond, WV.  This course is a point-to-point that takes participants along the beautiful New River Gorge Trails.  This is a well-aided and extremely well marked 50K and a great beginner trail ultra with a very reasonable cutoff time.  With 3,100′ of elevation gain, this course is both manageable and challenging!  Work hard and finish before the train leaves and you will earn your medal, post race food, and awesome awards.

The 50 Mile Relay:  This 50 Mile Relay can be run with 2,3, or 4 people. With 5 relay hand off points, athletes can run it in any order and run as many or as few legs as they want as long as each member of the team runs at least one.  Bring your best trail runner, best road runner, best mountain runner, and combine for an epic point to point 50 mile race!