Grindstone Trail Running FestivalNatural Chimneys Park, Mount Solon, United States🇺🇸

• •The organiser lists 6400 m of climbing; the published GPX measures 6075 m. The technical course notes use the published GPX measurement.
• •This course reaches 1323 m. A separate forecast for the high-point coordinate gives 14°C to 28°C, wind up to 13 km/h (a light breeze). It is a daily forecast for that coordinate, so arrival time can still change what you encounter.
• •Sunset is 19:20 and the finish cut-off is 06:00. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 11 hours 39 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the headtorch out before sunset and keep spare batteries or a power bank dry and immediately accessible. A spare buried at the bottom of the pack is not an emergency spare.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •At cut-off pace you run into a second night. Plan the sleep question before race day: an hour gained on the first night costs two on the second.
• •Poles are strongly recommended for this profile. The course averages 36 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 14 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •Km 137.5 to 148.3 is the same ground you covered at km 42.2; note your pace on the first pass and use it as the yardstick on the second.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Camp Todd (km 134) to North River Gap 2 (km 150): 16 km, with 738 m of climbing in between. Top up at Camp Todd and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Hot food is served at Reddish Knob (km 33) and Little Bald Knob (km 39) and 10 more. If your stomach and race plan call for it, make this a deliberate 3-5 minute stop; do not sit down simply because hot food is available. Restart gently and let your stomach settle before lifting the effort.
• •Food is available at Lick Run 1 (km 9) and Wolf Ridge (km 19) and 1 more. Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Drop bags at North River Gap 1 (km 53), Dowell’s Draft 1 (km 75), Dowell’s Draft 2 (km 117), Camp Todd (km 134), and North River Gap 2 (km 150). Write down the equipment and food you expect to replace before the race so the decision is already made when you arrive.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0), North River Gap 1 (km 53), Dowell’s Draft 1 (km 75), Dowell’s Draft 2 (km 117), Camp Todd (km 134), North River Gap 2 (km 150), and Finish (km 169). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •The last aid station is Lick Run 2 (km 162), leaving 5 km to the finish. After that you are on what you carry.
• •The heaviest leg runs from Wolf Ridge (km 19) to Reddish Knob (km 33): 14 km with 825 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Lick Run 1 (km 9), Wolf Ridge (km 19), Reddish Knob (km 33), Little Bald Knob (km 39), North River Gap 1 (km 53), Lookout Mountain (km 62), Dowell’s Draft 1 (km 75), Dry Branch Gap 1 (km 86), Cold Springs (km 97), Dry Branch Gap 2 (km 106), Dowell’s Draft 2 (km 117), Magic Moss (km 125), Camp Todd (km 134), North River Gap 2 (km 150), Lick Run 2 (km 162), and Finish (km 169). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •About 0.8 km after Camp Todd (km 134), a roughly 250 m section averaging 53% begins. Choose food you know you digest easily and fill the bottles, then enter the climb at a controlled effort.
• •The overall cut-off is 36h, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Dowell’s Draft 1 (km 75) to Dry Branch Gap 1 (km 86): the official time budget is 2h for 11 km and 658 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •The organiser lists 100 km; the published GPX measures 105 km. The technical course notes use the published GPX measurement.
• •This course reaches 1320 m. A separate forecast for the high-point coordinate gives 15°C to 27°C, wind up to 16 km/h (a light breeze). It is a daily forecast for that coordinate, so arrival time can still change what you encounter.
• •Start 06:00, sunrise 06:59: the first 59 minutes are run in the dark. The headtorch goes on your head at the start, not in your pack.
• •Sunset is 19:20 and the finish cut-off is 00:00. A runner using the full time allowance spends the final 11 hours 39 minutes in darkness.
• •Get the headtorch out before sunset and keep spare batteries or a power bank dry and immediately accessible. A spare buried at the bottom of the pack is not an emergency spare.
• •Check reflective course markers regularly in the dark. If the markings disappear, stop moving forward, return to the last marker and confirm the route against the GPX or organiser app.
• •At cut-off pace you run into a second night. Plan the sleep question before race day: an hour gained on the first night costs two on the second.
• •Poles are strongly recommended for this profile. The course averages 31 m of gain per km and the longest climb averaging over 5% runs 10 km; if you have trained with them and the organiser allows them, use them on the climbs and stow them on runnable ground.
• •Km 85.9 to 89.6 is the same ground you covered at km 40.6; note your pace on the first pass and use it as the yardstick on the second.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Camp Todd (km 70) to North River Gap 2 (km 86): 16 km, with 742 m of climbing in between. Top up at Camp Todd and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Hot food is served at North River Gap 1 (km 41) and Lookout Mountain (km 50) and 3 more. If your stomach and race plan call for it, make this a deliberate 3-5 minute stop; do not sit down simply because hot food is available. Restart gently and let your stomach settle before lifting the effort.
• •Food is available at Lick Run 1 (km 9) and Wolf Ridge (km 19) and 2 more. Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Drop bags at North River Gap 1 (km 41), Camp Todd (km 70), and North River Gap 2 (km 86). Write down the equipment and food you expect to replace before the race so the decision is already made when you arrive.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0), North River Gap 1 (km 41), Camp Todd (km 70), North River Gap 2 (km 86), and Finish (km 106). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •Another heavy leg runs from Wolf Ridge (km 19) to Sand Spring (km 34): 16 km with 643 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Lick Run 1 (km 9), Wolf Ridge (km 19), Sand Spring (km 34), North River Gap 1 (km 41), Lookout Mountain (km 50), Magic Moss (km 62), Camp Todd (km 70), North River Gap 2 (km 86), Lick Run 2 (km 99), and Finish (km 106). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •About 1 km after Camp Todd (km 70), a roughly 250 m section averaging 60% begins. Choose food you know you digest easily and fill the bottles, then enter the climb at a controlled effort.
• •The overall cut-off is 162h, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from North River Gap 1 (km 41) to Magic Moss (km 62): the official time budget is 3h 30m for 21 km and 795 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •The organiser lists 50 km; the published GPX measures 52.1 km. The organiser lists 1550 m of climbing; the aid-station legs add up to 1367 m. The course notes use the GPX for route shape and the aid-station table for climbing.
• •Even at cut-off pace you finish 3 hours 20 minutes before sunset. This one is run entirely in daylight.
• •Poles are optional: 26 m of gain per km. Bring them to protect your legs, not to gain speed.
• •Km 45 to 51.3 is the same ground you covered at km 9.2; note your pace on the first pass and use it as the yardstick on the second.
• •The file measures 52.1 km against the advertised 50 km, so expect your watch to disagree with the signs.

Aid stations

• •The longest stretch between official aid stations runs from Wolf Ridge (km 19) to Sand Spring (km 34): 16 km, with 671 m of climbing in between. Top up at Wolf Ridge and size what you carry to the expected duration and your own drinking rate.
• •Hot food is served at Lick Run 2 (km 45). If your stomach and race plan call for it, make this a deliberate 3-5 minute stop; do not sit down simply because hot food is available. Restart gently and let your stomach settle before lifting the effort.
• •Food is available at Lick Run 1 (km 9) and Wolf Ridge (km 19) and 1 more. Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0) and Finish (km 52). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •Another heavy leg runs from Lick Run 1 (km 9) to Wolf Ridge (km 19): 9 km with 259 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Lick Run 1 (km 9), Wolf Ridge (km 19), Sand Spring (km 34), Lick Run 2 (km 45), and Finish (km 52). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •The overall cut-off is 9h, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.
• •Relative to distance and climbing, the tightest official time budget runs from Wolf Ridge (km 19) to Sand Spring (km 34): the official time budget is 2h 45m for 16 km and 671 m of climbing. Station stops come out of that same budget, so do not enter the leg already behind schedule.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.

• •The organiser lists 21 km; the published GPX measures 21.7 km. The technical course notes use the published GPX measurement.
• •This course reaches 742 m. A separate forecast for the high-point coordinate gives 19°C to 30°C, wind up to 11 km/h (calm). It is a daily forecast for that coordinate, so arrival time can still change what you encounter.
• •Even at cut-off pace you finish 5 hours 20 minutes before sunset. This one is run entirely in daylight.
• •Poles are optional: 22 m of gain per km. Bring them to protect your legs, not to gain speed.
• •The climbing is stacked into the first half. Start easy; even with less climbing later, the descents and accumulated fatigue still have to be managed.
• •A single loop: start and finish share the same spot. Around 28% of the ground is covered twice.
• •Km 17.8 to 19.9 is the same ground you covered at km 4.3; note your pace on the first pass and use it as the yardstick on the second.

Aid stations

• •Food is available at Lick Run 1 (km 7) and Lick Run 2 (km 14). Decide what you need before reaching the table; without a planned special task, collect food and fluids and leave within 60-90 seconds. Finish eating on the next calm, suitable section.
• •Crew support is permitted only at Start (km 0) and Finish (km 21). This is not the same as a drop bag: plan equipment and food hand-offs around these stations, then verify wristband, bag and transport rules with the organiser.
• •The last aid station is Lick Run 2 (km 14), leaving 7 km to the finish. After that you are on what you carry.
• •The heaviest leg runs from Lick Run 1 (km 7) to Lick Run 2 (km 14): 7 km with 256 m of climbing. Treat it as the slowest part of your day and get your food out before it.
• •Medical support is available at Start (km 0), Lick Run 1 (km 7), Lick Run 2 (km 14), and Finish (km 21). If something is wrong with your feet or your stomach, deal with it there rather than pushing on.
• •About 1 km after Lick Run 1 (km 7), a roughly 250 m section averaging 30% begins. Choose food you know you digest easily and fill the bottles, then enter the climb at a controlled effort.
• •The overall cut-off is 6h, including all checkpoint stops. Build the plan around the official leg budgets below, not a flat-course average pace.

Aid station details come from the list published by the organiser; confirm them at the official source before race day.