Trail Running Calendar North Carolina 2025-2026

Perennial: A Time Based Endurance Run is a unique timed running event held at the scenic Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina, just minutes from Charlotte. Participants choose from 3-hour, 6-hour, or 10-hour race options, running multiple laps of a roughly 5K loop featuring mostl..

The Umstead Trail Marathon is a scenic 26.2-mile race held entirely within William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. The course features a challenging mix of technical single-track trails and fine gravel bridle paths through dense woods, lakes, streams, and hills.Runners benefit from..

The Llama Experience Ultra is a unique trail running event held at Earthshine Lodge in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina. Participants can choose from 3-hour, 6-hour, or 12-hour race options, running loops on private, scenic land inhabited by llamas, which runners can see and pet during the race. The cou..

Blackbeard’s Revenge 100 is an ultra-distance running event held on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, spanning from Corolla to Hatteras. The race offers three options: a 100-mile solo ultra, a 100K, and a 100-mile relay, all on a fully paved course with stunning coastal views. Known for its challenging..

Badwater Cape Fear is an ultra running event held on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, offering 50km and 51.4-mile race options. The race begins with a 12-mile warm-up on the island’s car-free roads and maritime forest trails, followed by either one or two round-trip runs along the wild, secluded sa..

The Leatherwood Marathon, held at Leatherwood Resort in Ferguson, North Carolina, offers multiple race distances including 10 miles, 25K, 50K, 50 miles, and a challenging 100-mile ultra. The course features private horse land trails with scenic, shaded tree lines and beautiful overlooks. Each loop i..

The Lake James 7 Miler & 5k will take place in Nebo on Saturday 11 April 2026. You can run between 5 and 13 miles.

The OWLS Fort Macon 5K Trail Run is a scenic cross-country race held at Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Scheduled for April 11, 2026, the 5K course features a mix of wooded and open sun-exposed trails with moderate elevation changes, footbridge crossings, and stunning views..

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) 50K Challenge is an annual trail running event held near Falls Lake in Raleigh, North Carolina. The race follows the scenic single-track Mountains-to-Sea Trail through wooded terrain, featuring natural obstacles like roots, rocks, logs, and occasional water crossings..

Uforea is a unique trail running event held in Troy, North Carolina, within the Uwharrie National Forest. It features two 50K races on April 18, 2026: a daytime clockwise loop and a nighttime counter-clockwise loop, each covering approximately 32 miles through the Uwharrie and Dutchman's Creek Trail..

The Smoky Mountain Relay is a challenging team running event held in the scenic Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, North Carolina. Covering over 200 miles across 36 legs, teams of 6, 9, or 12 runners navigate a marked course featuring rugged mountain terrain and beautiful Western North Carolina sc..

The Owls Roost Rumble is a trail running event held at Bur-Mil Park in Greensboro, North Carolina. Featuring a scenic half marathon that loops around Lake Brandt, the race offers runners beautiful natural views along the course. For those seeking a shorter distance, a 4-mile trail option is also ava..

The Firefly Trail Run, held in Hendersonville, North Carolina, offers a unique trail running experience on a scenic ~3-mile loop featuring over 400 feet of elevation gain. Runners pass by a stunning waterfall, mountain creeks, and a vintage event barn each lap. The event includes 5K, 6-hour, and 12-..

The Moonlight Bootlegger 5k in Greensboro is a unique nighttime trail running event held at Hagan Stone Park, featuring rolling hills and low-root trails ideal for after-dark running. Participants navigate the course by following music and over 300 LED tea lights instead of traditional markers, crea..

The Mighty Mountain Run is a trail running event held at Camp Caraway in Sophia, North Carolina, featuring 5K and 10K distances. Set in the scenic Northern Uwharrie Mountains, the course includes rolling hills, gravel, asphalt, and trails through hardwood forests near lakes and creeks. The 5K route..

The Agapé 100k + 50k is a challenging trail running event held at Camp Agapé in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Scheduled for May 15-17, 2026, the race features rugged terrain with technical singletrack and gravel trails, including significant elevation gains—6,000 feet for the 50k (5 loops) and 12,0..

The Quest for the Crest is a challenging trail running event held in Burnsville, North Carolina, featuring 50K, 25K, and 11K distances. Known as one of the hardest and most scenic races in the Southeast, the courses are point-to-point with significant vertical climbs—up to 12,000 feet gain in the 50..

The Momentus BackYard Ultra is a challenging endurance trail running event held at the scenic Williams Rushing Farm in Monroe, North Carolina, owned by NFL star DeAngelo Williams. The main race follows the official BackYard Ultra format, requiring runners to complete a 4.167-mile loop every hour unt..

The Wicked Root 50K is an annual trail running event held in Lowell, North Carolina, featuring a challenging 10-mile loop course with 1,400 feet of elevation gain per loop. Participants complete multiple loops to cover the 50K distance. The race is marked with red ribbons and yellow arrows, and trek..

The Hollis Hills Farm Revival is a trail running event held in Ellenboro, North Carolina, featuring 5K, 25K, and 50K distances. The course consists of a scenic 5-mile loop around the farm, including a hunter's cabin and an out-and-back fire road section with a 400-foot elevation gain per loop. Parti..