Trail Running calendar near Banner Elk 2025-2026

TreeTops 8.5 Mile is a trail race in DuPont State Recreational Forest near Brevard, North Carolina, benefiting the Friends of DuPont State Forest. The 8.5-mile course features nearly 1,000 feet of elevation gain through rolling hills and tall trees, offering a forest-exclusive experience. The event..

The Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail in Gastonia, North Carolina, is a family-friendly fall running event featuring a 5K and a 1-mile Fun Run on the scenic Sytz Family Trail System at the Warlick Family YMCA (address: 2221 Robinwood Road). The trails span over 3 miles of woodland terrain, offering..

Monsters & Mimosas 5K at Golden Road Vineyards in State Road, North Carolina, offers a 5K, Virtual 5K, and a 1.5-mile option. The course runs through grass and cross-country terrain around the vineyard, with chip timing and a race shirt, plus a finisher medal and age-group and overall awards. The fe..

The Big Elkin Trail Relay is a team-based trail running event held in Elkin, North Carolina, featuring a 5K loop on single-track trails and granite dust paths along the old E&A Railroad grade. The course offers shaded terrain with scenic views of waterfalls, Big Elkin Creek, and Elkin Reservoir. Tea..

The Trick or Trail event in Hendersonville, NC is a Halloween-themed running event presented by Hunter Subaru on October 25, 2025. Distances offered include: 5K - 3.1 miles 1 Mile - un-timed family-friendly distance Race entry includes an event shirt (free if registered before September 28), a go..

The Fonta Flora event is a trail running weekend at Fonta Flora Brewery's Whippoorwill Farm in Nebo, North Carolina, near Lake James State Park and the Linville Gorge. The weekend includes a 50 kilometer race, a half marathon, and 2- and 3-person relay options for the 50k. The races are scheduled f..

Froggy's Freaky Friday is a unique 24-hour running event held in Galax, Virginia, on Halloween night. Participants run loops of a challenging 1-mile course featuring 500 feet of elevation gain, set in a spooky, haunted forest atmosphere. Runners can aim for medals by completing either 50 kilometers..

The South of the Mountain Trail Run is a 5k trail race held in Bostic, North Carolina, on the grounds of South Mountain Christian Camp. The course runs on dirt trails in a single continuous loop on the south side of Cherry Mountain, offering rolling hills, wooded paths, and scenic lake views. The ev..

Mountaineer Rumble at Kings Mountain State Park, Clover, SC, offers four distances: 10 Mile, 50K, 100K, and 100 Miler. The course is a loop on the CCC Multi-Use Trail with about 650 feet of elevation gain per loop. Distances are built from loops: 50K three loops plus a half-mile out-and-back; 100K s..

Gold Mine River Run 5K is a Saturday race held in Marion, North Carolina (28752). The event features a 5K off-road, cross-country course set in the Vein Mountain area south of Glenwood. The course offers a rugged, nature-filled route rather than a paved city path, emphasizing a woodland and rural se..

Chestnut Chase is a 10K trail race in Canton, NC at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park on Sunday, Nov 9, 2025. The course opens with a steep 600-foot gain in the first two miles up Papertown Express, then rolls via the Old Timer trail to a downhill finish. Runners savor fall views along the route as they..

The Seven Trails Ultra Festival, held in Damascus, Virginia, is a unique endurance running event celebrating community and personal limits. Offering distances from 25K up to 100 miles, the race features a 30-hour time window with no cutoffs or DNFs, encouraging runners to define their own finish lin..

The Looking Glass 100k is a single large loop of approximately 62 miles in Pisgah National Forest, starting and ending at the field across from Davidson River Campground off FS 5069 near the Pisgah Ranger Station. The course lists roughly 10,500 ft of elevation gain and loss and a 20-hour time limi..

The High Country Turkey Trot 10k is part of the 15th Annual High Country Turkey Trot held in Boone, North Carolina, at Clawson-Burnley Park. This event features a scenic 10k timed trail race along the Boone Greenway and Kennedy Trails, offering mostly grass and wooded trail terrain with some paved s..

Lake Norman State Park Trail Race, held in Troutman, North Carolina, offers two distances: 30K and 50K, in its seventh year. The course uses smooth-rolling single-track trails with no repeat loops, delivering varied scenery as runners traverse Laurel, Wildlife, Fallstown, and Fox Loops (30K); the 50..

The Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival takes place at Camp Grier, 985 Camp Grier Rd, Old Fort, NC. It offers 3-, 6-, and 12-hour trail runs and mountain bike rides on the Camp Grier and Gateway Trail System. The run loop is about 3.5 miles with roughly 550 ft of climb and descent per lap; the bike l..

The Dirty Santa Trail Run is a 5-mile trail race held annually in Lenoir, North Carolina, serving as the final event in the Foothills Run Series presented by UNC Ortho. The course begins and ends at the Lenoir Rotary Soccer Complex and features nearly 3 miles of single-track trail on Zack's Fork Mou..

Beast of the East 100 is a multi-distance trail ultra in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, hosted by Dirty Wolf Racing. Distances include 100 Miler, 100K, 50 Miler, Marathon, and Half Marathon on the Crowders Mountain trails, featuring two summits and lake views. The 2025 course uses a Crowders Ridge..

Bridge & Trestle 17 Mile Run is a free out-and-back running event on the Virginia Creeper Trail, starting at Alvarado Station in Abingdon, Virginia. The 17-mile course runs from Alvarado Station to the Abingdon Trailhead, offering scenic rail-trail views along a well-known route. Hosted by the State..

The South Mountains Marathons are a collection of trail races held in South Mountains State Park, North Carolina. For 2026 the event is a half marathon only due to trail closures; longer distances are paused. The half marathon takes place on January 10, 2026. Registration opens August 15 and closes..