New River Gorge Trail Festival

Experience America’s Newest National Park!

Experience New River Gorge National Park through this one-of-a-kind event! Starting at the Charlie McCoy Town Park in Fayetteville, West Virginia, this challenging trail race goes into the National Park, through the forest, and loops back to the start, offering views of the river hundreds of feet below. With significant elevation gain, each race offers a difficult yet scenic course. The New River Gorge National Park offers a wide variety of activities and sites to see post-race as well!

“The course is well marked so you can’t get lost!” – 2021 Participant

50k Course Description
New this year, the New River Gorge 50k! Travelling the same course as the Half Marathon, the 50k also has a scenic out and back along the rim of the gorge. With nearly 6,000 ft. of elevation gain and loss on single track trails, the 50k is a course that will push you…but the views will be worth it. The rhododendron tunnels, high passages along the rim, breathtaking vistas, and historic forests perfectly represent West Virginia as Wild and Wonderful!

Half Marathon Course Description
Explore the National Park Trail System with this challenging yet scenic course. The trail surface consists primarily of dirt and gravel. Take in stunning views of the New River Gorge Bridge on Dalton Trail and gaze at the gorge below while running over Kaymoor Top!

5K Course Description
Run under the longest single span arch bridge in the western hemisphere on this challenging 5k trail! This dirt single-track course has 500ft of elevation gain.

“It feels like you’re in a rainforest!” – 2021 Participant